Why Are Wetlands Important?

Mar 11

Slate Quarry Rd. Wetland — Wetland along Slate Quarry Road across from 5th Ave in Clinton, NY

Wetlands are critical habitats for a number of reasons. They are important for flood and storm water control, surface and groundwater protection, erosion control, pollution treatment and nutrient cycling, and fish and wildlife habitat. Streams are important by providing wildlife habitat, protecting us from flooding and supplying much of our drinking water. Woodland Pools, also called Vernal pools, are a type of small, temporary wetland found in forested landscapes. They occur in isolated, shallow depressions that typically fill during the spring or fall from rain, snowmelt or groundwater, but dry by late summer or during droughts. They are critical breeding habitats for amphibians and invertebrates such as fairy shrimp, wood frogs and salamanders, because the pools are devoid of predatory fish. The pools also provide important links in the food chain in forests for plants and animals.