All of these are true of wetlands, except which?

• A. They filter pollutants
• B. They provide wildlife habitat
• C. They release carbon monoxide
• D. They store floodwaters

Answer: (C)

Wetlands provide several key ecosystem services: they filter pollutants from water as nutrients and sediments are taken up and microbes break down contaminants, they offer abundant wildlife habitat due to their diverse plants and wet conditions, and they store floodwaters by absorbing and slowing runoff, which helps reduce downstream flooding. The statement that wetlands release carbon monoxide doesn’t fit with how these ecosystems function—carbon monoxide is a byproduct of combustion, not something wetlands produce as part of their natural processes. So, the option about releasing carbon monoxide is not true, while the other descriptions reflect real wetland roles.