Wetland ecosystems are transitional habitats between terrestrial and aquatic systems that are characterized by periodic or permanent inundation, hydric soils, and vegetation adapted to water-saturated conditions. They encompass diverse types such as marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens, each defined by hydrological regime, nutrient status, and dominant plant functional groups. Wetlands exhibit high biogeochemical activity, particularly in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling, driven by redox gradients and microbial processes under anoxic or fluctuating oxygen conditions. They support high biodiversity, act as sinks or sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO₂, CH₄, N₂O), regulate hydrology via water storage and attenuation, and are focal systems in research on ecosystem services, climate feedbacks, and landscape connectivity.
On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) at the Universitat Politècnica de València highlights the importance of these ecosystems as key tools for improving water ...
Environment
Feb 13, 2026
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The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet, with average temperatures increasing by about 4°C in the last four decades. A new study, led by the University of Exeter, shows peatlands have expanded since 1950, ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 13, 2026
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It's been a good few months in the press for the rakali (known as moytj in Noongar)—Australia's native water rat. These long-whiskered rodents finally received the recognition they deserve, with the ABC's National Science ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 11, 2026
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A research team has conducted a study to examine how shelterbelts influence bird species diversity and composition in an agricultural wetland landscape on the western coast of central Japan. They determined that shelterbelts, ...
Ecology
Feb 10, 2026
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Using a new method to track groundwater levels and greenhouse gas emissions, researchers uncover the climate impact of Southeast Asia's peatlands. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia, vast areas spanning ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 30, 2026
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A U.S.-Indian Earth satellite's ability to see through clouds, revealing insights and characteristics of our planet's surface, is on display in a colorful, newly released image showing the Mississippi River Delta region in ...
Planetary Sciences
Jan 30, 2026
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Wetlands make up only about 6% of the land area but contain about 30% of the terrestrial organic carbon pool. Therefore, CO2 emissions from wetlands are central to the global climate balance. In Denmark, the plan is to flood ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 29, 2026
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Limpopo, in northern South Africa, home to 6.6 million people, several large mines and the Kruger National Park (one of Africa's largest game reserves), experienced unusually severe floods in mid-January 2026. Rural villages ...
Environment
Jan 28, 2026
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Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient ...
New research indicates that restoration of peatlands can result in climate mitigation within just a few decades. In Finland, some 60,000 hectares of previously forestry-drained peatlands have already been restored, comprising ...
Environment
Jan 27, 2026
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