“Historically, some people thought of wetlands like nasty places we need to fill in or useless land,” he said. “But really, they’re among the most productive and valuable ecosystem in terms of the goods and services they provide to humans.”
Nicknamed the kidneys of the earth for their ability to filter water and improve water quality, wetlands are defined by three things: water, plants and soils. To be a wetland, water should flow through or stand in the area for some part of the year, and the plants should be able to survive in wet environments. Wetland soils are saturated for some part of the year and can do well without much oxygen.
Read more form Chantal Cough-Schulze with Texas Water Resources Institute here.