Why We Need Wetlands.

The article looks at the importance of wetlands. Wetlands are wet (covered with water, or with water at or near the surface) at least part of every year. Bogs, swamps, and marshes are all kinds of wetlands. They absorb water like giant sponges and hold it in, releasing it slowly. During floods an acre of wetland can hold in 1.5 million gallons of water. More than one-third of all threatened and endangered species in the U.S. live only in wetlands. Wetlands are lost when people drain and fill them in for farmland, dam them up to form ponds and lakes, or pave and build up surrounding areas.