wetland
Other forms: wetlands
An ecosystem that is extremely soggy — like a bog or a swamp — is a wetland. You can find plants including cattails and water lilies growing in wetlands.
Coined in the 1740s, wetland is a fairly obvious combination of wet and land, which perfectly describes what they're like. Whether they're saturated with saltwater or freshwater, these ecosystems support many species of animals and plants. The presence of organisms that have adapted to live in areas that are usually (but not always) flooded is what distinguishes marshes, estuaries, and other wetlands from bodies of water.
-
a low area where the land is saturated with watertypes:bog, peat bogwet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for cultivation but can be cut and dried and used for fuelfen, fenland, marsh, marshlandlow-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and waterswamp, swamplandlow land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bogsalt marshlow-lying wet land that is frequently flooded with saltwaterslougha stagnant swamp (especially as part of a bayou)slougha hollow filled with mud
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing wetland
Get the lay of the land by learning this list of words related to U.S. geography, from alpine tundra to arid deserts to grassy plains and prairies. These terms are essential for understanding the climate, natural resources, and landscape of the United States.
Study this list to review the land features, natural resources, and political structures of countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Learn about flora such as lemongrass and mangrove, fauna such as the pangolin and the tapir, and weather events like cyclones and typhoons.
Study this list to review the land features, natural resources, and political structures of countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Learn about flora such as lemongrass and mangrove, fauna such as the pangolin and the tapir, and weather events like cyclones and typhoons.