Skip links and keyboard navigation

Wetland ecology

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world—comparable to rainforests. While covering only 6% of the Earth's surface (approximately 4.1% of Queensland), wetlands provide a disproportionately high number of ecosystem services that benefit, sustain and support the environmental, social and economic well-being of people.

There are many types of wetlands ranging from rivers, swamps and lakes to estuaries and even coral reefs that also support a whole variety of different wetland plants and animals.

Wetland ecology looks at the interactions between organisms and their environment[1].

Whistling ducks, Photo by David Scheltinga

Quick facts

>1 million
species in Australia
310
known animal species under threat in Australia
1180
known plant species under threat in Australia
At least 114
plants and animal species already extinct in Australia[2]

Pages under this section

References

  1. ^ University of Utah. Ecology of the Environment [Accessed 30 October 2012].
  2. ^ Australian Government, (11 March 2011). Threatened species and ecological communities in Australia. [online] Available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/overview.html [Accessed 20 February 2013].

Last updated: 22 March 2013

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment and Science, Queensland (2013) Wetland ecology, WetlandInfo website, accessed 13 April 2023. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of Environment and Science