Ecosystems

Wetlands

12 reserves protect this ecosystem

About the Ecosystem

Wetlands are similar to swamps, but generally smaller, although there is no strict rule for telling them apart. They are environments where water is the fundamental component, forming a permanent or semi-permanent layer. They occupy the lowest positions in the landscape, in areas of flat topography. The plant and animal species found there are specially adapted to these conditions. They provide important ecosystem services: runoff regulation, filtering of surface waters and biodiversity conservation. This ecosystem also includes marshes and caraguatales, dense plant formations dominated by the caraguatá plant that develop in flood-prone areas.

Did You Know...

Climate Regulators

Wetlands store carbon and regulate the local temperature, working like a natural air conditioner for the surrounding areas.

A Stopover for Migratory Birds

Thousands of migratory birds from all over the continent stop over in Uruguay's wetlands to rest and feed during journeys of thousands of kilometres.

Typical Species of this Ecosystem

Cisne de Cuello Negro

Cygnus melancoryphus

BirdsConservation priority

An elegant waterbird with a black neck

Curutié Ocráceo

Limnoctites sulphuriferus

BirdsThreatened

A small bird of wetlands and tall grasslands, with distinctive ochre plumage. Known in English as the Sulphur-bearing Spinetail.

Tucutucu de Río Negro

Ctenomys rionegrensis

MammalsThreatened

Subterranean rodent endemic to the department of Río Negro, with a very restricted distribution

Pajonalera de Pico Curvo

Limnornis curvirostris

BirdsThreatened

A small bird endemic to the region's wetlands and reed beds. The Curve-billed Reedhaunter is characterised by its reddish-brown plumage and its distinctive downward-curved bill, a unique adaptation for feeding among the reeds. It lives exclusively in tall grasslands and marshlands, where it searches for insects and small invertebrates. It is an indicator species for the health of wetlands.