This month we’re recognizing American Wetlands Month by sharing the important wetland science the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) provides to partners along the Gulf Coast, throughout America, and around the world. It’s easy to think that a wetland is simply land…. that is wet. But it's more nuanced than that. A wetland consists of land covered by water - either at or near the surface of the soil – for part of if not the whole year. The amount of water present on these lands helps determine soil conditions and the types of plant and animal communities living in the ecosystem. A wetland can typically be identified as such by the presence of characteristic environments related to water, soil, and aquatic plants. Water is a critical component in every wetland habitat. In a wetland, soil is either saturated or covered by shallow water for at least part of the year. The quantity and seasonality of water presence helps determine wetland types.…