This introduction to freshwater wetlands describes those abiotic features of wetlands that make them unique as a habitat and examines in detail the adaptations, distributions, and interactions of various organisms (microbes, invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates) that collectively form wetland ecosystems. All kinds of freshwater wetlands are covered including lacustrine, palustrine, riverine and tidal forms. The management, conservation and restoration of wetlands are also covered. This is an accessible text suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in wetland ecology as well as professional researchers in the fields of limnology and freshwater ecology requiring a concise overview of the topic.