Pearl Learns About the Importance of Wetlands

Pearl is back and ready to spread some knowledge across the watershed!

Today's topic? The importance of wetlands.

To start, let's get a understanding of what a wetland is. Wetlands are areas where water saturation plays a key role in shaping soil development and influencing the types of plant and animal communities present both in the soil and on its surface. The defining characteristic of most wetlands is the presence of soil or substrate that is periodically saturated or submerged by water. Wetlands encompass a variety of ecosystems, including mangroves, several types of marshes, swamps, forested wetlands, bogs, wet prairies, prairie potholes, and vernal pools.

Wetlands can be found all across Vermont and The Missisquoi Watershed.  Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, erosion control, natural products, recreation, and aesthetics.

Wetlands in the Missisquoi Watershed help regulate water flow into Lake Champlain by capturing and slowly releasing water during floods. They also filter out pollutants, like excess nutrients and sediment, before they reach the lake. The biodiversity in these wetlands is significant, as they provide important habitats for wildlife, including migratory

birds, amphibians, fish species, insects, and invertebrates. Wetlands are among the most productive habitats on earth.

The loss of wetlands leads to increased flooding, worsened drought conditions, degraded water quality, significant loss of biodiversity and habitat for wildlife, erosion of coastlines and shorelines, reduced groundwater recharge, and contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon. These combined impacts negatively affect human health, safety, prosperity, and the overall resilience of natural ecosystems

Vermont's wetlands are protected by both state and federal laws, and efforts are made to conserve these ecosystems due to their importance in maintaining biodiversity and water quality. Many wetlands in the state are also part of larger conservation initiatives or wildlife management areas.

At MRBA, we recognize the importance of wetlands and work to preserve them for the benefit of our local ecosystems. Wetlands are all around us and you may not even realize how close you could be to one.