 Dambos are fed by rainfall which drains out slowly to feed streams and rivers, and are therefore a vital part of the water cycle.As well as being complex ecosystems in themselves they also play a role in the biodiversity of the region.There is a popular idea that dambos act like sponges to soak up the wet season rain which they release slowly into rivers during the dry season thus ensuring a year-round flow, but this is opposed by some research which suggests that in the middle to late dry season the water is actually released from aquifers.