What is a Wetland? What is an Ecosystem?
Ecosystem
A ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their environment. An ecosystem is a community of living things in together with the nonliving the pieces of their environment (things like air,water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. All the parts work together to provide healthy, functioning ecosystems.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land that supports wildlife and aquatic plants for part of their life cycle. Wetlands consist of marshes, swamps and saturated land.A wetland is an area of land that supports wildlife and aquatic plants for part of their life cycle. Wetlands consist of marshes, swamps and Animals that live in Wetlands:Producer,Consumer and Decomposer.
Producers are the animals that only eat plants.
Example: Cattails and DuckweedConsumers are the animals that only eat other animals.
Example: Amphibian, Water Spider.Decomposers are the animals that only eat dead things.Example: worms, slugs.Carnivores are meat eaters Herbivore are plant eaters
Example:Rabbit,American Beaver.
Omnivores eat both plants and meat. Example:Raccoon,Fox They are all belong to Consumer.
Wetland is a place that people can relax.
A ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their environment. An ecosystem is a community of living things in together with the nonliving the pieces of their environment (things like air,water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. All the parts work together to provide healthy, functioning ecosystems.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land that supports wildlife and aquatic plants for part of their life cycle. Wetlands consist of marshes, swamps and saturated land.A wetland is an area of land that supports wildlife and aquatic plants for part of their life cycle. Wetlands consist of marshes, swamps and Animals that live in Wetlands:Producer,Consumer and Decomposer.
Producers are the animals that only eat plants.
Example: Cattails and DuckweedConsumers are the animals that only eat other animals.
Example: Amphibian, Water Spider.Decomposers are the animals that only eat dead things.Example: worms, slugs.Carnivores are meat eaters Herbivore are plant eaters
Example:Rabbit,American Beaver.
Omnivores eat both plants and meat. Example:Raccoon,Fox They are all belong to Consumer.
Wetland is a place that people can relax.
What does a Wetland do?
Wetlands Provide Food and Homes!
The wetlands provide food for all animals that live there, they also flow water through the land down into the trees making them grow so the animals can survive off them!
Harmful Substances!
Wetlands water filters Harmful substances like chemicals! Wetlands reduce the amount of harmful substances that enter a river, lake or any source of water by acting like a strainer that filters out the bad stuff.
Healthy Habitat!
They provide a habitat for many wetland animals as well as food and water for species that pass through. Marine wetlands provide organisms important to the food chain of the sea. They also benefit human populations because they slow erosion, help recharge groundwater, and help prevent flooding!
Other facts!
One of the main jobs of a wetland is it soaks up all types of water from rain, snowmelt, groundwater and floodwater, purifies it and then releases it back into the rivers and lakes when needed. The trees shrubs and other water vegetation helps slow down the floodwaters from destroying the wetland.
Wetlands help filter the water so that animals, plants and humans can have cleaner water. Many animals and plants live in the wetlands and depend on them for their habitat. This is why we need to keep our wetlands clean and safe.
The wetlands provide food for all animals that live there, they also flow water through the land down into the trees making them grow so the animals can survive off them!
Harmful Substances!
Wetlands water filters Harmful substances like chemicals! Wetlands reduce the amount of harmful substances that enter a river, lake or any source of water by acting like a strainer that filters out the bad stuff.
Healthy Habitat!
They provide a habitat for many wetland animals as well as food and water for species that pass through. Marine wetlands provide organisms important to the food chain of the sea. They also benefit human populations because they slow erosion, help recharge groundwater, and help prevent flooding!
Other facts!
One of the main jobs of a wetland is it soaks up all types of water from rain, snowmelt, groundwater and floodwater, purifies it and then releases it back into the rivers and lakes when needed. The trees shrubs and other water vegetation helps slow down the floodwaters from destroying the wetland.
Wetlands help filter the water so that animals, plants and humans can have cleaner water. Many animals and plants live in the wetlands and depend on them for their habitat. This is why we need to keep our wetlands clean and safe.
Plants and Animals that live in Alberta Wetlands
There are multiple types of animals in a wetland. there are mammals, birds, reptiles, rodents, amphibians and fish. Most animals are here in water. There are also some plants like trees and water lilies a tree is a land plant and a water lily is a water plant. We picked some of each thing and 4 plants. Have you ever noticed the strange and beautiful patterns on the leaves, fur or feathers...
Animals:
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is part of the woodpecker family. Also it is about 10cm in size. It lives in most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands. It is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker some of them are: Yellowhammer, clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird.
Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret is smaller than the North America’s other white or light-colored herons and egrets. The Snowy Egret is most easily identified by its black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. Male and female Snowy Egrets are similar to one another in each of the four seasons. In the summertime Snowy Egrets nest in colonies, called ‘rookeries,’ in trees around lakes and ponds. Snowy Egrets usually eat fish, but sometimes also eat also eat small animals such as frogs, lizards, and mice when they can.
Eastern Snake-necked turtle
It has a long neck as you can tell by its name. it is a freshwater reptile that live mostly in wetlands.They would eat little fish and plants.
field mouse
A field mouse is not endangered at all and is sometimes used in labs or as pets. They mostly have pointed snouts and tiny pink feet.
long nose dace
long nose dace is first found in niagara falls and spread through north america quickly. Though it is not an invasive species it is still almost everywhere.
Coyotes
Coyotes can be found in wetlands hunting or just looking for shelter. Coyotes are usually are on the top of the food chain in a wetland they can eat things such as deer,ducks,moose,and other types of birds. Coyotes live in wetlands because there is lots of food and water there is also shelter and lots of space. Coyote’s ears help them hunt their prey and stay away from people hunting them.coyotes can be in all sorts of colours like tan black and white they are bit smaller then a gray wolf. In the spring coyotes are a small layer of fur and the summer in the fall they start growing a thicker layer of fur due to the weather in the winter they have a thick layer of fur to keep warm. Coyotes can be 15-40 pounds around adult age.Coyotes could have 9-12 babies at once. Female coyotes always protect an hunt for there babies until they are old enough to hunt and protect themselves.
Red Fox
A Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) is pretty large in size. Red Foxes usually travel in small groups or pairs.Red foxes can live in the wild for 5 years red foxes like to eat mice and if they find leftovers they will eat that.Red foxes som times could attack larger animals then them if they are in danger red foxes have atacked animals like grey wolves coyotes and sometimes bobcats they usally wont eat these animals but they can eat larger animals if they are starving.Red foxes usally have black paws and a white chest and there back is red they have large pointy ears and a small black nose and a bit of white on there chin. Coyotes can be about an average weight of 14 kg.Red foxes are a a little endangered because of humans hunting them in the fur trade they were really endangered for there fur and getting traped in beaver traps.
Tiger Salamander
It is very different in pattern depending on the one. It can be a bold mottling of greenish, yellowish, cream or olive tan patches on a brown or black background. On some patches are large, regular and often interconnected.
Bullfrog
Bullfrog is a large aggressive frog, of any of a number of species. It has a fat body and lime green skin.
Plants:
Yellow Pond Lily
Yellow Pond Lily are also called Spatterdock. they are a native water lily which grows in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers. It is a perennial, which means it dies back in the winter, but grows again from the roots each Spring.
Aspens
Aspens are deciduous trees and usually 20 to 80 feet tall. The colour of their bark can be in a range of greenish-white, yellowish-gray or just gray. Aspen trees provide a habitat for many wildlife
Duckweed
Duckweed is an important source of food for waterfowl and and fish. It is often spread by animals and bugs. It looks like a greenish slime from far away and from close up it is 100s of little leaves.
Cattails or bulrush
Cattails or bulrush is found in many wetland habitats or pounds.Cattails are mostly green and brown when they are dying they are yellow. They are not fuzzy.
Animals:
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is part of the woodpecker family. Also it is about 10cm in size. It lives in most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands. It is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker some of them are: Yellowhammer, clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird.
Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret is smaller than the North America’s other white or light-colored herons and egrets. The Snowy Egret is most easily identified by its black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. Male and female Snowy Egrets are similar to one another in each of the four seasons. In the summertime Snowy Egrets nest in colonies, called ‘rookeries,’ in trees around lakes and ponds. Snowy Egrets usually eat fish, but sometimes also eat also eat small animals such as frogs, lizards, and mice when they can.
Eastern Snake-necked turtle
It has a long neck as you can tell by its name. it is a freshwater reptile that live mostly in wetlands.They would eat little fish and plants.
field mouse
A field mouse is not endangered at all and is sometimes used in labs or as pets. They mostly have pointed snouts and tiny pink feet.
long nose dace
long nose dace is first found in niagara falls and spread through north america quickly. Though it is not an invasive species it is still almost everywhere.
Coyotes
Coyotes can be found in wetlands hunting or just looking for shelter. Coyotes are usually are on the top of the food chain in a wetland they can eat things such as deer,ducks,moose,and other types of birds. Coyotes live in wetlands because there is lots of food and water there is also shelter and lots of space. Coyote’s ears help them hunt their prey and stay away from people hunting them.coyotes can be in all sorts of colours like tan black and white they are bit smaller then a gray wolf. In the spring coyotes are a small layer of fur and the summer in the fall they start growing a thicker layer of fur due to the weather in the winter they have a thick layer of fur to keep warm. Coyotes can be 15-40 pounds around adult age.Coyotes could have 9-12 babies at once. Female coyotes always protect an hunt for there babies until they are old enough to hunt and protect themselves.
Red Fox
A Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) is pretty large in size. Red Foxes usually travel in small groups or pairs.Red foxes can live in the wild for 5 years red foxes like to eat mice and if they find leftovers they will eat that.Red foxes som times could attack larger animals then them if they are in danger red foxes have atacked animals like grey wolves coyotes and sometimes bobcats they usally wont eat these animals but they can eat larger animals if they are starving.Red foxes usally have black paws and a white chest and there back is red they have large pointy ears and a small black nose and a bit of white on there chin. Coyotes can be about an average weight of 14 kg.Red foxes are a a little endangered because of humans hunting them in the fur trade they were really endangered for there fur and getting traped in beaver traps.
Tiger Salamander
It is very different in pattern depending on the one. It can be a bold mottling of greenish, yellowish, cream or olive tan patches on a brown or black background. On some patches are large, regular and often interconnected.
Bullfrog
Bullfrog is a large aggressive frog, of any of a number of species. It has a fat body and lime green skin.
Plants:
Yellow Pond Lily
Yellow Pond Lily are also called Spatterdock. they are a native water lily which grows in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers. It is a perennial, which means it dies back in the winter, but grows again from the roots each Spring.
Aspens
Aspens are deciduous trees and usually 20 to 80 feet tall. The colour of their bark can be in a range of greenish-white, yellowish-gray or just gray. Aspen trees provide a habitat for many wildlife
Duckweed
Duckweed is an important source of food for waterfowl and and fish. It is often spread by animals and bugs. It looks like a greenish slime from far away and from close up it is 100s of little leaves.
Cattails or bulrush
Cattails or bulrush is found in many wetland habitats or pounds.Cattails are mostly green and brown when they are dying they are yellow. They are not fuzzy.
Adaptations that Help Animals to Live in a Wetland
Fox
Fox because they can run fast and have strong jaws and can rip through prey. They can camouflage in snow if there covered in it, and they’re cute and fluffy.
Hawk
Hawks with their razor sharp talons help them kill prey easily so they don’t struggle. Their eyes so they can see extremely small prey from way up high.
Diving Beetle
Diving Beetle Because They Can Dive Underwater and not die like other bugs like ants and spiders. They have air bubbles that let them breathe underwater.
Otter
An Adaptation for Otters Is Their Ability To Swim. It Helps Them Get Away From Predators that can swim and can’t swim because the Otters are fast swimmers.
Fish
An Adaptation for Fish Is a bone in their body that flicks so much that it allows them to get air from water. Because fish only need to be moist and need air to survive.
Beaver
Beavers Because They Can Swim Good And Build Big Dams And chew up trees.
Coyote
Coyote’s Ears Because it lets them hear better and find food and predators easier and better than most animals.
Fox because they can run fast and have strong jaws and can rip through prey. They can camouflage in snow if there covered in it, and they’re cute and fluffy.
Hawk
Hawks with their razor sharp talons help them kill prey easily so they don’t struggle. Their eyes so they can see extremely small prey from way up high.
Diving Beetle
Diving Beetle Because They Can Dive Underwater and not die like other bugs like ants and spiders. They have air bubbles that let them breathe underwater.
Otter
An Adaptation for Otters Is Their Ability To Swim. It Helps Them Get Away From Predators that can swim and can’t swim because the Otters are fast swimmers.
Fish
An Adaptation for Fish Is a bone in their body that flicks so much that it allows them to get air from water. Because fish only need to be moist and need air to survive.
Beaver
Beavers Because They Can Swim Good And Build Big Dams And chew up trees.
Coyote
Coyote’s Ears Because it lets them hear better and find food and predators easier and better than most animals.
Wetland Food Chains
What is a food chain?
A food chain is the the relationship between animals and plants that live in the same environment. At the top of the food chain is the animals that are the predators,the ones least likely to be killed. If one thing is taken out of it then the whole thing might collapse; and by collapse we mean the animals species that are usually eaten will have too many of those species.
What’s an example of a food chain?
One example of a food chain cycle is:grass,which is eaten by a bug/insect,then the bug is eaten by a fish, the fish is eaten by a beaver and the beaver dies and the decomposers break down the beaver into food for the grass. Then it does it all over again.
Another example is when some algae is eaten by a little fish, the little fish is eaten by a big fish, then the big fish is eaten by a blue heron. The blue heron dies and is decomposed by mushrooms and the cycle continues.
Why are food chains important?
Food chains are important because all plants and animals are connected to each other. If you take out one thing in a food chain, then the whole chain could die out. For example: If you remove bugs from a wetland, frogs or fish might not have any food. Then they might die and other animals that ate frogs or fish won’t have any food and die. The other animals would then die and the decomposers won’t have anything to break down. Plants won’t grow without the decomposed nutrients and so on.
Why Is important for the food chain to stay together?
The food chain needs to stay together without losing pieces for the wetland/area to survive. Every part is important because bad things can happen like: Humans come in and kill the animals. If one thing is taken away from the food chains everything in it suffers and could possibly die. For Example: Humans could spray and kill the mosquitoes and other bugs and the animals that ate those bugs would die and so on.That is bad because sometimes those animals are food and if an animal eats them then they can get sick.
What Kinds Of Food Chains Are There?
There are all kinds of food chains in a wetland ecosystem. In a wetland everything has to be there or it could affect the whole wetland ecosystem. That’s why we must have every single part in a wetland.
A food chain is the the relationship between animals and plants that live in the same environment. At the top of the food chain is the animals that are the predators,the ones least likely to be killed. If one thing is taken out of it then the whole thing might collapse; and by collapse we mean the animals species that are usually eaten will have too many of those species.
What’s an example of a food chain?
One example of a food chain cycle is:grass,which is eaten by a bug/insect,then the bug is eaten by a fish, the fish is eaten by a beaver and the beaver dies and the decomposers break down the beaver into food for the grass. Then it does it all over again.
Another example is when some algae is eaten by a little fish, the little fish is eaten by a big fish, then the big fish is eaten by a blue heron. The blue heron dies and is decomposed by mushrooms and the cycle continues.
Why are food chains important?
Food chains are important because all plants and animals are connected to each other. If you take out one thing in a food chain, then the whole chain could die out. For example: If you remove bugs from a wetland, frogs or fish might not have any food. Then they might die and other animals that ate frogs or fish won’t have any food and die. The other animals would then die and the decomposers won’t have anything to break down. Plants won’t grow without the decomposed nutrients and so on.
Why Is important for the food chain to stay together?
The food chain needs to stay together without losing pieces for the wetland/area to survive. Every part is important because bad things can happen like: Humans come in and kill the animals. If one thing is taken away from the food chains everything in it suffers and could possibly die. For Example: Humans could spray and kill the mosquitoes and other bugs and the animals that ate those bugs would die and so on.That is bad because sometimes those animals are food and if an animal eats them then they can get sick.
What Kinds Of Food Chains Are There?
There are all kinds of food chains in a wetland ecosystem. In a wetland everything has to be there or it could affect the whole wetland ecosystem. That’s why we must have every single part in a wetland.
What is Harming Wetland Ecosystems?
Constructions
Construction can harm wetlands because all the noise would scare them away. When they finish building they won’t have a home.Oil can spill out of the machines and could run down into lakes or streams and poison the water which could kill fish and other living things. Fact: constructions can sometimes be helpful like building man made wetlands it could also be harmful like building on wetlands.
Logging
Logging can harm wetlands because the trees keep the river bank from erosion the soil gets washed up and eventually fill up the wetland. Logging can harm wetlands by getting rid of animals homes.
Trapping
If animals are trapped the plant population and eventually fill up the wetland. If animals are trapped that animal can extinct and break the food chain and other animals can die.
Herbicide
Farmers use herbicides to kill weeds in their wheat fields. When it rains the herbicides will kill the producers in the wetland. If the producers die there won’t have enough oxygen to survive.
DDT
DDT can harm wetland by flowing into near by rivers and streams into wetlands and when animals drink the water that has DDT in it they will going to be sick and die. DDT is a type of insect killer it can be powder form and liquid form they are banned because of all the chemicals it has in it. DDT is a tasteless,colourless chemical.Fact: DDTs boiling point is 260 °C and its melting point is 108.5 °C its formula is C14H9Cl5 .
Droughts
Droughts can harm wetlands because it could dry rivers, streams and ponds and the fish and water breathing species will die. This could also harm wetlands because the plants won’t get any water to survive .
Insecticide
Farmers use insecticides on their crops to kill and keep the bugs away from eating their crops. But if it rains or if the snow melts the insecticides could run down into the wetlands rivers,pond or streams and kill the animals and pollute the water.
Construction can harm wetlands because all the noise would scare them away. When they finish building they won’t have a home.Oil can spill out of the machines and could run down into lakes or streams and poison the water which could kill fish and other living things. Fact: constructions can sometimes be helpful like building man made wetlands it could also be harmful like building on wetlands.
Logging
Logging can harm wetlands because the trees keep the river bank from erosion the soil gets washed up and eventually fill up the wetland. Logging can harm wetlands by getting rid of animals homes.
Trapping
If animals are trapped the plant population and eventually fill up the wetland. If animals are trapped that animal can extinct and break the food chain and other animals can die.
Herbicide
Farmers use herbicides to kill weeds in their wheat fields. When it rains the herbicides will kill the producers in the wetland. If the producers die there won’t have enough oxygen to survive.
DDT
DDT can harm wetland by flowing into near by rivers and streams into wetlands and when animals drink the water that has DDT in it they will going to be sick and die. DDT is a type of insect killer it can be powder form and liquid form they are banned because of all the chemicals it has in it. DDT is a tasteless,colourless chemical.Fact: DDTs boiling point is 260 °C and its melting point is 108.5 °C its formula is C14H9Cl5 .
Droughts
Droughts can harm wetlands because it could dry rivers, streams and ponds and the fish and water breathing species will die. This could also harm wetlands because the plants won’t get any water to survive .
Insecticide
Farmers use insecticides on their crops to kill and keep the bugs away from eating their crops. But if it rains or if the snow melts the insecticides could run down into the wetlands rivers,pond or streams and kill the animals and pollute the water.
What can Humans do to Help Wetland Ecosystems?
What Can We do to Help Wetland?
What we can do is quite effortless. You can start my just making sure not throw your garbage in the wetland. Don’t pick the flowers and plant growing around the wetlands. If you decide to go through a wetland make sure to stick to the path, you may be trampling some living organisms (plants). Try to use Phosphate-free and non-toxics for laundry, dishwasher detergents, and most household cleaning products.
WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING TO HELP WETLANDS!
There are many ways that we are already helping wetlands and here are a few ways. We have made a law that it is illegal to disturb wetlands without government approval, like building over wetlands and flattening them. Some people have started groups to go clean up the wetlands of things such as garbage. The BC Wildlife Federation and the Wetlandkeepers have been conserving wetlands using their knowledge and tools. Also the Canadian Wildlife Federation grant has help to fund Wetlandkeepers sea to sky series, introduced in 2009 to 2011. Calgary as a city has been developing a plan, our plan is to include wetlands into our communities and day to day lifestyles.
What we can do is quite effortless. You can start my just making sure not throw your garbage in the wetland. Don’t pick the flowers and plant growing around the wetlands. If you decide to go through a wetland make sure to stick to the path, you may be trampling some living organisms (plants). Try to use Phosphate-free and non-toxics for laundry, dishwasher detergents, and most household cleaning products.
WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING TO HELP WETLANDS!
There are many ways that we are already helping wetlands and here are a few ways. We have made a law that it is illegal to disturb wetlands without government approval, like building over wetlands and flattening them. Some people have started groups to go clean up the wetlands of things such as garbage. The BC Wildlife Federation and the Wetlandkeepers have been conserving wetlands using their knowledge and tools. Also the Canadian Wildlife Federation grant has help to fund Wetlandkeepers sea to sky series, introduced in 2009 to 2011. Calgary as a city has been developing a plan, our plan is to include wetlands into our communities and day to day lifestyles.