News > What are wetlands, and why are they so critical for life on Earth?

What are wetlands, and why are they so critical for life on Earth?

This ecosystem by many names—bogs, swamps, bayous, marshes, billabongs, fens, vernal pools, lagoons and other waterlogged fields and forests all fall under the broad wetland category. If water, salty or fresh, is present on top of or just below the soil, it’s a wetland. You’ll know you’re in a wetland when your shoe prints turn muddy and wet. They make up just 6 per cent of Earth’s surface. But protecting these misunderstood environments can help wildlife thrive and protect us from a changing climate.