Stuff You Should Know Wetlands! Wetlands! Wetlands!
Mar 20, 2026
A lively tour of Earth’s soggiest ecosystems, from tidal marshes and mangroves to bogs, fens, and prairie potholes. It explores strange plant survival tricks, bird and fish nurseries, preserved bog bodies, and the hidden water mechanics that make these places work. Storm buffering, flood control, and water filtering also take center stage.
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Wetlands Punch Far Above Their Size
- Wetlands look unproductive to people, but they concentrate biodiversity far beyond their footprint.
- Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant note U.S. wetlands cover 5% of land yet hold 31% of plant species, while many endangered species depend on them.
What Actually Makes A Wetland A Wetland
- A wetland is defined less by permanent standing water than by periodic saturation, oxygen-poor soil, and water-adapted plants.
- Chuck Bryant explains some wetlands are seasonal or ephemeral, including tidal marshes that flood and drain with the tides.
Why Temporary Wetlands Matter So Much
- Ephemeral wetlands can improve ecosystems precisely because they dry out part of the year.
- Josh Clark says vernal pools store floodwater, slowly recharge groundwater, and protect amphibian eggs because fish cannot survive there.
