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Wetlands are defined primarily by hydrology: flooding or long-term soil saturation that supports hydrophytic (water-adapted) vegetation and hydric soils.
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem where the ground is flooded or saturated with water—permanently, for years/decades, or seasonally—so that waterlogged, oxygen-poor (anoxic) soil processes occur. Wetlands form a transition zone between terrestrial and aquatic systems, and their vegetation is adapted to these waterlogged conditions. A simplified definition is land that is usually saturated with water, while more precise definitions emphasize water covering the soil or being present at/near the surface for enough time to support aquatic plants. Terminology and regulatory usage distinguish wetlands by hydrology (water level, flooding duration, and water table position) and by the types of plants and soils present. For example, the Ramsar Convention defines wetlands broadly to include marshes, fens, peatlands, and water bodies (natural or artificial; permanent or temporary; fresh, brackish, or salt), including certain shallow marine areas. In the United States, wetlands are defined as areas inundated or saturated by surface or ground water with sufficient frequency and duration to support vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions. Wetlands are also described ecologically as systems where inundation produces soils with anaerobic and aerobic processes that force rooted organisms to adapt to flooding.
Wetlands are defined primarily by hydrology: flooding or long-term soil saturation that supports hydrophytic (water-adapted) vegetation and hydric soils.
Wetland definitions vary by purpose (technical, ecological, and legal/regulatory), with common emphasis on water presence at or near the soil surface for enough time to shape soils and biota.
Major terminology frameworks include the Ramsar Convention (international treaty definition) and national definitions such as the U.S. regulatory definition, both centered on water saturation/inundation and vegetation adapted to saturated conditions.
A wetland is an area where the soil is flooded or saturated with water long enough to support vegetation adapted to saturated conditions and to produce characteristic soil processes.
Hydric soil is soil formed under conditions of saturation or flooding that create low-oxygen (redox) environments typical of wetlands.
A hydrophyte is a plant species adapted to grow in saturated or waterlogged soils typical of wetlands.
Under the Ramsar Convention, wetlands include marsh, fen, peatland, and water areas (natural or artificial; permanent or temporary) with fresh, brackish, or salt water, including specified shallow marine areas.
Hydroperiod refers to the temporal pattern of water levels in a wetland, influencing which plants and soil processes can persist.
A peatland is a type of wetland where slow decay under anoxic conditions leads to the accumulation of organic peat (e.g., bogs and fens).
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