Difference between revisions of "Swamp" - New World Encyclopedia

Latest revision as of 17:17, 2 April 2008

A freshwater swamp

A freshwater swamp in Florida.

A swamp is a type of wetland characterized by low, generally saturated land covered intermittently or permanently with shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, and covered by either aquatic vegetation or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The water of a swamp may be fresh water or salt water. A swamp may or may not have peat accumulation (NRCS 2007), but is generally defined as having no substantial peat deposits (NSC 2005).

In North America, swamps are usually regarded as wetlands dominated by trees and woody bushes rather than grasses and low herbs, while a marsh in North America is a wetland dominated by soft-stemmed vegetation, rather than woody vegetation (EPA 2004; NSC 2005). However, this distinction does not necessarily apply in other areas; for instance, in Africa swamps may be dominated by papyrus.

Elsewhere, a swamp is distinguished from a marsh by being a wetland with more open water surface and deeper water than a marsh.

Swamps provide innumerable values. They provide a habitat for a great number of flora and fauna, aid groundwater recharge and discharge and water purification, and add to the human wonder of nature. Nonetheless, they have often been looked at as useless wasteland and even as dangerous, spreading disease. As a result, many have been drained, diked, or otherwise altered worldwide, often to be converted to residential, industrial, or agricultural uses. Today, there is a greater awareness of their value and heightened protections of these unique areas.

Definition and geology

A swamp is a type of wetland. A wetland is a transitional environment between permanently aquatic and terrestrial environments that shares characteristics of both environments and where water, which covers the soil or is near the surface for substantial parts of the year, is the key factor in determining the nature of the ecosystem and soil. Although wetlands have aspects similar to both wet and and dry environments, they cannot be classified unambiguously as either aquatic or terrestrial (Barbier et al. 1997). In the United States, the four general categories of wetlands, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, are marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens (EPA 2004).

The National Wetlands Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey defines swamps as "forested low, spongy land generally saturated with water and covered with trees and aquatic vegetation; may be a deepwater swamp, such as the cypress tupelo, which has standing water all or part of the growing season or bottomland hardwood forests, which are only flooded periodically" (NWRC 2007).

The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture defines wetlands as "an area of low, saturated ground, intermittently or permanently covered with water, and predominately vegetated by shrubs and trees, with or without the accumulation of peat" (NRCS 2007).

A small swamp in the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales.

The National Safety Council defines swamps as "a type of wetland dominated by woody vegetation but without appreciable peat deposits" (NSC 2005).

However, although in North America swamps are usually regarded as including a large amount of woody vegetation (EPA 2004; NSC 2005; NRCS 2007), this definition is not universal.

Swamps are generally characterized by very slow-moving waters. They are usually associated with adjacent rivers or lakes. In some cases, rivers become swamps for a distance. Swamps are features of areas with very low topographic relief, although they may be surrounded by mountains.

Ecology

Swamp supporting wildlife

White cedar, tamarack, and white pine are examples of trees found in wetlands classified as swamps in the United States. Southeastern U.S. swamps, feature trees such as the Bald cypress and Water tupelo, which are adapted to growing in standing water,

Swamps are characterized by rich biodiversity and specialized organisms, such as frogs or the American alligator. A common species name in biological nomenclature is the Latin palustris, meaning "of the swamp." Examples of this are Quercus palustris (pin oak) and Thelypteris palustris (marsh fern).

Draining

Swamps were historically often viewed as wasteland and were drained to provide additional land for agricultural, residential, or industrial usess, and to reduce the threat of diseases born by swamp insects and similar animals. Swamps were generally seen as useless and even dangerous. This practice of swamp draining is nowadays seen as a destruction of a very valuable ecological habitat type of which large tracts have already disappeared in many countries.

Famous examples

In Iraq

The Tigris-Euphrates river system is a large swamp and river system in southern Iraq, inhabited in part by the Marsh Arabs. It was partly drained by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s in retaliation against the Shiite tribes' revolt against his dictatorship.

Cypress swamp at Highlands Hammock State Park, United States of America.

In the United States

Among the most famous swamps in the United States are the Okefenokee Swamp and the Great Dismal Swamp. The Okefenokee is located in extreme southeastern Georgia and extends slightly into northeastern Florida. The Great Dismal Swamp lies in extreme southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Both are National Wildlife Refuges. Another swamp area, Reelfoot Lake of western Tennessee, was created by the New Madrid earthquake of 1812. Caddo Lake, the Great Dismal, and Reelfoot are swamps that are centered at large lakes. Swamps are often called bayous in the southeastern United States, especially in the Gulf Coast region.

List of major swamps

Africa

Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia
Okavango Swamp, Botswana
Sudd, Sudan
Niger Delta, Nigeria

Asia

Asmat Swamp, Indonesia
Vasyugan Swamp, Russia

North America

Great Black Swamp, United States
Great Dismal Swamp, United States
Great Pocomoke Swamp also known as Great Cypress Swamp, Maryland, United States
Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia/Florida, United States
Reelfoot Lake, United States
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, United States
Limberlost, Indiana, United States
Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana, United States
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey, United States
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana, United States

South America

Lahuen Ñadi, Chile
Pantanal, Brazil (really a wetland system that is complex of different wetland types, including swamps)
Paraná Delta, Argentina

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Barbier, E. B., M. Mike Acreman, and D. Knowler. 1997. Economic Valuation of Wetlands: A Guide for Policy Makers and Planners. Gland, Switzerland: Ramsar Convention Bureau. ISBN 294007321X.
Environmental Protection Agency. 2006a. What are wetlands? U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
Environmental Protection Agency. 2006b. Wetlands definitions U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. Wetlands overview U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA 843-F-04-011a (December 2004). Retrieved December 15, 2007.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture. 2007. National Soil Survey Handbook: Glossary Of landform and geologic terms (Part 629) NRCS USDA. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
National Safety Council (NSC). 2005. Swamp Environmental Health Center, National Safety Council. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC), United States Geological Survey. 2007. Swamp NWRC USGS. Retrieved December 15, 2007.

Credits

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Swamp ^history

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History of "Swamp"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Claimed}}{{Contracted}}
+{{Copyedited}}{{Paid}}{{Approved}}{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}
 [[Image:Florida_freshwater_swamp_usgov_image.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A freshwater swamp]]
 [[Image:Florida_freshwater_swamp_usgov_image.jpg|thumb|right|A freshwater swamp in [[Florida]].]]
-[[Image:Swamp.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Swamp supporting wildlife.]]
+A '''swamp''' is a type of [[wetland]] characterized by low, generally saturated land covered intermittently or permanently with shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of [[hammock (ecology)|hammocks]], or dry-land protrusions, and covered by either aquatic vegetation or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The water of a swamp may be [[fresh water]] or [[salt water]]. A swamp may or may not have peat accumulation (NRCS 2007), but is generally defined as having no substantial [[peat]] deposits (NSC 2005).
-A '''swamp''' is a [[wetland]] that features temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of [[hammock (ecology)|hammocks]], or dry-land protrusions, and covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation.<ref>[http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/glossary.html Swamp] (from glossary webpage of the [[United States Geological Survey]])</ref> The water of a swamp may be [[fresh water]] or [[salt water]]. A swamp is also generally defined as having no substantial [[peat]] deposits.<ref>[http://www.nsc.org/ehc/glossar2.htm Swamp] (from the glossary of the Environmental Health Center, [[National Safety Council]])</ref>
-In North America, swamps are usually regarded as including a large amount of woody [[vegetation]], but elsewhere this may not necessarily apply, such as in African swamps dominated by [[papyrus]]. By contrast a [[marsh]] in North America is a wetland without woody vegetation, or elsewhere, a wetland without woody vegetation which is shallower and has less open water surface than a swamp. A '''mire''' (or '''quagmire''') is a low-lying wetland of deep, soft soil or mud that sinks underfoot.
+In [[North America]], swamps are usually regarded as wetlands dominated by [[tree]]s and woody bushes rather than [[grass]]es and low herbs, while a [[marsh]] in North America is a wetland dominated by soft-stemmed vegetation, rather than woody vegetation (EPA 2004; NSC 2005). However, this distinction does not necessarily apply in other areas; for instance, in [[Africa]] swamps may be dominated by [[papyrus]].
-note:Wetlands provide innumerable [[economy|economic]], [[ecology|ecological]], [[culture|cultural]], [[recreation|recreational]], and aesthetic values. The rich [[biodiversity]] of wetlands has led to their being described as "biological supermarkets" and "nurseries of life"; their chemical and hydrological functions have led to their characterization as "the kidneys of the landscape" (Barbier et al. 1997; Mitsch and Gosselink 1993). They offer goods such as [[fish]], timber, and peat; supply water; provide flood control; are important for groundwater recharge and discharge, water purfication, and nutrient retention; are habitat to a great amount of flora and fauna; and add to the human wonder of nature.
+Elsewhere, a swamp is distinguished from a marsh by being a wetland with more open water surface and deeper water than a marsh.
-Note:[[Marsh]]es are dominated by soft-stemmed vegetation, while [[swamp]]s in the [[United States]] are dominated by woody plants (EPA 2004). White cedar, tamarack, and white pine are examples of trees found in swamps in the United States.
+Swamps provide innumerable values. They provide a habitat for a great number of flora and fauna, aid groundwater recharge and discharge and water purification, and add to the human wonder of [[nature]]. Nonetheless, they have often been looked at as useless wasteland and even as dangerous, spreading [[disease]]. As a result, many have been drained, diked, or otherwise altered worldwide, often to be converted to residential, industrial, or agricultural uses. Today, there is a greater awareness of their value and heightened protections of these unique areas.
-note: A [[swamp]] is wetland with more open water surface and deeper water than a marsh. In North America, it is used for wetlands dominated by trees and woody bushes rather than grasses and low herbs, but this distinction does not necessarily apply in other areas, for instance in [[Africa]] where swamps may be dominated by papyrus.
+==Definition and geology==
-note:* A [[Mangrove|mangrove swamp]] or mangal is a salt or brackish water environment dominated by the [[Mangrove#Species|mangrove species of tree]], such as ''Sonneratia''.
+A swamp is a type of [[wetland]]. A wetland is a transitional environment between permanently aquatic and terrestrial environments that shares characteristics of both environments and where [[water]], which covers the [[soil]] or is near the surface for substantial parts of the year, is the key factor in determining the nature of the [[ecosystem]] and soil. Although wetlands have aspects similar to both wet and and dry environments, they cannot be classified unambiguously as either aquatic or terrestrial (Barbier et al. 1997). In the [[United States]], the four general categories of wetlands, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, are [[marsh]]es, swamps, [[bog]]s, and [[fen]]s (EPA 2004).
-In the [[United States]], the four general categories of wetlands, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, are marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. The [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]]'s [[National Wetlands Inventory]] (NWI) produces and provides information on the characteristics, extent, and status of U.S. wetlands and deepwater habitats and other wildlife habitats.  The NWI also produces periodic reports on the status and trends of wetlands in the conterminous U.S.  The NWI website includes a [http://wetlandsfws.er.usgs.gov/NWI/index.html Wetlands Mapper] in which users can view, download, or print maps of digital wetlands information.
+The National Wetlands Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey defines swamps as "forested low, spongy land generally saturated with water and covered with trees and aquatic vegetation; may be a deepwater swamp, such as the cypress tupelo, which has standing water all or part of the growing season or bottomland hardwood forests, which are only flooded periodically" (NWRC 2007).
+The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture defines wetlands as "an area of low, saturated ground, intermittently or permanently covered with water, and predominately vegetated by shrubs and trees, with or without the accumulation of peat" (NRCS 2007).
-==Geology==
 [[Image:2007 0817klklk0054.JPG|thumb|right|300px|A small swamp in the [[Hawkesbury River]], [[New South Wales]].]]
-A '''wetland''' is a transitional environment between permanently aquatic and terrestrial environments that shares characteristics of both environments and where [[water]], which covers the [[soil]] or is near the surface for substantial parts of the year, is the key factor in determining the nature of the [[ecosystem]] and soil. Although wetlands have aspects similar to both wet and and dry environments, they cannot be classified unambiguously as either aquatic or terrestrial (Barbier et al. 1997). Wetland do not have to be wet all the time, but generally are at least periodically covered by or saturated with water. Among types of wetlands are [[swamp]]s, [[marsh]]es, and bogs (defined below).
+The National Safety Council defines swamps as "a type of wetland dominated by woody vegetation but without appreciable peat deposits" (NSC 2005).
+However, although in North America swamps are usually regarded as including a large amount of woody vegetation (EPA 2004; NSC 2005; NRCS 2007), this definition is not universal.
-Swamps are generally characterised by very slow-moving waters.  They are usually associated with adjacent [[river]]s or [[lake]]s.  In some cases, rivers become swamps for a distance. Swamps are features of areas with very low [[topographic]] relief, although they may be surrounded by mountains.
+Swamps are generally characterized by very slow-moving waters. They are usually associated with adjacent [[river]]s or [[lake]]s. In some cases, rivers become swamps for a distance. Swamps are features of areas with very low [[topographic]] relief, although they may be surrounded by mountains.
 ==Ecology==
+[[Image:Swamp.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Swamp supporting wildlife]]
+White cedar, tamarack, and white pine are examples of trees found in wetlands classified as swamps in the [[United States]]. Southeastern U.S. swamps, feature trees such as the [[Taxodium distichum|Bald cypress]] and [[Water tupelo]], which are adapted to growing in standing water,
-Swamps are characterised by rich biodiversity and specialised organisms such as frogs.<ref>[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/frogs_toads/index.html Frogs & toads]</ref>  For instance, southeastern U.S. swamps, such as those mentioned above, feature trees such as the [[Taxodium distichum|Bald cypress]] and [[Water tupelo]], which are adapted to growing in standing water, and [[animal]]s such as the [[American Alligator|American alligator]]. A common [[species]] name in biological [[Binomial nomenclature|nomenclature]] is the [[Latin]] ''palustris'', meaning "of the swamp".  Examples of this are ''Quercus palustris'' ([[pin oak]]) and ''Thelypteris palustris'' (marsh [[fern]]).
+Swamps are characterized by rich biodiversity and specialized organisms, such as frogs or the [[American Alligator|American alligator]]. A common [[species]] name in biological [[Binomial nomenclature|nomenclature]] is the [[Latin]] ''palustris'', meaning "of the swamp." Examples of this are ''Quercus palustris'' ([[pin oak]]) and ''Thelypteris palustris'' (marsh [[fern]]).
 ==Draining==
-Swamps were historically often [[drained]] to provide additional land for [[agriculture]], and to reduce the threat of diseases born by swamp insects and similar animals. Swamps were generally seen as useless and even dangerous. This practice of swamp draining is nowadays seen as a destruction of a very valuable ecological habitat type of which large tracts have already disappeared in many countries.
+Swamps were historically often viewed as wasteland and were [[drained]] to provide additional land for [[agriculture|agricultural]], residential, or industrial usess, and to reduce the threat of [[disease]]s born by swamp insects and similar animals. Swamps were generally seen as useless and even dangerous. This practice of swamp draining is nowadays seen as a destruction of a very valuable ecological habitat type of which large tracts have already disappeared in many countries.
 ==Famous examples==
@@ Line 42: / Line 41: @@
 The [[Tigris-Euphrates river system]] is a large swamp and river system in southern [[Iraq]], inhabited in part by the [[Marsh Arabs]]. It was partly drained by [[Saddam Hussein]] in the 1990s in retaliation against the [[Shiite]] tribes' revolt against his dictatorship.
-[[Image:CypressSwamp.jpg|thumb|[[Taxodium distichum|Cypress]] swamp at [[Highlands Hammock State Park]], [[United States of America]].]]
+[[Image:CypressSwamp.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Taxodium distichum|Cypress]] swamp at [[Highlands Hammock State Park]], [[United States of America]].]]
 ===In the United States===
-The most famous swamps in the [[United States]] are the [[Everglades]], [[Okefenokee Swamp]] and the [[Great Dismal Swamp]].  The Okefenokee is located in extreme southeastern [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and extends slightly into northeastern [[Florida]]. The Great Dismal Swamp lies in extreme southeastern [[Virginia]] and extreme northeastern [[North Carolina]].  Both are [[National Wildlife Refuge]]s. Another swamp area, [[Reelfoot Lake]] of extreme western [[Tennessee]], was created by the [[New Madrid fault zone|New Madrid earthquake]] of 1812. [[Caddo Lake]], the Great Dismal and Reelfoot are swamps that are centered at large lakes. Swamps are often called ''[[bayou]]s'' in the [[southeastern United States]], especially in the [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf Coast]] region.
+Among the most famous swamps in the [[United States]] are the [[Okefenokee Swamp]] and the [[Great Dismal Swamp]]. The Okefenokee is located in extreme southeastern [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and extends slightly into northeastern [[Florida]]. The Great Dismal Swamp lies in extreme southeastern [[Virginia]] and northeastern [[North Carolina]]. Both are [[National Wildlife Refuge]]s. Another swamp area, [[Reelfoot Lake]] of western [[Tennessee]], was created by the [[New Madrid fault zone|New Madrid earthquake]] of 1812. [[Caddo Lake]], the Great Dismal, and Reelfoot are swamps that are centered at large lakes. Swamps are often called ''[[bayou]]s'' in the [[southeastern United States]], especially in the [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf Coast]] region.
-==Heraldry==
-A swamp appears in the [[coat of arms]] of [[Gesturi]], [[Italy]].
 ==List of major swamps==
@@ Line 76: / Line 72: @@
 ===South America===
 * [[Lahuen Ñadi]], [[Chile]]
-* [[Pantanal]], [[Brazil]]
+* [[Pantanal]], [[Brazil]] (really a wetland system that is complex of different wetland types, including swamps)
 * [[Paraná Delta]], [[Argentina]]
 ==See also==
-{|
-|-valign=top
-|
-*[[Aquatic plant]]
 *[[Bog]]
 *[[Hydrogen sulfide]]
 *[[Marsh]]
-| width=40 |
-|
-*[[Marsh gas]]
-*[[Muck (soil)|Muck]]
 *[[Peat]]
 *[[Salt marsh]]
-| width=40 |
-|
-*[[Slough (wetland)|Slough]]
 *[[Wetland]]
-*[[Will o' the wisp]]
-|}
 ==References==
-<references/>
-<br>
-* Environmental Protection Agency. 2006a. [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/vital/what.html What are wetlands?]. ''U.S. Environmental Protection Agency''. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
+* Barbier, E. B., M. Mike Acreman, and D. Knowler. 1997. ''Economic Valuation of Wetlands: A Guide for Policy Makers and Planners''. Gland, Switzerland: Ramsar Convention Bureau. ISBN 294007321X.
-* Environmental Protection Agency. 2006b. [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/what/definition.html Wetlands definitions]. ''U.S. Environmental Protection Agency''. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
+* Environmental Protection Agency. 2006a. [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/vital/what.html What are wetlands?] ''U.S. Environmental Protection Agency''. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
-* Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. Wetlands overview. ''U.S. Environmental Protection Agency'' EPA 843-F-04-011a (December 2004). Retrieved July 24, 2007.
+* Environmental Protection Agency. 2006b. [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/what/definitions.html Wetlands definitions] ''U.S. Environmental Protection Agency''. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
+* Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/overview.pdf Wetlands overview] ''U.S. Environmental Protection Agency'' EPA 843-F-04-011a (December 2004). Retrieved December 15, 2007.
+* Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture. 2007. [http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/contents/part629.html National Soil Survey Handbook: Glossary Of landform and geologic terms (Part 629)] ''NRCS USDA''. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
+* National Safety Council (NSC). 2005. [http://www.nsc.org/ehc/glossar2.htm Swamp] ''Environmental Health Center, National Safety Council''. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
+* National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC), United States Geological Survey. 2007. [http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/glossary.html Swamp] ''NWRC USGS''. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
-[[Category:Life sciences]]
+[[Category:Life sciences]][[Category:Ecology]]
-{{credit|Swamp&oldid=171316706}}
+{{credit|Swamp|171316706}}