what is a wetland?
What
is a wetland?
Vermont's
wetlands are defined as those areas of the state that are inundated by surface
or ground water with a frequency sufficient to support plants and animals that
depend on saturated or seasonally saturated soil conditions for growth and
reproduction. These areas are commonly known as ponds, bogs, fens, marshes, wet
meadows, shrub swamps, and wooded swamps. Wetlands often occur in association
with lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, creating transitional areas between dry
land and open water. However, wetlands can also be isolated from any obvious
connection to water when they occur where the topography collects surface water,
or where ground water surfaces.
Wetland
identification and delineation:
The saturated or seasonally saturated conditions in wetlands create an
environment that favors the growth of specifically adapted wetland plants
(hydrophytic vegetation) and promotes the development of wetland soils (hydric
soils). These three factors (hydrology, vegetation, and soils) are used in
wetland identification and in the delineation of wetland boundaries.
Wetland functions and values:
Blue Heron
Wetlands
serve a variety of functions and values beneficial to the health, safety, and
welfare of the general public. Some of the functions and values that wetlands
provide include: flood control, water quality protection, wildlife habitat,
endangered species habitat, hydrophytic vegetation habitat, and erosion control.
While the degree to which a wetland serves these functions and values varies
from wetland to wetland, each wetland works in combination with other wetlands
as part of a complex integrated system.
Information provided by: www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/wetlands