A marsh is a type of wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species. It can normally be found at the edge of lakes and streams, and act as a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They are dominated by grasses such as rushes and reeds, and have few to no woody areas. If woody plants are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs. This form of vegetation is what differentiates marshes from other types o...
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A marsh is a type of wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species. It can normally be found at the edge of lakes and streams, and act as a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They are dominated by grasses such as rushes and reeds, and have few to no woody areas. If woody plants are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs. This form of vegetation is what differentiates marshes from other types of wetland such as swamps, which are dominated by trees, and bogs, which are wetlands that have accumulated deposits of acidic peat.
Marshes are a habitat to many types of plants and animals which have adapted to living in flooded conditions. The plants must be able to survive in a highly saturated area and still be able to take in the necessary nutrients. Many of these plants therefore have aerenchyma, channels within the stem that allow air to move from the leaves into the rooting zone. The aquatic species, from fish to salamanders, are...
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