Author Question: Describe the three characteristics of a wetland area. What will be an ideal ... (Read 20 times)

jrubin · **on:** Jul 21, 2018

Describe the three characteristics of a wetland area.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Define wetland, both from legal and ecological perspectives

What will be an ideal response?

Kaytorgator · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 21, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Hydrology refers to the characteristics of water in a soil. When the hydrology in a soil is particularly wet, free
water will be present among the soil particles. If you pick up a handful of soil in this condition and squeeze it,
water will probably drip out.
Hydrophytes are water-loving plants. Hydrophytes require much less soil oxygen than other plants, so that the
presence of excess water does not cause problems in their survival.
Hydric soils are characterized by a general lack of oxygen between the soil particles. This is caused when water
frequently or continuously fills the pores between the soil particles. Because much of the soil's color is a result
of the oxidation of metals such as iron, the absence of oxygen causes a discoloration or mottling of the soil.
This produces white, gray, or pale yellow soil coloration.

Answer to Question 2

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defines wetland as an area that has frequent flooding or saturation, is covered
by hydrophytes, and includes hydric soils. According to this definition, wetlands exhibit all three of these characteristics:
(1) a wet hydrology, (2) hydrophytes, and (3) hydric soils.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service defines wetlands as land that is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic
systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. Under that
definition, wetlands must have one or more of the following three attributes: (1) supports predominantly hydrophytes
at least periodically, (2) substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil, or (3) substrate is nonsoil and
saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season each year.