Wetlands are areas where water saturates or covers the soil for significant periods, creating distinctive ecosystems including marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. Wetlands provide crucial ecological services: filtering water and improving quality, storing floodwaters and reducing downstream flooding, recharging groundwater, providing wildlife habitat, and sequestering carbon. Despite their importance, wetlands have been extensively drained for agriculture and development across Canada. Wetland loss has contributed to flooding problems, water quality decline, and habitat destruction. Many jurisdictions now protect remaining wetlands through policies requiring 'no net loss'—wetland destruction must be offset by wetland creation or restoration elsewhere. Wetland classification considers vegetation, hydrology, and substrate to identify different wetland types with varying characteristics and values.