Photograph by Clyde Butcher, "Payhayokee",
© Clyde and Niki Butcher
Wetlands are places where the water level is at or near the surface of the land. They are characterized by the presence of the standing water at the roots of plants and the unique soils which are formed by decomposing plant materials. Wetland plants have adapted to the wet soil conditions. Wetlands occur on all of the continents of the world except for Antarctica. In fact, about six percent of the earth's land surface is made up of wetlands.
There are many types of wetlands, including marshes, swamps and bogs. Wetland ecosystems are categorized by different types of vegetation. Marshes primarily are made up of grasses. Swamps have bushes and trees. Bogs are characterized by sphagnum moss.
The Everglades is a wonderfully unique area with marshes, freshwater swamps, coastal mangrove swamps, pine woods and sloughs. Sloughs are places with very deep mud. The Everglades stretch across most of the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. At the heart of this wet world is a 50-mile-wide and 100-mile-long "river of grass." This "river of grass" is on average about six inches deep and provides habitats for a wide variety of wildlife.
If this "river of grass" were in the shape of a rectangle, what would its perimeter and area be?
Image source:
www.clydebutcher.com, Clyde Butcher's photographs, Big Cypress Gallery