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[[File:Pantanal.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Pantanal, world's largest [[wetland]]]]
[[File:Pantanal.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Pantanal]], world's largest [[wetland]]]]
[[File:Beauty of Sundarban river02.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Sunderbans]], India & Bangladesh]]
[[File:Florida freshwater swamp usgov image.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Everglades]], Florida.]]
A '''swamp''' is part of a wetland [[ecosystem]]. Swamps are forested, low, spongy land generally saturated with water and covered with trees and aquatic plants.<ref>[http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/glossary.html Swamp] (from glossary webpage of the [[United States Geological Survey]])</ref> Big parts of swamps are often flooded with water. Swamps are nesting and [[breeding]] grounds for [[bird]]s and other [[animal]]s.
A '''swamp''' is a type of [[wetland]] [[ecosystem]]. Swamps are forested, low, spongy land generally saturated with water and covered with trees and aquatic plants.<ref>[http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/glossary.html Swamp] (from glossary webpage of the [[United States Geological Survey]])</ref> Big parts of swamps are often flooded with water. Swamps are nesting and [[breeding]] grounds for [[bird]]s and other [[animal]]s.
The water of a swamp may be [[fresh water]], [[brackish water]], or [[seawater]]. [[Freshwater]] swamps form along large rivers or lakes.<ref name="Hughes, F.M.R. 2003">Hughes, F.M.R. (ed.). 2003. The Flooded Forest: Guidance for policy makers and river managers in Europe on the restoration of floodplain forests. FLOBAR2, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 96 p.</ref> [[Saltwater]] swamps are found along tropical and subtropical coastlines.
About 6 percent of Earth's surface is covered by swamps. Swamps are also [[filter]]s for [[groundwater]], and protect against [[flooding]]. Swamps are one of the key wetland areas which are protected by the international agency [[Ramsar]].
About 6 percent of Earth's surface is covered by swamps. Swamps are also [[filter]]s for [[groundwater]], and protect against [[flooding]]. Swamps are one of the key wetland areas which are protected by the international agency [[Ramsar]].
Some well-known swamps are:
Some well-known swamps are:
* The [[Pantanal]] which is the world's biggest wetland and covers an area of 140,000 square kilometers, which is bigger than the area covered by the country [[Greece]]. The Panatal is in [[South America]]. It is shared by [[Brazil]], [[Bolivia]] and [[Paraguay]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ramsar.org/wwd/7/wwd2007_rpts_germany_gnf.htm|title = Pantanal in South America declared ”Threatened Lake of the Year 2007“|publisher = Ramsar Convention Secretariat|date = february 2007|accessdate = 2008-10-24}}</ref>
* The [[Pantanal]] is the world's biggest wetland. It covers an area of 140,000 square kilometers, bigger than the area covered by the country [[Greece]]. The Panatal is in [[South America]]. It is shared by [[Brazil]], [[Bolivia]] and [[Paraguay]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ramsar.org/wwd/7/wwd2007_rpts_germany_gnf.htm|title = Pantanal in South America declared ”Threatened Lake of the Year 2007“|publisher = Ramsar Convention Secretariat|date = February 2007|accessdate = 2008-10-24}}</ref>
* The [[Everglades]]
* The [[Everglades]]
* The [[Okefenokee]]
* The [[Okefenokee]]
* The [[Wadden sea]]
* The [[Sundarbans]]
[[Peat]] accumulates in these swamps. Some of the world's largest swamps are found along major rivers such as the [[Amazon River|Amazon]], the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]], and the [[Congo River|Congo]].<ref>Keddy, P.A., L.H. Fraser, A.I. Solomeshch, W.J. Junk, D.R. Campbell, M.T.K. Arroyo and C.J.R. Alho. 2009. Wet and wonderful: the world's largest wetlands are conservation priorities. BioScience 59: 39–51.</ref>
== References ==
== References ==