User:Chlo185
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). |
- ^ Keddy, Paul A. (2010-07-29). Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-73967-2.
- ^ a b c "Wetlands". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 04/01/2020.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ US EPA, ORD (2017-11-02). "Wetlands". US EPA. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
- ^ a b c d e Zedler, Joy B.; Kercher, Suzanne (2005-11-21). "WETLAND RESOURCES: Status, Trends, Ecosystem Services, and Restorability". Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 30 (1): 39–74. doi:10.1146/annurev.energy.30.050504.144248. ISSN 1543-5938.
- ^ a b c "The Peatland Ecosystem: The Planet's Most Efficient Natural Carbon Sink". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2020-04-03.