Although often overlooked at first glance, the seasonally flooded basin is a vital wetland ecosystem that has unique characteristics and provides essential environmental and economic services.

Admired for their diverse plant communities and their ability to support rare and valuable species, wet meadows are considered invaluable wetland ecosystems that provide essential environmental and economic services.

Although commonplace, a shallow marsh is a highly regarded ecosystem that supports diverse wildlife and provides essential services for people and ecosystems alike.

Known as “prairie potholes” in southern Minnesota, deep marshes are water-filled basins that provide food and resting areas for migratory birds and many other wildlife species.

Most often enjoyed by people for canoeing, hunting, and fishing, open freshwater wetlands are an accessible source of recreation and viewing plant and animal species.

As their locations and landscape positions are similar to those occupied by wooded swamps, shrub swamps have similar soils and perform similar ecosystem services. Thanks to their location along waterways and sequences of lakes, they serve as migration corridors for wildlife and are particularly valuable as breeding and nesting grounds for a wide range of bird species.

Wooded swamps are a common feature on the Minnesota landscape throughout the state, but especially in central and northern Minnesota. They contribute vastly to the quality of life of every Minnesotan through the ecosystem services they perform, the timber they provide, their benefits to wildlife, their beauty, and the recreational opportunities they afford.

One of North America’s most distinctive kinds of wetlands, bogs are filled with spongy peat, acidic water, and a thick layer of sphagnum moss. They prevent downstream flooding by absorbing precipitation and provide habitat to animal species that are threatened by human encroachment.