water
Wetlands Wetlands are environments in which the soil is either permanently or periodically saturated with water. Wetlands are different from lakes and ponds because wetlands exhibit a near continuous cover of emergent vegetation. Emergent vegetation consists of wetland plants that are rooted in the soil but have portions of leaves, stems, and flowers extending above the waters surface. There are several types of wetlands including marshes, swamps, bogs, mudflats, and salt marshes Figure 20.33 .