Mellon Wetlands National Park

Mellon Wetlands 2 — The wetlands during summertime

Mellon Wetlands National Park is a Lovian National Park operated by the National Park Service. The Mellon Wetlands are a natural swamp environment situated on Libertan Island (State of Seven). This wetland area is named after Rachel Lambert Mellon, an American horticulturalist, gardener, philanthropist, and fine arts collector. Designated a National Park by Martha Van Ghent on March the 9th 2010 after a proposal by Arthur Jefferson, the Mellon Wetlands are the second NP in Lovia. The protected National Park covers all of Libertan Island.

Wildlife and flora[]

Wetland provide a safe and lush environment for many different species of fish, birds, and insects. It includes the mallard duck, the Sickleback fish, mangroves, and water moccasins.

Notable animals with their habitat in the Mellon Wetlands:

Amphibians, reptiles and arthropoda
- California Freshwater Shrimp
- California Tiger Salamander
Birds
- Mallard Duck
Fish
- Coho Salmon
- Rainbow Trout
- Sacramento Splittail
- Sickleback fish
Mammals
- Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse

Like animals, their are number of plant communites that will only survive in the unique environmental conditions of a wetland. In the Lovian wetlands account for only 4 to 8 percent of the total land area but over 25 percent of the nation's vascular flora occur in wetlands.

Mangroves establish themselves in the shallower water upslope from the mudflats. Mangroves further stabilize sediment and over time increase the soil level. This results in less tidal movement and the development of salt marshes. (succession) The salty nature of the soil means it can only be tolerated by special types of grasses e.g. saltbush, rush and sedge. There is also changing species diversity in each succession.

Notable plants and flowers: