![]() ![]() ![]() Some plants, however, have successfully adapted to this environment. Consequently, many shallow coastal areas are unvegetated mud flats or sand flats. The salt water and the fluctuating water levels (due to tidal action) combine to create a rather difficult environment for most plants. They are closely linked to our nation's estuaries where sea water mixes with fresh water to form an environment of varying salinities. Coastal/Tidal WetlandsĬoastal/tidal wetlands in the United States, as their name suggests, are found along the Atlantic, Pacific, Alaskan and Gulf coasts. Two general categories of wetlands are recognized: coastal or tidal wetlands and inland or non-tidal wetlands. Indeed, wetlands are found from the tundra to the tropics and on every continent except Antarctica. Wetlands vary widely because of regional and local differences in soils, topography, climate, hydrology, water chemistry, vegetation and other factors, including human disturbance. The prolonged presence of water creates conditions that favor the growth of specially adapted plants (hydrophytes) and promote the development of characteristic wetland (hydric) soils. Wetlands may support both aquatic and terrestrial species. Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil. Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. ![]()
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