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.
Wetlands are vital ecological resources that provide several benefits in urban and peri-urban areas. They slow down flood waters, and act as a source of fishing and farming livelihoods. They also provide socio-cultural benefits ...
Environment
Nov 26, 2025
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New research has revealed the critical role of river-floodplain connectivity in sustaining fish species diversity on the floodplain of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Plants & Animals
Nov 26, 2025
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Australia has the largest intact savannas on Earth. Savannas are an ever-changing mosaic of ecosystems—from the sparse grasslands to dense woodlands, forests and wetlands.
Ecology
Nov 25, 2025
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As global efforts intensify around restoring coastal wetlands to curb climate change, a new JCU-led study published in Reviews of Geophysics is the first to link wetland restoration and carbon cycling with groundwater dynamics, ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 20, 2025
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Mangrove ecosystems rank among the most efficient "blue carbon" systems on Earth, capable of absorbing and storing vast quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). However, mangroves also release methane (CH4), a potent ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 14, 2025
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144
Many species benefit from the habitats that beavers create by building dams—and not just aquatic life. A new study by the WSL and Eawag research institutes published in the Journal of Animal Ecology shows that more bats hunt ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 13, 2025
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Wetlands are an important part of the ecological system, providing a myriad of benefits for people, wildlife, and the environment. They also serve as "nature's kidneys," filtering out pollutants from surface water. A new ...
Environment
Oct 28, 2025
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As ecosystem engineers, beavers build resilience into the landscape. Above ground, we can see changes wrought by beaver ponds such as increases in biodiversity and water retention. But UConn Department of Earth Sciences researcher ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 27, 2025
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More than half of Tasmania's largest wetland system in kanamaluka / the Tamar River has vanished since European settlement, new research from the University of Tasmania has revealed.
Earth Sciences
Oct 24, 2025
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30
Peatlands make up just 3% of Earth's land surface but store more than 30% of the world's soil carbon, preserving organic matter and sequestering its carbon for tens of thousands of years. A new study sounds the alarm that ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 23, 2025
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