Swamps | Wildlife Journal Junior - New Hampshire PBS

Swamps

Swamps are forested wetlands. Like marshes, they are often found near rivers or lakes and have mineral soil that drains very slowly. Unlike marshes, they have trees and bushes. They may have water in them for the whole year or for only part of the year. Swamps vary in size and type. Some swamps have soil that is nutrient rich; other swamps have nutrient poor soil. Swamps are often classified by the types of trees that grow in them.

Conifer Swamps

Trees like white cedar, northern white cedar, eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, pitch pine, loblolly pine, and black spruce are common in conifer swamps.

Hardwood Swamps

Hardwood swamps have trees like red maple, black willow, aspen, cottonwood, ashes, elms, swamp white oak, pin oak, tupelo, and birches.

Shrub Swamps

Shrub swamps have small trees and bushes like buttonwood, willow, alders, and dogwood.

Cypress Swamps

Cypress swamps are found in the southern United States. They are named for the bald cypress tree. Bald cypress trees are deciduous trees with needle-like leaves. They have very wide bases and "knees" that grow from their roots and stick up out of the water. Bald cypress trees can grow to 100 to 120 feet tall. Fire plays an important role in the establishment of bald cypress swamps. Cypress trees grow very quickly after a fire and re-establish themselves before other trees have a chance to grow!

Many of the bald cypress trees in cypress swamps in the U.S. were cut down in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. The wood from the bald cypress is resistant to rot and was a popular wood for building. Other trees and shrubs like pond cypress, blackgum, red maple, wax myrtle, and buttonwood are also be found in cypress swamps. Animals like white-tailed deer, minks, raccoons, pileated woodpeckers, purple gallinules, egrets, herons, alligators, frogs, turtles, and snakes are often found in cypress swamps.