Wetlands are created when water overflows into heavily vegetated soil causing plants to adapt to a flooded ecosystem. [1] Wetlands can occur in three different regions. [2] Marine wetlands are found in shallow coastal areas, tidal wetlands are also coastal but are found farther inland, and non-tidal wetlands are found inland and have no affects from tides. [2] Wetland soil is an important carbon sink; 14.5% of the world's soil carbon is found in wetlands, while only 5.5% of the world's land is composed of wetlands. [3] Not only are wetlands a great carbon sink, they have many other benefits like collecting floodwater, filtering air and water pollutants, and creating a home for numerous birds, fish, insects, and plants. [2]
Climate change could alter soil carbon storage changing it from a sink to a source. [4] With rising temperatures comes an increase in greenhouse gasses from wetlands especially locations with permafrost. When this permafrost melts in increases the available oxygen and water in the soil. [4] Because of this, bacteria in the soil would create large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane to be released into the atmosphere. [4]
Peatlands hold aproximetly 30 perecent of the carbon in our ecosystem. [5] When wetlands are drained for agriculture and urbanization, because peatlands are so vast, large quantities of carbon decompose and emit CO2 into the atmosphere. [5] The loss of one peatland could potentially produce more carbon than 175-500 years of methane emissions. [4]
While the link between climate change and wetlands is still not fully known, it will be soon determined through future removal of wetlands. [4] It is also not clear how restored wetlands manage carbon while still being a contributing source of methane. However, preserving these areas would help prevent further release of carbon into the atmosphere. [5]
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Wetlands are created when water overflows into heavily vegetated soil causing plants to adapt to a flooded ecosystem. [1] Wetlands can occur in three different regions. [2] Marine wetlands are found in shallow coastal areas, tidal wetlands are also coastal but are found farther inland, and non-tidal wetlands are found inland and have no affects from tides. [2] Wetland soil is an important carbon sink; 14.5% of the world's soil carbon is found in wetlands, while only 5.5% of the world's land is composed of wetlands. [3] Not only are wetlands a great carbon sink, they have many other benefits like collecting floodwater, filtering air and water pollutants, and creating a home for numerous birds, fish, insects, and plants. [2]
Climate change could alter soil carbon storage changing it from a sink to a source. [4] With rising temperatures comes an increase in greenhouse gasses from wetlands especially locations with permafrost. When this permafrost melts in increases the available oxygen and water in the soil. [4] Because of this, bacteria in the soil would create large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane to be released into the atmosphere. [4]
Peatlands hold aproximetly 30 perecent of the carbon in our ecosystem. [5] When wetlands are drained for agriculture and urbanization, because peatlands are so vast, large quantities of carbon decompose and emit CO2 into the atmosphere. [5] The loss of one peatland could potentially produce more carbon than 175-500 years of methane emissions. [4]
While the link between climate change and wetlands is still not fully known, it will be soon determined through future removal of wetlands. [4] It is also not clear how restored wetlands manage carbon while still being a contributing source of methane. However, preserving these areas would help prevent further release of carbon into the atmosphere. [5]
![]() | This user is a student editor in Alaska_Pacific_University/Climate_Change_(Spring_2020). |
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cite web}}
: Check date values in: |access-date=
(
help)CS1 maint: url-status (
link)