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Wetlands: Earth's Kidneys
Citation:
Sharifi, A., L. Kalin, M. Hantush, AND S. Isik. Wetlands: Earth's Kidneys. J. Lamar and B.G. Lockaby (ed.), Auburn Speaks. Auburn University, Auburn, AL, , 140-143, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
To discuss how wetlands has the potential to improve water quality.
Description:
Wetlands are unique, diverse, and productive habitats that emerge at the fringe of aquatic and upland land systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines wetlands as "areas that are regularly inundated by surface water or groundwater and characterized by a prevalence of vegetation that is adapted for life in saturated soil conditions." These delicate environments have significant ecologic and economic values because of their function in the ecosystem and the watershed. One of these functions is their potential for improving water quality. Natural wetlands have often been referred to as "earth's kidneys" because of their high and long-term capacity to filter pollutants from the water that flows through them.
