Marsh

For other uses, see Marsh (disambiguation).

Marshland redirects here. For the suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, see Marshland, New Zealand.

In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood.^[1] Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss.

Woody plants will be low-growing shrubs. A marsh is different from a swamp, which has a greater proportion of open water surface and may be deeper than a marsh. In North America, the term "swamp" is used for wetland dominated by trees rather than grasses.

Marsh

Associations

Coastal marshes may be associated with estuaries, and are also found along waterways between coastal barrier islands and the inner coast. The estuarine marsh, or tidal marsh, is often based on soils consisting of sandy bottoms or bay muds. An example is the Tantramar Marsh of eastern Canada.

Commercial application

Constructed wetlands feature surface-flow design and are usually in the form of a marsh.

Related phenomena

Decomposition of plant materials below water often produces methane, which may begin to burn by self-ignition making mysterious lights known locally as will o' the wisps, jack-o'-lanterns, or sprites.

Climate

Humid, moist, and tropical

Plant Life

The plants there are called hydrophytes.

See also

• Aquatic plant
• Bayou
• Biodiversity Action Plan
• Bog
• Fen
• Freshwater marsh
• Salt marsh

Reference line notes

1. ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Characterization of marshes

• Marshes of the Lowcountry (South Carolina) -- Beaufort County Library
• General Information of Ibera Marshes (in English and Spanish)

Wetlands

Swamp · Freshwater swamp forest · Coniferous swamp · Marsh · Salt marsh · Bog · Peat swamp forest · Fen · Vernal pool · Flooded grasslands and savannas · Constructed wetland · Riparian zone