Articles for tag: Wetlands

Beaverton Creek Wetlands

The Importance of Wetlands for Wildlife and Humans

Jan Otte

Wetlands are unique ecosystems that exist at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Comprised of marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens, they are often characterized by saturated soils and standing water. Wetlands cover only about 6% of the Earth’s land surface, yet they play vital roles in both ecological and human contexts. Their significance goes ...

Wooden poles reflect in still water at dusk.

10 U.S. Wetlands That Store More Carbon Than Forests – New Data

Suhail Ahmed

  What if the most powerful climate allies in the United States aren’t towering forests, but shadowy swamps and tide-laced marshes that squelch underfoot? Fresh analyses from federal datasets highlight a striking reality: wetland soils, often overlooked and underfoot, can lock away carbon at rates that rival or surpass tree-covered landscapes on a per‑acre basis. ...

A winding river flows through the vibrant green landscape.

11 U.S. Salt Marshes Bouncing Back – Carbon Benefits Measured

Suhail Ahmed

  Once dismissed as mosquito-plagued wastelands, salt marshes are now staging one of the most hopeful comebacks in coastal science – and they’re doing it with measurable climate power. Across the United States, restoration teams are reconnecting tidal flows, rebuilding elevation, and watching carbon quietly stack up grain by grain. The drama is real: rising ...

brown tree trunk on body of water

The Ghost Trees Found Deep in Louisiana’s Swamps

Suhail Ahmed

  They look like ribs of a giant creature rising from green water, but the ghost trees of Louisiana are really time capsules – submerged trunks and root flares from cypress and tupelo that died as salt crept inland and water levels rose. Their story is equal parts mystery and warning: how did thriving forests ...