Hobbies And Interests
Lily Pads
Lily Pads, or White Water Lilies, are an example of floating aquatic plants found in marshes. They have roots in the soil and grow at the shallow edges of marshes, ponds and other water habitats. Their leaves, which are a favorite resting place for many animals, can be up to a foot in diameter and float on top of the water. Chloroplasts are limited to the upper surface of their leaves, which is the only area exposed to the light. These plants can dominate their habitat because they cover the upper surface so that lower plants are deprived of much of the sunlight. White Water Lilies have weak stems because the water gives them their support. They can change the wetland environment by calming the wave action. The flowers of these plants are about three-to-five inches in diameter and begin to bud in June.
Cattails
Cattails are one variety of emergent plants in marshlands. They are rooted in the bottom soil, but most of the plant is above water. Emergent plants are usually tall with long narrow leaves that avoid damage by giving little resistance to the swaying of rough waters. Cattails can grow to be eight feet tall, and the brown section of seeds can be a foot long. Their stems are tough, hollow structures that easily withstand high winds. Because of their height, there is little danger of them being covered by flooding. Muskrats eat Cattail tubers and use their sturdy stalks to construct homes.
Sago Pondweed
Sago Pondweed plants are submersed members of marsh wetland habitats. They can grow to more than three feet and branch out completely under the water. The Saga Pondweed flowers grow at the tops of the branches. This aquatic plant has a height of more than three feet, and its flower parts appear at the tips of its branches. The blooming season for Sago Pondweed continues from spring to the fall. Geese and ducks favor this wetland plant for food, including the seeds, tubers and stems.
Benefits of Aquatic Plants to Marsh Wetland Wildlife
Many species of wildlife benefit from aquatic plants. For example, air-filled cavities in stems and leaves of aquatic plants provide an oxygen supply for some kinds of water insects. Certain beetle larvae and aquatic flies have a pointed appendage at the tip of their abdomen that can pierce the plants and allow them access to this air. Numerous insects and animals, such as frogs and turtles, rest on aquatic plants, such as lily pads. These plants also play an important role in the food chain. Male mosquitoes' only food is plant juice. Water turtles that are vegetarians consume aquatic plants exclusively. Other types of wildlife have aquatic plants in their diets, such as certain species of fish and birds.
Benefits of Marshland Aquatic Plants to Man
Aquatic plant benefits to man are numerous. In addition to aiding with flood control, marshland plants help keep the environment clean from pollutants and other harmful substances. They are efficient at filtering chemicals and soil from runoff water. Wetlands, such as marshes, have historically acted as a transition zone between populated land, lakes and streams and groundwater. These plants also shield groundwater by consuming huge amounts of excess nitrogen, a harmful pollutant. Without their protection, water would be much more difficult and costly to keep clean. After much destruction of these habitats, people are beginning to realize the vital role marshlands play in the well-being of a region. They are finally making more stringent laws and regulations to preserve these indispensable areas and the inhabitants.