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Wetlands are found all over the United States, from Alaska to Florida. Here, in San Marcos, Texas we have the Aquarena Center Wetland, which is home to many animals, big and small. Many people visit the Aquarena Center Wetland every year. You can see our wetland by looking at our Virtual Tour. Remember, wetlands are not just homes to mosquitos, but they are nurseries to baby creatures, homes to wild predators, and much more. Start learning about the natural world around you and protect your wild animal neighbors and plant community |
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Wetlands can be thought of as a grocery store in nature, where lots of food is available in one place. For this reason, many animals live in or visit wetlands. Those that visit are often birds who are migrating across North America. Wetlands provide the necessary resources – food, shelter, and water, that all animals need in order to live. | ||||||||||||||||
Many processes occur in a wetland. For instance dead plants decompose into the water and soil to form small particles of food for tiny aquatic bugs, fish, and shellfish. The bugs, fish, and shellfish are then eaten by larger predatory fish, reptiles (lizards), amphibians (frogs), birds, and mammals (raccoons). However, wetland habitats are vanishing due to natural disasters and human usage (from subsiding or sinking land to draining or filling the wetland with new development). Scientists estimate that the lower 48 United States have lost more than half of their wetlands since colonial times (USGS). The loss of wetland habitat can also be contributed to the invasion of invasive species- plants and animals that were introduced to a habitat but do not belong. The Aquarena Wetlands suffers from the invasion of many invasive species of plants. Our goals are to educate our community on why invasives hurt our environment and work together to restore our native species of plants and animals. |
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| Learn More About the Aquarena Wetlands | |||||||||||||||||
