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Swamp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Swampland" redirects here. For the theoretical-physics concept, seeSwampland (physics).For other uses, seeSwamp (disambiguation).
A freshwater swamp inFlorida,United States

Aswampis a forestedwetland.[1]Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in creating this environment.[2]Swamps vary in size and are located all around the world. The water of a swamp may befresh water,brackish water,orseawater.Freshwater swampsform along large rivers or lakes where they are critically dependent upon rainwater and seasonal flooding to maintain natural water level fluctuations.[2][3]Saltwater swampsare found along tropical and subtropical coastlines.[4]Some swamps havehammocks,or dry-land protrusions, covered byaquatic vegetation,or vegetation that tolerates periodic inundation[5]or soil saturation. The two main types of swamp are "true" orswamp forestsand "transitional" orshrub swamps.In theborealregions of Canada, the word swamp is colloquially used for what is more formally termed abog,fen,ormuskeg.Some of the world's largest swamps are found along major rivers such as theAmazon,theMississippi,and theCongo.[6]

Differences between marshes and swamps

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Difference between swamp and marsh

Swamps andmarshesare specific types of wetlands that form along waterbodies containing rich,hydricsoils.[7]Marshes are wetlands, continually or frequently flooded by nearby running bodies of water, that are dominated by emergent soft-stem vegetation and herbaceous plants. Swamps are wetlands consisting of saturated soils or standing water and are dominated by water-tolerant woody vegetation such as shrubs, bushes, and trees.[8][4]

Hydrology

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Swamps are characterized by their saturated soils and slow-moving waters.[8]The water that accumulates in swamps comes from a variety of sources including precipitation, groundwater, tides and/or freshwater flooding.[4]These hydrologic pathways all contribute to how energy and nutrients flow in and out of the ecosystem. As water flows through the swamp, nutrients, sediment and pollutants are naturally filtered out. Chemicals like phosphorus and nitrogen that end up in waterways get absorbed and used by the aquatic plants within the swamp, purifying the water. Any remaining or excess chemicals present will accumulate at the bottom of the swamp, being removed from the water and buried within the sediment.[2]The biogeochemical environment of a swamp is dependent on its hydrology, affecting the levels and availability of resources like oxygen, nutrients, water pH and toxicity, which will influence the whole ecosystem.[4]

Values and ecosystem services

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TheLinnaistensuo Mire,anature reserveswamp inLahti,Finland.[9]

Swamps and otherwetlandshave traditionally held a very lowproperty valuecompared to fields,prairies,orwoodlands.They have a reputation for being unproductive land that cannot easily be utilized for human activities, other thanhunting,trapping,or fishing. Farmers, for example, typically drained swamps next to their fields so as to gain more land usable for planting crops, both historically, and to a lesser extent, presently. On the other hand, swamps can (and do) play a beneficial ecological role in the overall functions of the natural environment and provide a variety of resources that many species depend on. Swamps and other wetlands have shown to be a natural form of flood management and defense against flooding. In such circumstances where flooding does occur, swamps absorb and use the excess water within the wetland, preventing it from traveling and flooding surrounding areas.[2]Dense vegetation within the swamp also provides soil stability to the land, holding soils and sediment in place whilst preventing erosion and land loss. Swamps are an abundant and valuable source offresh waterandoxygenfor all life, and they are often breeding grounds for a wide variety of species. Floodplain swamps are an important resource in the production and distribution of fish.[10]Two thirds of global fish and shellfish are commercially harvested and dependent on wetlands.[2]

Impacts and conservation

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Historically, humans have been known to drain and/or fill swamps and other wetlands in order to create more space for human development and to reduce the threat of diseases borne by swamp insects. Wetlands are removed and replaced with land that is then used for things like agriculture, real estate, and recreational uses. Many swamps have also undergone intensive logging and farming, requiring the construction of drainage ditches and canals. These ditches and canals contributed to drainage and, along the coast, allowed salt water to intrude, converting swamps tomarshor even to open water.[1]Large areas of swamp were therefore lost or degraded.Louisianaprovides a classic example of wetland loss from these combined factors.[11]Europe has likely lost nearly half its wetlands.[12]New Zealand lost 90 percent of its wetlands over a period of 150 years.[13]Ecologists recognize that swamps provide ecological services including flood control, fish production, water purification, carbon storage, and wildlife habitats.[1]In many parts of the world authorities protect swamps. In parts of Europe and North America, swamp restoration projects are becoming widespread.[3][14]The United States government began enforcing stricter laws and management programs in the 1970s in efforts to protect and restore these ecosystems.[2]Often the simplest steps to restoring swamps involve plugging drainage ditches and removinglevees.[1]

Conservationists work to preserve swamps such as those in northwest Indiana in the United StatesMidwestthat were preserved as part of theIndiana Dunes.[15][16][17]

Notable examples

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Swamps can be found on all continents exceptAntarctica.[18]

The largest swamp in the world is the Amazon River floodplain, which is particularly significant for its large number of fish and tree species.[19][20][21]

Africa

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TheSuddand theOkavango Delta[22][23]are Africa's best known marshland areas. TheBangweulu Floodplainsmake up Africa's largest swamp.

Asia

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Marsh Arabs poling amashoof

TheMesopotamian Marshes[24]is a large swamp and river system in southernIraq,traditionally inhabited in part by theMarsh Arabs.

In Asia, tropicalpeatswamps are located in mainland East Asia and Southeast Asia. In Southeast Asia, peatlands are mainly found in low altitude coastal and sub-coastal areas and extend inland for distance more than 100 km (62 mi) along river valleys and across watersheds. They are mostly to be found on the coasts of East Sumatra, Kalimantan (Central, East, South and West Kalimantan provinces), West Papua, Papua New Guinea, Brunei, Peninsular Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Southeast Thailand, and the Philippines (Rileyet al.,1996). Indonesia has the largest area of tropical peatland. Of the total 440,000 km2(170,000 sq mi) tropical peat swamp, about 210,000 km2(81,000 sq mi) are located in Indonesia (Page, 2001; Wahyunto, 2006).

TheVasyugan Swampis a large swamp in the westernSiberiaarea of theRussian Federation.This is one of the largest swamps in the world, covering an area larger thanSwitzerland.

North America

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Swamp in southernLouisiana

TheAtchafalaya Swampat the lower end of the Mississippi River is the largest swamp in theUnited States.It is an important example of southern cypress swamp[25]but it has been greatly altered by logging, drainage and levee construction.[26]Other famous swamps in the United States are the forested portions of theEverglades,Okefenokee Swamp,Barley Barber Swamp,Great Cypress Swampand theGreat Dismal Swamp.The Okefenokee is located in extreme southeasternGeorgiaand extends slightly into northeasternFlorida.TheGreat Cypress Swampis mostly inDelaware,but extends intoMarylandon theDelmarva Peninsula.Point Lookout State Parkon the southern tip of Maryland contains a large amount of swamps and marshes. TheGreat Dismal Swamplies in extreme southeasternVirginiaand extreme northeasternNorth Carolina.Both areNational Wildlife Refuges.Another swamp area,Reelfoot Lakeof extreme westernTennesseeandKentucky,was created by the1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes.Caddo Lake,the Great Dismal and Reelfoot are swamps that are centered at large lakes. Swamps are often associated withbayousin thesoutheastern United States,especially in theGulf Coastregion. Abaygallis a type of swamp found in the forest of the Gulf Coast states in the USA.[27][28][29]

List of major swamps

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A small swamp inPadstow, New South Wales,Australia
Inside amangrovecanopy,Salt Pan Creek,New South Wales

The world's largest wetlands include significant areas of swamp, such as in the Amazon and Congo River basins.[21]Further north, however, the largest wetlands arebogs.

Africa

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Asia

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Australia

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Europe

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Ablack alderswamp inGermany

North America

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South America

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Pantanalin Brazil

See also

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  • Aquatic plant– Plant that has adapted to living in an aquatic environment
  • Bayou– Body of water in flat, low-lying areas
  • Bog– Type of wetland with peat-rich soil
  • Coniferous swamp– Forested wetlands dominated by conifers
  • Fen– Type of wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water
  • Freshwater swamp forest– Forest growing on an alluvial zone
  • Hydrogen sulfide– Poisonous, corrosive and flammable gas
  • Marsh– Low-lying and seasonally waterlogged land
  • Marsh gas– Gas produced naturally within marshes, swamps and bogs
  • Muck– Soil type
  • Peat– Accumulation of partially decayed vegetation
  • Peat swamp forest– Tropical moist forests where waterlogged soil prevents dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing
  • Salt marsh– Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded
  • Shrub swamp– type of wetland ecosystem
  • Slough (hydrology)– Type of wetland
  • Wetland– Type of land area that is flooded or saturated with water
  • Will-o'-the-wisp– Atmospheric ghost lights

References

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  1. ^abcdKeddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p.
  2. ^abcdef"swamp".National Geographic Society.2011-01-21.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-03-03.Retrieved2019-09-26.
  3. ^abHughes, F.M.R. (ed.). 2003. The Flooded Forest: Guidance for policy makers and river managers in Europe on the restoration of floodplain forests. FLOBAR2, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 96 p.
  4. ^abcdMitsch, W.J., & Gosselink, J.G.(2015).Wetlands.Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
  5. ^SwampArchived2007-06-10 at theWayback Machine(from glossary web page of theUnited States Geological Survey)
  6. ^Keddy, P.A., L.H. Fraser, A.I. Solomeshch, W.J. Junk, D.R. Campbell, M.T.K. Arroyo and C.J.R. Alho. 2009. Wet and wonderful: the world's largest wetlands are conservation priorities. BioScience 59: 39–51.
  7. ^"Swamps".Nature Works- New Hampshire PBS.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-12.Retrieved2019-11-26.
  8. ^ab"Classification and Types of Wetlands".EPA.9 April 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 23 November 2019.Retrieved26 November2019.
  9. ^"Linnaistensuo Mire".Visit Lahti.Lahti Region.Archivedfrom the original on 1 December 2021.Retrieved18 November2020.
  10. ^Lowe-McConnell, R. H. (1975). Fish Communities in Tropical Fresh waters: Their Distribution, Ecology and Evolution. London: Long man
  11. ^Keddy, P.A., D. Campbell, T. McFalls, G. Shaffer, R. Moreau, C. Dranguet, and R. Heleniak. 2007. The wetlands of lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas: past, present and future. Environmental Reviews 15: 1- 35.
  12. ^Dugan, P. (ed.) 2005. Guide to Wetlands. Buffalo, New York. Firefly Books. 304 p.
  13. ^Peters, M. and Clarkson, B. 2010. Wetland Restoration: A Handbook for New Zealand Freshwater Systems. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, N.Z.ISBN978-0-478-34707-4(online)
  14. ^Environment Canada. 2004. How Much Habitat is Enough? A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. 2nd ed. 81 p.
  15. ^Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2006). Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes. The South Shore Journal, 1. "South Shore Journal - Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-09-13.Retrieved2012-06-11.
  16. ^Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2009). The Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation. The South Shore Journal, 3."South Shore Journal - the Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-01-01.Retrieved2015-11-22.
  17. ^Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2007). The cultural impact of a museum in a small community: The Hour Glass of Ogden Dunes. The South Shore Journal, 2."South Shore Journal - the Cultural Impact of a Museum in a Small Community: The Hour Glass in Ogden Dunes".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-11-30.Retrieved2012-06-11.
  18. ^Hunter, Malcolm L. (1999).Maintaining Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems.Cambridge University Press. p.325.ISBN978-0521637688.
  19. ^Goulding, M. (1980). The Fishes and the Forest: Explorations in Amazonian Natural History. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
  20. ^Lowe-McConnell, R. H. (1975). Fish Communities in Tropical Freshwaters: Their Distribution, Ecology and Evolution. London: Longman
  21. ^abL.H. Fraser and P.A. Keddy (eds.). 2005. The World's Largest Wetlands: Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 488 p.
  22. ^abMain, Douglas (2013-11-26)."Photos: The Biggest Lions on Earth".Live Science.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-04-18.Retrieved2018-04-18.
  23. ^ab"Lions of the Okavango".Siyabona Africa.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-04-26.Retrieved2018-04-18.
  24. ^Daoudy, Marwa (2005).Le Partage des Eaux entre la Syrie, l'Irak et la Turquie(in French). CNRS. pp. 1–269.ISBN2-271-06290-X.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-05.Retrieved2016-04-06.
  25. ^Conner, W. H. and Buford, M. A. (1998). Southern deepwater swamps. In Southern Forested Wetlands: Ecology and Management, eds. M. G. Messina and W. H. Conner, pp. 261–87. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.
  26. ^Reuss, M. (1998). Designing the Bayous: The Control of Water in the Atchafalaya Basin 1800–1995. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History.
  27. ^Watson, Geraldine Ellis (2006) Big Thicket Plant Ecology: An Introduction, Third Edition (Temple Big Thicket Series #5). University of North Texas Press. Denton, Texas. 152 pp.ISBN978-1574412147
  28. ^Natural Communities of Louisiana:Bayhead Swamp/Forested SeepArchived2020-07-03 at theWayback Machine.Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  29. ^Texas Parks and Wildlife. Ecological Mapping systems of Texas:West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and BaygallArchived2020-07-10 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 7 July 2020
  30. ^"India wild tiger census shows population rise".BBC News.28 March 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-04-23.Retrieved2011-02-08.
  31. ^Price, C., & Kelly, A. (2011).National Wetlands Update 2011(No. 19; Annual Update for Australia’s Wetland Community, p. 56). Australian Government.https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/766781bf-a9d9-4c04-8a96-77bccd2e0426/files/wa-19.pdf
  32. ^Nowell, K.; Jackson, P., eds. (1996). "Panthera Onca".Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan(PDF).Gland, Switzerland: IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. IUCN. pp. 118–302.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2019-02-05.Retrieved2015-09-07.
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