Wetlands are lands where water saturation is the dominant factor. Wetlands occupy about 18% of Canada, and Canada has about 25% of the world’s wetlands. Wetlands foster the growth of hydrophytic vegetation and other biological activities such as the sustenance of large numbers of waterfowl, storage and release of large quantities of water, and the production of large amounts of energy in the form of peat. They offer food and shelter, slow down soil erosion, and contribute to the natural water purification process. Wetland conservation is important particularly in the human-dominated ecozones of southern Canada. The map shows the percentage of ecoregions covered by wetland.