Freshwater Marsh Information
Question: Do you know why freshwater marshes are important?
Fresh water marshes hold a significant amount of the world’s organic carbon, as much as a third. Many different types of food are produced within a freshwater marsh like fruits, rice, fish, and vegetables such as taro. Groundwater supplies, the drinking water source for many communities, are recharged from marshes and other wetlands. Marsh vegetation naturally improves the water quality of water passing through it by converting dissolved nutrients into plant matter that serves as food and habitat for wildlife.
Natural Diversity – Definition
Red-winged blackbird
Sea-level rise
Freshwater clams
Wild rice
Freshwater grasses
What other species depend on the freshwater marsh?
Various plant and animal species thrive in freshwater marshes. Low-growing plants such as grasses and sedges are typically found in this region. Cattails can frequently be found along the edges. In addition to a variety of birds and insects, you may see raccoons, opossums, muskrats, beavers, frogs and turtles around freshwater marshes.
Additional Resources:
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/ncea1
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/outreach/teaching_marsh/native_plants/freshwater/
Fresh water marshes hold a significant amount of the world’s organic carbon, as much as a third. Many different types of food are produced within a freshwater marsh like fruits, rice, fish, and vegetables such as taro. Groundwater supplies, the drinking water source for many communities, are recharged from marshes and other wetlands. Marsh vegetation naturally improves the water quality of water passing through it by converting dissolved nutrients into plant matter that serves as food and habitat for wildlife.
Natural Diversity – Definition
Red-winged blackbird
Sea-level rise
Freshwater clams
Wild rice
Freshwater grasses
What other species depend on the freshwater marsh?
Various plant and animal species thrive in freshwater marshes. Low-growing plants such as grasses and sedges are typically found in this region. Cattails can frequently be found along the edges. In addition to a variety of birds and insects, you may see raccoons, opossums, muskrats, beavers, frogs and turtles around freshwater marshes.
Additional Resources:
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/ncea1
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/outreach/teaching_marsh/native_plants/freshwater/
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An online guide to the natural resources of Windsor Castle Park
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