This article looks at how long-term weather patterns affect freshwater wetlands. Specifically, scientists looked at freshwater wetlands called Carolina bays – shallow depressions in forests that fill with rainfall during rainy seasons and that dry up during droughts. Scientists asked: Over a long period of time following periods of drought, do Carolina bays become more forested or do they always return to their aquatic ecosystem? Topics: Water, Wilderness, Classification of Living Things, Cyclical Model, Directional Model, Drought, Ecosystem Services, Freshwater.