Dry Zone: Here the ground is dry as you travel toward the wetland. It surrounds the wetland and extends past the wetland...here we find grassland, shrubs and trees.
Wet Zone: Here the soil is wet, but no water is visible above the ground. Water is below the ground though.
Emergent Zone: Here the water is above ground. The plants are rooted in the bottom and have their stems and leaves above the water level. Cattails are common here. Birds, frogs and mammals feed and shelter here.
Floating Zone: This zone is on the surface of the water where most of the plants float. Here you find water lilies, duckweed and many types of algae. Ducks are common here.
Submergent Zone: Found below the floating zone, the plants are under water and their roots anchored in the bottom. Here we find water-wildfowl?, waterweed and small fish.
Shallow Water: These are wetlands that have standing open water with midsummer water depths of 2 meters or less. They are usually wide, flat basins. They are common in roadside ditches and farmers' fields and differ from lakes in that they are shallower and smaller. They contain still water. They can be ponds, pools, potholes, shallow lakes, sloughs and oxbows.
Marshes: These are wetland areas that have standing or slow-moving water. Soft-stemmed plants surround them. The roots of these plants are in the water and their stems and leaves are in the water. Usually stands of cattails, grass and sedges divide them into channels. They are found in grassy meadows with few shrubs or trees nearby.
Swamps: These are in wooded areas. The water is standing or gently flowing through channels between trees. They are known as wetland forests or wooded wetlands. They may form along the shores of rivers or lakes. Mature spruce would surround a forest swamp. A thick swamp would be surrounded by tall shrubs such as willows, alders, and poplars.
Bogs: These are usually in northern areas. They are carpeted with mosses, especially sphagnum. The water enters the bog only as rain or runoff of melted snow and there is no drainage out. As a result the water is stagnant and becomes very acidic. There are few nutrients and low oxygen levels. Few plants can survive. The moss grows around the edge and out over the water to form floating masses. As layers of moss die, they settle to the bottom. Few animals (including bacteria) live here. Without these decomposers, the moss decays very slowly. This partly decayed moss is called peat. (bogs also called quagmire ore muskeg)
Fens: These are found in northern areas and contain peat. Because slow-moving underground and surface streams feed them, the water is less acidic and contains more oxygen. the dominant plants are sedges and grasses. It's hard to tell the difference between bogs and fens.
Lesson Two: Identifying and Organizing Wetland Organisms
Lesson Three: A Wetland Visit / The Importance of Wetlands /How Do They Form/ How Do They Help People
Lesson Four: Interaction in the Wetlands
Lesson Six: Wetland Adaptations
Lesson Seven: Role Classifications
Lesson Eight: Producers, Consumers and Decomposers
Lesson Nine: Food Chains and Webs
Lesson Ten: All Organisms: Great and Small. (roles of plants and animals)
Lesson Eleven: Changes in a Wetland Environment
Lesson Twelve: Oxygen from Air and Water
Lesson Thirteen: Human Interactions with Wetlands
Educational Vivarium of Alberta (main source of material for this site)
Diaryland Link
Canada Wildlife Site
Water Critter Page
Interactive Pond
What are Wetlands?
Ducks Unlimited
Top Wetland Sites
What Are Wetlands? - Canadian
Wetland Resources - Links
Wildlife Week
Where You Live
Ranger Rick's Wetland?
Build A Wetland - Interactive
May is Wetlands Month
Pond life Game - Interactive
Aquatic Critter Game - Interactive
Canada Wildlife Service
Wetlands Great Lakes
Battle For the Wetlands
Value of Wetlands
Wetlands For Kids
Wetland Plants
Virtual Wetland - Surround
Reconstructing A Bog
Alberta Wetlands
National Atlas
Alberta PDF File
Grade 5 Wetlands
Plants For Kids
Describes living/non-living components of a wetland ecosystem
Describes the interactions within the components of a wetland ecosystem
