Trees & Shrubs Make the Difference

A marsh mainly contains plants with soft stems like sedges or grasses. The hollow stems of these plants lets their roots breathe even when they are partially submerged. Swamps contain a significant amount of shrubsand/or trees. Typical shrub swamps centre around willows, alders and dogwood. Treed swamps form where standing water is present for long periods of time, including locations along the edges of large river systems.

Swamp soil is typically black, mucky and rich in organic content. Swamps provide habitat for native orchids and ferns, as well as nesting opportunities for birds including wood ducks.

Swamps and other wetlands also serve as reservoirs to help maintain the level of the water table; many places where wetlands have been put to more "productive" use are now experiencing shortages of ground water.

Swamps on Parade

Lac Saint-François National Wildlife Area. The Cooper Marsh area also includes swamplands.
Minesing swamp west of Barrie has been declared a RAMSAR site. It is a 5000 hectare (12,500 acre) area which is visited by thousands of waterfowl. It is part of the Nottaswasaga Valley Conservation Area.
the Slough of Despond Conservation Area near the Bruce Peninsula includes a Silver Maple swamp where Cerulean warblers nest. This area is maintained by the Grey-Sauble Conservation Authority.
Mer Bleue includes a Red Maple swamp.
Stony Swamp Conservation Area in Nepean Ontario is a 2000 hectare (5000 acre) area incorporating a variety of habitats including a Sugar Maple swamp, as well as bog and marsh areas. It supports, as a result, a rich variety of plant species.
Wetlands Hinterland Who's Who - Canadian Wildlife Service
Classification of Wetlands - Swamps
Swamps of Louisiana
See also the Bayou page and the Cape Breton page HERE
National Audubon Society's Corkscrew Swamp Florida