swamp
Sign in to savethumb|A freshwater swamp in Florida, [[United States]]
AI overview
A swamp is a wetland area where water covers the land for at least part of the year, typically supporting trees and other vegetation adapted to wet conditions. Swamps are ecologically important because they filter water, provide habitat for wildlife, and help prevent flooding in surrounding areas.
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Article
19 sectionsContents
- Differences between marshes and swamps
- Hydrology
- Values and ecosystem services
- Human uses
- Impacts and conservation
- Notable examples
- Africa
- Asia
- North America
- List of major swamps
- Africa
- Asia
- Australia
- Europe
- North America
- South America
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|A freshwater swamp in Florida, [[United States]]
A swamp is a forested wetland. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in creating this environment. Swamps vary in size and are located all around the world. The water of a swamp may be fresh water, brackish water, or seawater. Freshwater swamps form along large rivers or lakes where they are critically dependent upon rainwater and seasonal flooding to maintain natural water level fluctuations. Saltwater swamps are found along tropical and subtropical coastlines. Some swamps have hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodic inundation or soil saturation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp forests and "transitional" or shrub swamps. In the boreal regions of Canada, the word swamp is colloquially used for what is more formally termed a bog, fen, or muskeg. Some of the world's largest swamps are found along major rivers such as the Amazon, the Mississippi, and the Congo.