A wide variety of biological community types are classified as wetlands, and therefore, it is difficult to get a clear consensus of what constitutes a wetland. Common diagnostic features of wetlands are moist soils and aquatic vegetation. Fresh water and estuarine marshes, fens, bogs, prairie potholes, and swampy forests are all considered wetlands. The value of wetlands has often been overlooked in the past. They are instrumental in reducing flooding by acting as reservoirs for rainwater and runoff, controlling erosion, and improving water quality.
Wetlands help to improve water quality by acting as a natural pollution control.
They remove nutrients, pesticides, and sediments from surface waters, and they can help in treating sewage and animal waste. Wetlands are best known as nesting, breeding, and feeding grounds for millions of waterfowl, birds, and other wildlife. In addition to all of this, wetlands provide humans with a place of beauty and recreation. Many people enjoy hunting, fishing, bird watching, and photography in wetland areas. Wetlands are special places, and they require a cooperative effort to preserve them for the future.