What is a wetland?
Wetlands are defined as land that is covered by water or where water is near the surface for at least part of the year. These high dune wetlands look like ponds during the winter and spring rainy season in Ocean Shores. Wetland plants such as sedges and rushes are used to identify wetlands when they are dry.
Wetlands are seasonal
Wetlands form in coastal dunes when ground water enters low, interdunal regions. Coastal dune wetlands in Ocean Shores are primarily freshwater due to large amounts of winter and spring precipitation diluting any saltwater intrusions from the nearby ocean.
What lives in high dune wetlands?
Wetlands are often identified by their unique flora, plants that thrive in wet conditions but that can survive in dry conditions. Amphibians such as frogs, newts, and salamanders may be found in these wetlands, as well as waterfowl. Many species of aquatic macroinvertebrates live in these high dune wetlands. They are adapted to periodic dry conditions. Some insects emerge as adults during the dry season such as the dragonflies and damselflies.
