Marsh

For other uses, see Marsh (disambiguation).
"Marshland" redirects here. For other uses, see Marshland (disambiguation).

Marshlands are often noted within wetlands, as seen here in the New Jersey Meadowlands at Lyndhurst, New Jersey, U.S.
Marsh in shallow water on a lakeshore

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.

Marshes can often be found at the edges of lakes and streams, where they form a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They are often dominated by grasses, rushes or reeds.[2] If woody plants are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs, and the marsh is sometimes called a carr. This form of vegetation is what differentiates marshes from other types of wetland such as swamps, which are dominated by trees, and mires, which are wetlands that have accumulated deposits of acidic peat.[3]

Marshes provide habitats for many kinds of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, waterfowl and aquatic mammals.[4] This biological productivity means that marshes contain 0.1% of global sequestered terrestrial carbon.[5] Moreover, they have an outsized influence on climate resilience of coastal areas and waterways, absorbing high tides and other water changes due to extreme weather.[5] Though some marshes are expected to migrate upland, most natural marshlands will be threatened by sea level rise and associated erosion.[5]

  1. ^ Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p
  2. ^ World Encyclopedia. "Marshes". Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  3. ^ Rafferty, J.P. (2011). Lakes and Wetlands. New York, N.Y.: Britannica Educational service publishing's.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Campbell was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c FitzGerald, Duncan M.; Hughes, Zoe (30 May 2019). "Marsh Processes and Their Response to Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 47 (1): 481–517. Bibcode:2019AREPS..47..481F. doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-082517-010255. ISSN 0084-6597. S2CID 134372265.