Book In Review

      Discovering Wetlands is one of the books in the series of World Habitats.  There are six books in this series including this one…the others are:  Reefs, Mountains, Rain Forests, Arctic Tundra, Tropical Savanna.  This book was written by Janey Levy. 

        The subject of wetlands is very important.  Most of the time when we hear about wetlands it is in regards to legal fights between business or homeowners who are in a fight with agencies set up to protect the wetlands.  It is important to find a balance between life choices and protecting the wetlands life cycles. 

         The wetlands are a part of our ecosystems that help to improve the quality of life for people, plants and animals.  There are three main types of wetlands…each has it’s own function.  There are marshes, swamps and peatlands.  Each of those have several types of varieties.  Take for example marshes…there are saltwater and freshwater.  Each of them provides different functions for plant and animal life.  Many plants are only found in wetlands; the same with animals.  The wetlands provide breeding grounds as well as, a perfect environment for raising their young.

        Humans have started to understand the impact of destroying wetlands.  In the past, it was not unheard of to divert the water from the wetlands; trying to reclaim more ground for building and planting on.  In doing that…many things were destroyed.    Wetlands help to prevent flooding.  Man was not meant to live in some of those areas, many in coastal regions…and infact, in recent years, flooding has taken a huge toil on city’s and populations that have built businesses and homes, in areas that were formerly wetlands and paid a very high price in doing so.

       Since the 1900′s about half of the world’s wetlands have vanished.  In the United States, we loose about 100,000 acres every year.  Some species of animals and plants only live in wetlands…so when we lose the wetlands, often we lose those plants and animals as well.  Wetlands also help to clean up water that we use for drinking…it filters it, naturally, for us.

         This book was published in 2008 by the Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.   You can go to this website to learn more:  www.powerkidslinks.com/whab/wetland/ .   The world around us is beautiful and useful.  This book helps to explain some of what we see around us and why it is there.  This book is for Juvenile readers.  It is hardcover and full of fun and important information.