ga('linker:autoLink', ['secure2.convio.net', 'donate.cwf-fcf.org'] ); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); © 2020 Canadian Wildlife Federation. It was the first Ramsar site owned and co-managed by a community - not only in South Africa, but worldwide. Countless species, from mallards to mud puppies, mate, lay eggs, hatch, swim, hunt, and grow in these... © 2020 Canadian Wildlife Federation. The Canadian Wetland Inventory (CWI) was established in 2002 by DUC, Environment Canada, the Canadian Space Agency and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council. History, politics, arts, science & more: the Canadian Encyclopedia is your reference on Canada. wetlands (peatlands) and mineral wetlands (generally non-peaty). m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) They can provide shelter for pond wildlife like water boatmen, tadpoles and other tiny creatures and also help to keep the water oxygenated and clean. Plants and animals in wetlands A wide range of plants and animals depend on wetlands for their survival. Many are toxic to fish and harmful to people as well.• Chemicals, minerals, solid matter, and metal salts from mining or industry can wipe out fish and other aquatic creatures.• Temperature changes to water caused by electric power plants can cause harm too. In addition to providing a home for these plants and animals, wetlands are an essential part of the environment because they prevent flooding, filter toxins, store groundwater and limit erosion. Canada has a varied landscape, including the Rocky Mountains, boreal forest, the prairies, and Arctic tundra. [CDATA[ To date, Ducks Unlimited Canada has restored 5,654 hectares of wetlands and manages with the federal government another 5,165 hectares of habitats in national wildlife areas. The five classes of the Canadian Wetland Classification System in relation to the important chemical gradients. As wetlands are a vital ecosystem to many species of Canadian plants and animals and an intricate part of our environment, special care must be taken not to lose these important areas. Some do so on a permanent basis, while others only inhabit them during a small portion of the year. In Manitoba, for example, many towns and farms receive deliveries of well-water that are drawn from aquifers.Aside from providing homes for millions of living creatures, wetlands bring an abundance of dollars into the Canadian economy. Fig. Wetlands conserve water by feeding underground aquifers. Moose and beaver may use peripheral areas. Grasses, shrubs, and trees also feature differently in each wetland class, but all help to provide food and shelter to fish, frogs, birds, rodents and larger mammals. It helps to: Focus conservation, restoration and wetland monitoring programs Be extra careful—what may feel and appear to be a solid floating sphagnum mat may not fully support your weight. Small action or big project, every little bit helps and Wetland Heroes can be individuals, classes, schools, or community youth clubs. Canada is famous for its innumerable lakes and rivers, but travel folders seldom mention its marshes, swamps, and bogs or the many small ponds or sloughs that dot large areas of the country. Ponds and marshes also reduce the risk of erosion during rainy times, and help keep soil moist during dry times. 21 in the Ecological Land Classification Series. An introduced species from North America, it has successfully spread to cover most of the UK. Canada's Wetland Animals could be used by teachers with the entire class in studying nonfiction, as a book for student research, or as a nonfiction book for students to read for pleasure and information. Additionally, billions of dollars are earned annually through agriculture, fishing, mining, manufacturing, and power-generation.As for water's more indulgent benefits, consider the value of canoeing silently through the reeds on a misty spring morning, or the sight of Canada geese splash-landing on a marsh during a crisp fall sunset. • Acid precipitation wreaks havoc on wetlands. Large construction projects and some logging operations can dump huge amounts of sediment into lakes and rivers. A wetland is simply any area of land that is covered with water for a part of the day or year. Plants in wetlands. [CDATA[ Sadly, wetlands are often wiped out or modified to make way for farmland and housing developments. // ]]>. Drying Canadian wetland drives muskrat decline. Plants and animals living in a marsh break down sewage and many chemicals, leaving clean soil and water behind. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ Ducks Unlimited Canada. "Canada's Wetlands" from "Our vanishing wetlands", Canadian Geographic, August/September 1987 This process is called eutrophication.• Wastes dumped into water from paper mills or treatment plants are also eaten by bacteria. What is a wetland? They also clean the … More than 65 percent of Maritime salt marshes, 70 percent of southern Ontario and St. Lawrence Valley wetlands, 40 percent of Prairie wetlands, and up to 70 percent of Pacific estuary wetlands have already been destroyed.While lakes and rivers act as the blood vessels of our planet, other wetlands behave like the kidneys. ga('create', 'UA-3780889-1', 'auto', {'allowLinker': true}); There are many different kinds of wetlands. The five wetland "classes" are differentiated by their developmental characteristics and the … It is hierarchical in structure and designed to allow identification at the broadest levels (class, form, type) by non-experts in different disciplines. Articles, timelines & resources for teachers, students & public. All Rights Reserved. Check out some of the wonderful animals living in Canada and its many national parks. Many aquatic plants and animals die if water becomes too acidic.• Fertilizers running off farms and lawns into waterways cause large amounts of algae to grow on the water's surface. Eutrophication may result.• Chemical pesticides are designed to kill or control unwanted bugs, but are not selective and kill beneficial insects as well. The Canadian Wetland Classification System (National Wetlands Working Group 1997) is based on a hierarchical system, which includes (1) wetland class, (2) wetland form and (3) wetland type. The millions of small wetlands of the Canadian and U.S. prairies are the most productive waterfowl habitat in the world, supporting 50 to 88% of the North American breeding populations of several species. It forms noisy flocks and is often regarded as a nuisance in areas where large numbers occur on amenity grassland and parks. It changes the pH level, or the degree of acidity in water. A wetland is any area of land that is covered with water for at least part of the year.In Canada, we have freshwater and saltwater wetlands, all of them teeming with wildlife. Manufacturers and merchants of sporting goods and outdoor clothing receive a lot of money from wetland users. For example, some birds that live in the wetlands of New South Wales include grebes, pelicans, cormorants, crakes, rails, ibis, egrets, herons, shorebirds, ducks, geese and swans. Some of these include lakes, rivers, marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, muskegs, potholes, flood plains, ponds, puddles, and sloughs. Canada lies within the fifteen terrestrial and five marine ecozones.The largest marine ecozone is the Arctic Archipelago whereas the terrestrial ecozone is the Boreal Shield. ScienceDaily. The wetlands are an excellent example of a floodplain wetland type. As a resource, the CWI is valuable for a number of other purposes. Oil spills in particular can kill huge numbers of fish, birds, shellfish, and plants. You can conserve wetlands. Ordinary cattails and bulrushes, for instance, can absorb poisonous heavy metals like lead and mercury. Some of these include lakes, rivers, marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, muskegs, potholes, flood plains, ponds, puddles, and sloughs. Several thousand plant species grow in wetlands, ranging from mosses and grasses to shrubs and trees. Between 2003 and 2007, the Canadian Wildlife Service, Quebec Region (CWS-QC) produced wetland maps for several sites in Quebec. Mostly found in Arctic and Subarctic regions, though older wetlands, which are more vulnerable to disturbances and change, are also found in areas farther south. Wetlands cover about 14 per cent of the land area of Canada, and are the natural habitat of over 600 species of plants, animals and insects. (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), The Canadian Wetlands Roundtable. A foggy fall morning in Orillia, ON. Wetlands are the whole world for many salamanders, snakes, turtles, and aquatic insects. The most common wetland habitats are swamps, marshes, and bogs. v This second edition of The Canadian Wetland Classification System replaces a report of the same title published in 1987 by the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada as Report No. Learn how. This diverse topography also means there’s a variety of animal species calling this country home. These operations also use large amounts of water for stream turbines.• Soil, clay, sand, and minerals can wash into water from land and paved surfaces. })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); Marsh / Marais. I said it. These are called wetlands—a precious but threatened part of our heritage. Highly Recommended. Wetland Heroes are young people under the age of 25 who take action to protect and conserve Canadian wetlands. Important overwintering areas for deer, which often choose areas thick with coniferous trees where they browse for winter food. The limits of freshwater wetlands are usually established in the spring, when water levels are … Fish swim and feed in wetlands, often eating the eggs of insects that have been deposited in the water. ga('send', 'pageview'); As the bacteria multiply, they use up most of the water’s oxygen, causing aquatic creatures to die. Others are destroyed by pollution. Wetlands also contribute to the economy by storing carbon, purifying water, regulating water flows, preventing erosion, filtering nutrients and providing wildlife habitat and food resources. Like a jewel in a crown, each wetland is priceless in its own way. Between 2003 and 2007, the Canadian Wildlife Service, Quebec Region (CWS-QC) produced wetland maps for several sites in Quebec. It also may be useful as an additional resource in science curricula on growth and change in animals. 20-22 Availability and condition of wetlands are primary factors determining the number and diversity of these waterfowl. From 2014/15 to 2017/18 the National Wetland Conservation Fund supported on-the-ground activities to restore and enhance wetlands in Canada. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ ga('require', 'linker'); These sediments suffocate fish and shellfish by clogging their gills and smothering their nests. Aquatic plants can bring amazing colour to your mini-wetland or wildlife garden pond and give a naturalistic feel. Contaminations of this nature mean a poisonous fate for many aquatic creatures. Canada's wetlands are surely one of its most valuable resources.Use this checklist to identify water problems in your area:• Oil and petroleum products like gasoline seep into waterways from ships, oil rigs, service stations, and roads. All Rights Reserved. Many animals live within wetlands. The Canadian Wetland Classification System is based on manifestations of ecological processes in natural wetland ecosystems. They are destinations for hiking, hunting, canoeing, photography and more. The canada goose is a large goose, with a distinctive black head and neck and large white throat patch. The various levels are based on broad physiognomy and hydrology (classes); surface morphology (forms); and … If you walk on a bog and your step has bounce, you are walking on a quaking bog. Unfortunately, irrigation, water flow, and natural run-off wash these poisons into water. ga('require', 'linker'); That’s right. They provide hundreds of species with safe places to eat, sleep and raise young. This revision was undertaken by the National Wetlands Working Group (NWWG), a national wetland science committee Wetlands include, among other waterlogged wonders, swamps, fens, marshes, muskeg, peatbogs, and potholes. Charitable registration # 10686 8755 RR0001, // , Filled by waters from surrounding streams, rivers, lakes and melted snow, Key reservoir areas in spring and summer take in water to help prevent flooding in spring and release it in summer should the water table drop, preventing drought, Nutrient-rich environment that supports dense plant life, in turn attracting a variety of animal species, In northern swamps, white spruce, black spruce and sometimes cedar, Farther south, red maple, ash and some birch species, Even farther south, silver maple, blueberries, ferns and skunk cabbage, Swampy thickets composed of shrubs such as willow, alder, buttonbush and red osier dogwood, Provide habitat and resources for salamanders, frogs, ducks, hawks, owls, coyotes, snowshoe hares and black bears, Important overwintering areas for deer, which often choose areas thick with coniferous trees where they browse for winter food, Water comes from underground springs, rainfall, run-off and melted snow, Filters out silt, helping to keep and lakes and waterways clean, Sometimes dries up entirely but can re-establish itself with seeds left behind from the previous season when moisture returns, Can be knee height or up to two metres deep, , with abundant vegetation; supports a lot of creatures, Considered one of the most productive ecosystems, important for species diversity, Contains plants like cattails, pickerel weed, arrowheads, pond lilies and coontails, Specialized plants in saltwater marshes can withstand salty conditions; some deal with temperature fluctuations as the tide moves in and out twice daily, Important areas for muskrats, minks, beavers, otters, turtles, frogs, waterfowl and other birds like kingfishers and osprey, Muskrats form series of channels that help create habitat for ducks, bitterns and other marsh animals, Shallow, warm waters used as spawning grounds for muskellunge, largemouth bass, minnow species and sunfish—important for freshwater fisheries, Migrating waterfowl like blue-winged teal and ring-necked ducks use marshes for gathering and feeding in autumn. 1. })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); For example, leopard frogs often inhabit wetlands all year long, while red-bellied water snakes only … A wetland is any area of land that is covered with water for at least part of the year. Outdoor recreation enthusiasts retreat to wetlands to hunt, fish, trap and birdwatch and northern Canadian wetlands support a sustainable sphagnum peat industry. Swamp / Marécage. They can also convert fertilizer residues into growing plant parts.Wetlands work like sponges, soaking up rain and melted snow; this prevents waters from draining off the land and flooding rivers. ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); Just to be clear: You can conserve wetlands. These places where water and dry land meet are home to a wide range of species, from dragonflies and damselflies, to wading curlew and snipe; from carnivorous plants to flitting butterflies. 'Wetland' refers to … Charitable registration # 10686 8755 RR0001, //