| Term: | wetland |
| Definition: |
In physical geography, a wetland is an environment at the interface between truly terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic systems making them inherently different from each other yet highly dependent on both. In essence, wetlands are ecotones. Wetlands often host considerable biodiversity and endemism. The US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Environmental Protection Agency jointly define wetlands as: Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas. |