Which term describes the natural habitat that supports aquatic and terrestrial life near water bodies?

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, either permanently or seasonally, and they play a crucial role in supporting diverse ecosystems that include both aquatic and terrestrial life. These habitats are found adjacent to water bodies like rivers, lakes, and the coasts of oceans and estuaries.

The unique characteristics of wetlands, such as the presence of saturated soils, hydrophytic vegetation, and rich biodiversity, create an environment where various species thrive. They serve as critical buffers for water quality, flood control, and provide breeding grounds for many organisms, including fish and amphibians.

Other terms present different contexts: shores refer specifically to the land along the edge of a body of water, estuaries describe areas where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean, and landscape is a broader term encompassing all visible features of an area of land. While these concepts are related to water and ecosystems in various ways, wetlands distinctly represent the transitional areas that connect aquatic and terrestrial environments.