Wetlands Ecology Terms

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Billabong

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Riparian WL periodically flooded by adjacent stream or river (Australian)

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Bog

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Peat-accumulating WL with no significant inflows or outflows and supports acidophilic mosses, Sphagnum

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Bottomland

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Lowland along streams and rivers, usually on alluvial floodplains, that is periodically flooded. When forested, called bottomland hardwood forest.

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Carr

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Forested WL with alders (Alnus) and willows (Salix). Cumnungi swamp- cattail (Typha) marsh in AUS.

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Dambo

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Seasonally water-logged and grass covered linear depression in headwater zone of rivers with no marked stream channel or woodland vegetation.

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Delta

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WL-river-upland complex located where a river forms distributaries as it merges with the sea

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Fen

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Peat-accumulating WL that receives some drainage from surrounding mineral soil and usually supports marshlike vegetation

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Lagoon

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Deepwater, enclosed, or partially opened aquatic system, especially in coastal delta regions

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Mangal

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Same as mangrove

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Mangrove

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Subtropical and tropical coastal ecosystem dominated by halophytic trees, shrubs, and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters; many tree and shrub species dominate

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Marsh

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Frequently or continually inundated WL characterized by emergent herbaceous veg. adapted to sat. soils

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Mire

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Any peat-accumulating WL

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Moor

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Peatland

Highmoor- raised bog

Lowmoor- peatland in basin or depression

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Muskeg

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Large expanse of peatlands or bogs. Canada and Alaska

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Oxbow

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Abandoned river channel, often developing into a swamp or marsh

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Pakihi

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Peatland in SW New Zealand dominated by sedges, rushes, ferns, and shrubs; form on terraces or plains of glacial or fluvial outwash origin, acid, infertile

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Peatland

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Any WL that accumulates partially decayed plant matter (peat)

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Playa

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Arid to semi-arid region WL with distinct wet and dry seasons; shallow depressional recharge WL in Great Plains of N.Am. formed by wind, wave, and dissolution

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Pocosin

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Peat-accumulating non-riparian freshwater WL with evergreen shrubs and trees on SE coastal plain of US

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Pothole

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Shallow, marsh-like pond; Dakotas and central Canada

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Raupo Swamp

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Cattail (Typha) marsh in New Zealand

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Reedmace Swamp

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Cattail (Typha) swamp in UK

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Reedswamp

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Marsh dominated by Phragmites (common reed), Europe

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Riparian Ecosystem

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Ecosystem with high water table because of proximity to aquatic ecosystem (river or stream)

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Salt Marsh

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Halophytic grassland on alluvial sediments bordering saline water bodies where water level fluctuates tidally or nontidally

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Sedge Meadow

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Shallow WL dominated by species of sedges (Carex, Scirpus, Cyperus)

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Slough

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Elongated swamp or shallow lake system, adjacent to a river or stream; slowly flowing shallow swamp or marsh in SE US

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Swamp

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WL dominated by trees or shrubs (US); forested fens and WL dominated by reed grass, Phragmites (EU)

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Tidal Freshwater Marsh

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Marsh along rivers and estuaries close to coastline and experience tides by nonsaline water; vegetation similar to nontidal freshwater marshes

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Turlough

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Areas seasonally flooded by karst groundwater with sufficient frequency and duration to produce WL characteristics; flood in winter, dry in summer, fill and empty through underwater passages

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Vernal Pool

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Shallow, intermittently flooded wet meadow, typical of Mediterranean climate with dry season for most of summer and fall

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Vleis

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Seasonal WL similar to dambo

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Wad (Wadden)

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Unvegetated tidal flat, northern Netherlands and NW German coastline; coastal areas

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Wet Meadow

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Grassland with waterlogged soil near surface but without standing water for most of year

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Wet Prairie

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Similar to marsh but with water levels usually intermediate between a marsh and wet meadow

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