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Sphagnum is a genus of moss that is found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as in some areas of South America, New Zealand and Tasmania. Sphagnum moss is notable because it forms peat. Sporobolus, cordgrasses. Typha, known as cattails or bulrushes, are found throughout the world and a characteristic plant of wetland environments.
An ecological definition of a wetland is "an ecosystem that arises when inundation by water produces soils dominated by anaerobic and aerobic processes, which, in turn, forces the biota, particularly rooted plants, to adapt to flooding". [1] Sometimes a precise legal definition of a wetland is required.
In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants. [1] More in general, the word can be used for any low-lying and seasonally waterlogged terrain. In Europe and in agricultural literature low-lying meadows that require draining and embanked polderlands are also referred to as marshes or marshland.
Freshwater marsh, Naselle River, Washington. Freshwater marsh in Kittery Point, Maine. A freshwater marsh is a non-forested marsh wetland that contains shallow fresh water, and is continuously or frequently flooded. [1][2] Freshwater marshes primarily consist of sedges, grasses, and emergent plants. [3][4] Freshwater marshes are usually found ...
Phragmites stands can provide food and shelter resources for a number of birds, insects, and other animals. Habitat benefits are often optimal when stands are thinner, and management of stands may promote more suitable habitat benefits. [3] Some evidence suggests that a short term management rotation of 1–2 years could maximize bird and ...
A fen is a type of peat -accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. [1][2] It is one of the main types of wetland along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. [2] The unique water chemistry of fens is a result of the ground or surface water input.
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a ...
Riparian zone. A riparian area is the transition from the aquatic area to the upland area. Vegetation is expected to change from species adapted to wetter sites near the channel to species adapted to drier sites in the upland, with a mixture of species occurring in between. In this example, an assessment of riparian function would consider the ...