Let's Get Wet (1)

http://mdc.mo.gov

Learn more about wetlands in Missouri in this 3-part series.

Don't you just love a wetland? Such an amazing, unique, diverse place to live. Wetlands provide habitat for all kinds of wildlife. For plants, look at this great big leaf of this lotus, bright yellow flower. And when that yellow flower is done being pollinated, a big green seed pod. Such a unique plant that only lives in wetlands. Wetlands are just amazing. They provide food, water, shelter; everything an animal's gonna need to survive right here in this unique habitat. Reptiles, amphibians, songbirds and all kinds of waterfowl all nest and raise their young right here, protected from predators, in a wetland. They all help their young find loads of food during the summer. This is the best nursery for young wildlife. All kinds of wetland plants provide seeds that are high in protein for migrating birds. Our wetlands are a place where birds can stop and rest and load up on lots of nutritious food. Don't you like a good food stop when you travel?

If you look down deep in a wetland, you really get to see what's going on. And what you'll see is all the fibrous roots of these plants and mucky soils are hangin' on to each other so they don't get washed away by floodwaters. But when it does flood, the wetland's got a specific job. It holds on to all that extra water, soaks it up like a sponge and hangs on to it. When the rivers drop back down, the water seeps out of the wetland back into the river. Not only is water seeping into the river; that's clean water. The river has filtered out all those nutrients and hangs onto it for these plants to use. That's good for us because we're going to be drinking that water at some point and that's good for the wetlands because they need those nutrients. So next time you see a wetland, stop on in and see what's going on.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• wetlands
• missouri
• conservation
• outdoors