Reference no: EM132890662

From a biological point of view, wetlands are not wastelands at all, but are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. They contain an immense variety of animal and plant species, which have evolved over millions of years and which depend on wetland ecosystems for their survival. The life cycles of all these species depend on the particular habitat of the wetlands, with its rich mixture of water and organic material from the breakdown of plants in water. The enriched material-known as detritus-feeds many small animals living in the water, such as aquatic insects, shell fish, and small fish. These small creatures, in turn, attract larger predatory animals that feed on them,including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.