tropical wetlands
Warm, waterlogged ecosystems
Tropical wetlands are water-saturated ecosystems found in warm equatorial and subtropical regions—swamps, marshes, mangroves, and floodplains where standing or slow-moving water persists year-round or seasonally.
These areas support distinctive plant and animal communities adapted to wet conditions and serve as critical habitat for migratory birds, fish nurseries, and countless amphibians.
The Amazon basin contains some of the world's largest tropical wetlands.
- crocodilesLarge aquatic reptiles
- swampWaterlogged land with vegetation
- marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
- standing waterAccumulated unmoving liquid
- mangrove forestCoastal woodland of salt-tolerant trees
carbon sink · bayou · deforestation · peatland · mangroves · river delta · floodplain · estuaries · papyrus · flood mitigation · water filtration · Everglades · climate regulation · bromeliads · freshwater · tidal flat · alligator · agricultural runoff
- flamingo habitatslagoons, shallow water, salt lakes, Everglades
tropical wetlandshot desert
Dry region, high temperatures
dryland · desert · Sahara Desert · sand dunes · Death Valley
tropical wetlandspermafrost
Perpetually frozen earth layer
polar desert · polar ice cap · frozen tundra · frozen wasteland · alpine tundra
tropical wetlandsurban sprawl
Uncontrolled peripheral development
industrial zone · concrete jungle · shopping mall · parking lot