Edwards YMCA Camp
and Conference Center
N8901 Army Lake Rd
East Troy, WI 53120
Phone: (262) 642-7466
Fax: (262) 642-5108
Email: camped@campedwards.org
Wetland Wonders
Summary
By understanding the function and importance of wetland areas, students may gain a greater appreciation of this often-misunderstood, yet valuable habitat. Wetlands...
Wetland types 90% of US Wetlands are fresh water systems. They are categorized in to the three following categories: 1. Riverine- found along rivers and streams 2. Lacustrine-associated with lakes 3. Palustrine-includes marshes, swamps and bogs The marsh at Edwards would be considered Palustrine, however parts along the lake and boat-bay might be considered Lacustrine. Marshes are characterized by soft-stemmed herbaceous plants, like the cattail. These plants that grow with their stems partly above water are called emergents. Shallow marshes are those with up to 6 inches of water, deep marshes may have 2-3 feet of water and may contain plants like water lilies. Swamps are dominated by woody plants. Some swamps develop from marshes while others originate directly in poorly drained depressions. The water level in swamps range from inches to over a foot. In both swamps and marshes, highly organic soils form a black muck. Their underlying mineral soils are usually close to the surface. Bogs occur in formerly glaciated areas. They are peat-lands, usually lacking a mineral layer. They are formed from the build up of gradually decaying plants and are highly acidic and low in nutrients. They are often covered with a layer of sphagnum moss. Tamaracks frequently occur in bogs. Wetland Functions Fish and Wildlife Habitat - many animals spend their whole lives in wetlands; for others they are a critical area for nesting, breeding, feeding, resting, escape cover and travel corridors. In our wetland you can find muskrats, spring peepers, sand hill cranes, fox, raccoons, red-winged blackbirds, a variety of insects, and much more. The marsh and lake are important areas for migratory birds that stop here on their journey. These include coots, mallards, ring-necked ducks, grebes, swans, osprey, cranes and loons. This is a very important concept to address: without wetlands many of these animals would not survive. Flood Protection - "spongy" wetlands slow the movement of storm water run off and provide a storage area for floodwaters, dramatically reducing flood and storm damage. Water Quality Protection - wetland plants and soils have the capacity to store and filter pollutants ranging from pesticides to animal wastes. Some substances can be stored or transformed into a less toxic state within wetlands. As a result our lakes, rivers and streams are cleaner and our drinking water is safer. Shoreline Protection - wetlands act as buffers between land and water. They protect against erosion by absorbing the force of waves and strong currents and by anchoring sediments with their root systems. Reducing erosion also reduces sedimentation in nearby waterways. Groundwater Discharge - process by which ground water is discharged to surface. This common function is important for stabilizing and maintaining stream flows, especially during dry months. Aesthetics, Recreation, Education and Science - Many people enjoy the beauty of wetlands and go there for a variety of reasons. They are good areas for photographers, bird watchers, anglers, and hunters. Education and science research opportunities are exceptional in wetlands because of their unique combination of terrestrial and aquatic life as well as their physical and chemical processes. Wetland Inhabitants There is a diverse array of inhabitants in the wetlands, but it is dominated by hydrophytes (water plants). These types of plants can tolerate various degrees of flooding or can live in frequently saturated areas. When you first walk out onto the boardwalk, there is a growth of red osier dogwood shrubs along the marsh edge. These small shrubs have a bright red bark, they often grow along the perimeters of marshes. There are also a couple of pussy willow trees within the first 50 feet of the boardwalk. These are the primary shrubs within the marsh. Other small plants found in wetlands may include various types of asters, duckweed, horsetail, ferns, cowslips, arrowhead, and many others. As you take a few more steps along the boardwalk, you will be surrounded by cattails. Cattails are an erect perennial herb, about 4-9ft high, with long slender green leaves. They flower from May-June. There are three kinds of cattails in Camp Edwards' marsh, the common or broad-leafed cattail, the narrow-leafed cattail and a hybrid between the two, called Godron cattail. Cattails spread easily by an underground, horizontal stem called a rhizome. This means that an acre of cattails may consist of only a few plants. Cattail stands provide important food and cover for wildlife. Rhizomes are eaten by geese and muskrats. Muskrats also use the reeds to construct their lodges, which in turn provide a resting place for water birds. Yellow warblers, red-winged blackbirds, and marsh wrens all build their nests in cattail stands. Tamarack trees are found along the second half of the boardwalk. These are deciduous conifers, which means that they have needles and cones like other conifer trees, but they lose their needles each fall. Tamarack needles are light blue-green in color, but turn yellow in the autumn before falling off. The bark is food for a number of animals including deer. Native Americans used the slender roots to sew together their birch bark canoes. Today lumber from tamarack is used for framing houses, railroad ties, and poles. Many animals use the marsh as their home or resting ground including: ducks, geese, herons, bitterns, blackbirds, muskrats, beavers, mosquitoes, dragonflies, damselflies, moths, spiders, turtles, frogs, water snakes, etc. Wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems of the world due to their ability to capture large amounts of solar energy and store it as chemical energy. Cattail marshes are among the most productive wetlands, with yields as much as twelve tons of biomass per acre per year. High plant productivity is the basis for the abundance of ducks, muskrats, and other wildlife in marshes. Wetland Succession Succession is the gradual process of change in the composition and function of community. Succession is a normal process that reflects the results of the continuing struggle among species with different adaptations for food, light, space, nutrients and other survival resources. The number and kinds of plants and animals making up the marsh community change through succession. Some of these changes are fairly fast, while other changes take hundreds of years. The marsh began hundreds of years ago as a shallow, sandy, lake. Not many plants grew in the water or near the shore. As time passed, seeds of some plants were carried to the lake by wind, flowing water or visiting animals. Plants slowly began to line the shores. The plants became food for certain animals and those animals became food for other animals. Small fish, snails, mussels, mayflies and dragonflies were found at this stage. Some arrive as eggs carried on the feet of other pond visitors. Aquatic plants become very common on the bottom of the lake. As they die and decay, they fill in the bottom a little more. The shore becomes fairly shallow and even muddy where before there was only water. This muddy area becomes a good place for cattails and willow trees to begin growing. As the plant population changes the kinds of fish, insects and animals also change. The decaying water plants begin filling in the shallow parts of the lake. Plants begin growing out of the water. A marsh is being formed. In the marsh, worms live in the thick bottom mud and many water insects are found in the shallow weedy water. Frogs and turtles become abundant. Land plants close in around the shore, growing in the rich soil. The filling continues until what was once covered by water becomes either a grassy prairie or even a forest. Sometimes exotic species can start to take over a habitat. Exotic species are plants or animals that do not naturally occur in an area. They can start to out compete with other species for resources and overtake the area. Exotic species are sometimes called invasive species because they can invade and take over an area. These plants or animals can be introduced to a new area intentionally by planting something that looks pretty before we realize it could start to spread uncontrollably, or unintentionally by seeds or eggs attached to a birds foot or a boat and dropped off in a new area. Natural boundaries used to keep these species separate but our mobile habits and society has made it easy for species to be transferred from one region to the next. They often spread quickly because they have no natural predators to keep their population under control. You may be able to find purple loosestrife in our marsh. It is a tall (up to 7 feet) plant with small purple flowers. It can grow so thick that it out competes and replaces cattails as the dominant plant in the marsh. There are also zebra mussels in the lake that could be found in parts of the marsh. Zebra mussels are small (about the size of a fingernail) clam-like creatures that have wavy stripes on them. They can quickly become overabundant in a lake. The first one was found at Edwards in Lake Beulah in 2000. In 2001 they were fairly common attaching to boats and piers. It is believed they were brought here by mistake attached to a boat that came from another lake. Warm-up Activities Are you me? The idea of this activity is that students will be able to identify various plants and animals found in wetlands and understand more about theses species. 1. Hand out a picture card to each student 2. Have students find their match and stand together. 3. Hold cards together and read about the plant/animal 4. Have each student tell the group something interesting about their topic. You can also allow the students to explore the marsh study station. There are several interpretive panels that describe common plants and animals of the marsh as well as information about their lifecycles. Activities Boardwalk Hike After introducing some of the types of things found in wetlands, lead the students on a boardwalk hike to explore the marsh. Please make it clear that students are not allowed to walk into the marsh! We want people to be able to study and enjoy the marsh by exploring from the boardwalk. Walking in the marsh destroys plants and makes the muddy mess left behind an eyesore! There are interpretive signs along the trail you can stop to read and discuss which highlight interesting things about the marsh. It is also fun to allow students to lean over the edge and look at what is living in the plants and water below. Look for swimming insects and shellfish. Notice how much or little water is present in different areas. Is the water flowing? Students can also spread out on the boardwalk and lay back to listen to the sounds of nature and watch the sky. Many birds like to fly over the marsh or ride the thermal wind currents above. You can also point out plants and animals along the way (The laminated flip chart shows some common spring plants) as well sharing info from the introduction of this lesson. Look at the plants that you find. How are they adapted to live in the marsh environment? Can you find any exotic species? How are they adapted to live here? Once you reach Edwards Peninsula you can hike the trails and explore that habitat. Can you see any signs of how humans have impacted Edwards Peninsula? (erosion, compaction) Edwards peninsula is a great place to explore and discuss how erosion affects the marsh and to look at the glacial formations. Please do not allow students to run up and down the hillside, have them stay on the existing trails to reduce erosion. Also remember the small trail that goes through the narrow part of the peninsula leaves Edwards property. Please do not go beyond that point! Remember you need to give yourself about ten minutes to hike back. The boardwalk does not loop back to camp. Marsh Metaphor This activity works well during the boardwalk hike after students have seen some of the marsh. It will help the students to understand the characteristics of wetlands and the importance of wetlands to wildlife and humans. During this activity the students are presented with the items one at a time. They are to brainstorm how the item represents a wetland or which characteristic of wetlands it represent. Students come up with a reason why this object is a metaphor for natural functions of wetlands.
Optional Activity Marsh Mystery Ask students what happens when certain toxic substances are introduced into the food web. Read The Mystery of Sandy Creek Bottom to the class.
Wrap Up End by reviewing the discussed topics. Ask the students what the difference is between a marsh, swamp and bog. Talk about the functions of wetlands. Stress the importance of wetlands as a wildlife habitat and review their functions. You can also discuss the following... What are some threats to wetlands? (pollution, development, exotic species) What are some things we can do to help protect wetlands? (do not pollute them avoid building to near them, protect from invasive species). What is natural/what is native: Ask the students if they found anything that did not belong. If so, why does it not belong? It is not natural. Is it garbage thrown in the lake that should be recycled or put in the trash, or is it a non-native plants or animal? These are called exotic invasive species. What do the students think we can do to deal to deal with this issue? Pre Activities Bioaccumulation is the process by which pollutants build up in the bodies of consumers in the food web. Exotic species Plant or animal species that were not present in this area prior to European settlement. (Not native, from a far a way place.) Invasive Species a species that has the ability to significantly displace native/ desirable species Metaphor words that represent a concept or idea through another concept or idea. A metaphor links characteristics of one object to another. Deciduous Loses leaves each year Conifer Has cones Bio-accumulation Substances that build up in organisms work their way through the food web Post Activities Identify and visit wetlands in your area Set up a stewardship program to remove invasive species from a natural area. Do a storm drain stenciling project to limit pollution from draining into wetlands Research animals that can live in a wetland habitat. Resources Project WET Water Education for Teachers WOW Wonders of Wetland Project Wild Aquatic WI DNR Wetland brochures National Audubon Society Wetlands Nature Guide |