Wetlands.. Yep! That's what we are talking about. The words Marshes and Swamps remind us of the vast wetlands from NatGeo or Discovery programs, sometimes also from real life adventures, treks or other nature trips we have had made. But were those Swamps, or were those Marshes? Aren't the two same? Both have lots of standing water, some rotting and some healthy vegetation, lots of mosquitoes and alike breeding and buzzing in the surrounding regions, loud calls of toads & frogs from sun-set through the sun rise, a variety of ducks, geese and birds during the day, and what not!
Well, practically all is true about both. A Swamp or a Marsh can have fresh water, brackish water or even salt (sea) water. Typically, a Marsh has shallow waters from frequent or continuous flooding, mostly covered with low-growing grasses, reeds, typhas, and other herbaceous plants, and is void of any woody vegetation. A Swamp on the other hand, usually has very slowly moving waters deeper than a Marsh, may have a number of dry-land protrusions (or hammocks), and supports woody vegetation (like trees) along with the type of low-growing vegetation found in the marshes.
Marshes and Swamps are characterized by rich biodiversity they support and are critically important to wildlife habitats.
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