Wetland

Wetland, area of land where the earth is continuously saturated with water. Three major types of wetlands are bogs, swamps, and marshes, each supporting a different kind of plant life. Bogs, usually located in cooler climates, have acidic soil that appears dry but is not. Bogs are dominated by mosses, which, when they decay, turn into peat. (Peat is valuable because, when dried, it can be burned as a fuel.) Swamps and marshes have mineral soils and are found mostly in warmer climates. Wetlands support a variety of valuable bird and mammal life.