Swamps

---

What's on this page
Where Swamps are Found
Swamp Characteristics
Vegetation
Wildlife

Swamps ;

• Are composed of coniferous or deciduous forest or tall thickets
• May be flooded for long periods of time or just seasonally
• Are productive and nutrient-rich

Where are Swamps Found?

Swamps are most common in temperate areas of Canada.

Muskoka Heritage Areas classified as having a swamp:
Axe Lake Peatland * Bala Bog Big East River Delta * Bruce Lake Marshes * Concession Lake Cooper's Pond Dwight Conifer Peat Forest	Ellison Bay Wetland * Fawn Lake Wetland * Jevins Lake * Lewisham Wetland * Loon Lake Wetland * Lost Channel	McLean Bay Wetland * Morrison Lake Wetland * Novar Conifer Peat Forest * Port Cunnington Wetland Shack Creek Wetland * Spring Creek Wetland Waddis Creek Marsh
* Are also classified as being provincially significant wetlands

Swamp Characteristics

A swamp has open surface water. They are associated with rivers, lakes and waterways. They are not as wet as marshes or fens, however they still hold a significant amount of water during dry seasons. Swamps are nutrient-rich and productive.

Vegetation in a Swamp

Trees common in northern swamps
Red & Silver maple
Alder
Cedar
Hemlock
Dogwood
Willow

     

Swamps often have open surface water, and so trees and large shrubs need to be tolerant of these conditions. The soils are constantly wet and it is the aerated (or partly aerated) soils above the water that is available for root growth.

Coniferous or deciduous forest or tall thickets are common types of swamps found in Muskoka.

Wildlife Inhabitants in a Swamp

Swamps are very productive habitats and home to a wide variety or species.

    Snakes are at home in a swamp because of their amazing ability to swim. Dead and fallen trees found in swamps provide habitat for an abundance of wildlife. Woodpeckers look for insects in the rotting wood and make their new home in a soft tree trunk, while ducks and Great blue herons build their nest around the trees.

Go Back