Human Impacts on Wetlands & Mangroves (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Flashcards
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Define wetland.
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Cards in this collection (21)
Define wetland.
A wetland is an area of land that is submerged in water, either permanently or seasonally.
Why can wetland waters be salt, fresh, or brackish?
Wetland waters vary because wetlands can be inland or coastal.
Where are mangroves found?
Mangroves grow in the intertidal zone of the coast in warm tropical waters and coastal swamps within 30° N and S of the equator.
True or False?
Like mangroves, salt marshes are found only in warm tropical waters.
False.
Salt marshes are not temperature dependent and are found all over the world, although, like mangroves, they are intertidal ecosystems.
Where do salt marshes form?
Salt marshes form in sheltered areas, such as behind spits and artificial sea defenses, inlets, and estuaries, where fine sediments can be deposited.
Define swamp.
A swamp is a wetland characterized by trees and shrubs growing in standing water.
Marshes are wetlands dominated by grasses, reeds, and other plants.
Marshes are wetlands dominated by grasses, reeds, and other herbaceous plants.
Define bog.
A bog is an acidic wetland characterized by the accumulation of peat moss, which gets most of its water from precipitation.
How do wetlands purify water?
Wetlands filter pollutants such as pesticides from runoff before they reach larger bodies of water.
Salt marshes store carbon at a rate times greater than forests.
Salt marshes store carbon at a rate 50 times greater than forests.
How do wetlands protect against flooding?
Wetlands act like sponges, absorbing excess water during heavy rainfall, and mangroves and salt marshes act as natural buffers against storm surges.
True or False?
Mangroves help to sustain coastal fisheries.
True.
Mangroves are critical nurseries for many marine species, which helps to sustain coastal fisheries.
How does commercial development harm wetlands?
Wetlands are filled in to build houses, malls, and other structures, which destroys habitats and reduces flood protection.
How does dam construction threaten wetlands?
Dams divert water away from wetlands, leading to drained wetlands, loss of habitat, and reduced water purification.
True or False?
Overfishing has little effect on wetlands because wetland fish play only a minor ecological role.
False.
Fish in wetlands are keystone species, so overfishing can lead to a collapse of the food web and a loss of biodiversity.
How does intensive shrimp and fish aquaculture damage mangroves?
Farms cut down mangroves to make room for temporary pools, and the remaining water is toxic from antibiotics, pesticides, chemicals, and shrimp feed.
Define wetland mitigation banking.
Wetland mitigation banking is a US policy in which developers who unavoidably destroy wetlands must restore, create, or preserve equivalent wetlands elsewhere, supporting a "no net loss" goal.
How does designating a wetland as a Ramsar site help protect it?
Designating a Ramsar site or nature reserve limits commercial development and resource extraction.
How do closed-system tank farms help protect mangroves?
Closed-system or recirculating tank farms remove the need to clear mangroves for shrimp ponds.
Define polyculture.
Polyculture is farming multiple species together, which reduces the use of antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals.
Zoning laws, building setbacks, and environmental impact (EIAs) restrict construction in or near sensitive wetland areas.
Zoning laws, building setbacks, and environmental impact assessments (EIAs) restrict construction in or near sensitive wetland areas.
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