Wetlands are a unique ecosystem characterized by which of the following?

• A. Hydrology
• B. Soils
• C. Vegetation
• D. All of these

Answer: (D)

Wetlands are defined by the interplay of water, soils, and plants. The hydrology part means the area is regularly or seasonally saturated with water, creating the wet conditions wetlands require. Hydric soils are soils formed under those saturated conditions and show characteristics like reduced drainage and low oxygen in the root zone. The vegetation component includes hydrophytic plants that are adapted to living in saturated soils. All three together establish a wetland, because each piece supports the others and is necessary for the characteristic environment. If any one of these elements is missing, you wouldn’t have a true wetland by standard definitions. That’s why the best choice is all of these.