What are wetlands? Where are they found? What part do they play in the balance of nature? Dr. Christa Schwintzer, professor of biology and ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and research scientist with the University of Michigan’s Biological Station in northern Michigan explains wetlands this way: Wetlands are areas of poorly drained, uncultivated ground. Rather than simply referring to wetlands with the all-inclusive terms of marsh or swamp, it should be noted that there are four distinct types. Each has its own unique set of characteristics, wildlife, and plants. The four major kinds of wetlands are: marshed, swamps, bogs, and fens (fresh water meadows).