What is Marsh?
[[Image:Florida freshwater marshes usgov image.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Freshwater marsh in Florida]] In [[geography]], a '''marsh''' is a type of [[wetland]]. It has [[grass]]es, [[rush]]es, [[Reed (plant)|reeds]], [[typha]]s, [[sedge]]s, and other herbaceous [[plant]]s (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow [[water]]. A marsh is different from a [[swamp]], which has a greater proportion of open water surface, which is generally deeper than a marsh. In the US, the term 'swamp' is used for wetland dominated by trees rather than grasses and low herbs. [[Image:Pt Pelee Marsh Boardwalk.jpg|thumb|right|Marsh in Point Pelee, Ontario, [[Canada]]|250px]] The water of a marsh can be [[fresh water|fresh]], [[brackish]] or [[salinity|saline]]. Coastal marshes may be associated with [[Estuary|estuaries]] and along waterways between coastal [[barrier island]]s and the inner coast. Estuarine marshes often are based on soils consisting of sandy bottoms or [[bay mud]]s. Marshes are critically important wildlife [[habitat]], often serving as breeding grounds for a wide variety of [[animal]] life. ==Related pages== *[[Fen]] *[[Swamp]] *[[Ecoregion]] == Other websites == * [http://www.bcgov.net/bftlib/marshes.htm Marshes of the Lowcountry (South Carolina) -- Beaufort County Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928165452/http://www.bcgov.net/bftlib/marshes.htm |date=2007-09-28 }} [[Category:Wetlands]] {{sci-stub}}