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— Wetlands —

Wetlands are commonly split into two categories: coastal wetlands and inland freshwater wetlands. Coastal wetlands include: tidal freshwater marshes; tidal salt marshes and mangrove wetlands. Inland wetlands include: inland freshwater marshes; deepwater swamps; riparian wetlands and peatlands. To see illustrated examples of wetlands, click on the adjacent picture.

Coastal wetlands are influenced by the constantly changing conditions of tide and weather. Salinity, depth of the water, and temperature help to determine which type of wetland develops in coastal areas.

Tidal freshwater marshes develop inland from the salty part of an estuary (where the mouth of a river meets the sea). They are influenced by the tides but are dominated by freshwater from rivers or precipitation.

Tidal saltwater marshes develop where there is adequate protection from waves and storms. Salt marshes can range from narrow fringes lining steep shorelines to expanses of vegetation which stretch for several kilometers. The plants, animals, and microbes which live in these areas have adapted to periodic submersion in sea water. Large extent of tidal salt marshes are found along the Gulf Coast of northern Florida.

Salt marshes are replaced by mangrove wetlands in tropical and subtropical regions. Mangroves are trees which are specially adapted to live in salt water. In the United States, mangrove wetlands are found only in southern Florida. Florida's 2,700 km2 (1,000 miles2) of mangrove wetlands contain red, black, and white mangrove species.

Marshes, swamps, and bogs are the most common types of inland freshwater wetlands. Hydrology (the distribution of water), geology, and plant species help to determine the nature of the inland wetland.

Freshwater marsh is a generic term for a wetland generally characterized by a shallow water level, shallow peat deposits and the presence of emergent, soft stemmed aquatic plants. A diverse group of wetlands make up freshwater marshes. They are found as fringes around lakes, ponds, slow moving streams and rivers, and in isolated basins. Some marshes, can be less than a hectare (half an acre) in size, whereas the largest and perhaps most famous marsh in the United States, the Everglades, covers 10,360 km2 (4,000 miles2).

Deepwater swamps are freshwater, woody environments with standing water for most or all of the growing season. Swamps often form along the edges of lakes.  Swamps are dominated by species of trees capable of living in saturated conditions such as  bald cypress.

Riparian wetlands are found along rivers and streams. They are subject to occasional floods but are usually dry for portions of the growing season. Riparian ecosystems in the southeastern U.S. are often called bottomland hardwood forests.  Riparian wetlands are open systems. Nutrients from the surrounding landscape pass through riparian systems in greater amounts than those of any other wetland ecosystem. The result is riparian wetlands are generally more productive than the adjacent upslope ecosystems.

Peatlands is a general term for any wetland which collects partially decomposed plant material. The Pocosins, an Algonquin phrase for "swamp on a hill", are evergreen shrub bogs found in northern Florida.  In most wetlands, plant matter is decomposed by bacteria and fungi and the nutrients are recycled among the living organisms. However, in some wetlands waterlogged soils, low temperatures or acidic conditions slow the rate of decay. Peat is formed as dead vegetation piles up and is slowly compressed.

—  Wetland Pictures —

Black mangroves, John D. McArthur Park

West Jupiter wetlands

St. Lucie West

Flintpen Strand

Wet prairie/pine Flatwoods

Sources:  South Florida Water Management District; Aquatic and Wetland Plant Information Retrieval System, University of Florida