Marsh
:
This article is about marsh, a type of wetland. For other uses of the word marsh see marsh (disambiguation). |
Freshwater marsh in Florida |
In
geography, a
marsh is a type of
wetland, featuring
grasses,
rushes,
reeds,
typhas,
sedges, cat tails, and other herbaceous
plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow
water. A marsh is different from a
swamp, which is dominated by trees rather than grasses and low herbs. The water of a marsh can be
fresh,
brackish or
saline. Coastal marshes may be associated with
estuaries and along waterways between coastal
barrier islands and the inner coast. Estuarine marshes often are based on soils consisting of sandy bottoms or
bay muds.
Marshes are critically important wildlife
habitat, often serving as breeding grounds for a wide variety of
animal life.
Constructed wetlands featuring surface-flow design are usually in the form of a marsh.
*
Fen*
Saltmarsh*
Swamp
