Swamps (Wetlands)
Ecosystem Project By: Makayla Hernandez
What is a Swamp Ecosystem?
What Are Some Interesting Facts About A Swamp?
- Swamps don't actually smell like rotting bodies as Hollywood Portrays, they actually don't smell like anything.
- Mosquitoes don't' like swamps. They like standing water, and in swamps the water is always moving.
- Alligators who inhabit the swamps of Louisiana will not attack you.(Unless you're dressed in a chicken suit)There quite docile creatures.
- Bayous and swamps run east to west, while rivers run north to south.
- Gumbo was traditionally made from things you could gether from a swamp.Like:bay leaves, wild rice, crawfish, or mudbugs, sassafras, okra (african swamps) and a farmed chicken or hog.
- Swamps clean water better than man-made filters. (I still wouldn't drink swamp water though)
What Are Facts About A Swamp?
Where Can You Find Swamps?
Swamps are usually found in warm temperate areas where there is fast vegetation growth. Swamps tend to be found in forested areas with trees that can survive in brackish ,or a mixture of saltwater and freshwater. Animals that usually live there include, but are not limited to various birds,insects,crabs and fish.
Are There Different Types Of Swamps?
- Conifer Swamps
- Hardwood Swamps
- Shrub Swamps
- Cypress Swamps
Conifer Swamp
- White Cedar
- Northern White Cedar
- Eastern Hemlock
- Eastern White Pine
- Pitch Pine
- Black Spruce
Hardwood Swamp
- Red Maple
- Black Willow
- Aspen
- CottonWood
- Ashes
- Elms
- Swamp White Oak
- Pin Oak
- Tupelo
- Birches
Shrub Swamp
- Button Wood
- Willow
- Alders
- Dogwood
Cypress Swamp
- Bald Cypress Trees
- Pond Cypress
- Black Gum
- Wax Myrtle
- Button Wood
What Are Some Biotic And Abiotic Factors In A Swamp?
- Trees
- Shrubs
- Lizards
- Florida Bonneted Bat
- Big Eared Bat
- Pipistrelle
- Florida Black Bear
- River Otter
- Florida Panther
- Florida Manatee
- White Ibis
- Florida Mud Turtle
- Spotted Turtle
- Little Blue Heron
- Coal Skink
- Chicken Turtle
Abiotic = Non-Living Organisms
- Water (Most are salt water some are Brackish)
- Rocks
- Soil
- Sun
- Temperature
- Oxygen
- Sand
- Salinity
FOOD WEB
FOOD WEB Pictures
Willow (Weeping Willow)
- Predator - NO
- Does It have any Predators - YES
- If so which - EarthWorms
ButtonWood Trees
- Predator - NO
- Does It have any Predators - YES
- If so which - Soil Fungi
DogWood
- Predator - NO
- Does It have any Predators - YES
- If so which - Beetles
ButtonBush
- Predator - NO
- Does it have any Predators - YES
- If so which - Bristle Worms
Earth Worm
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - YES
- If so which - Florida Bonneted Bat
Soil Fungi
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - YES
- If so which - Swamp Rabbits
Beetles
- Preadator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - YES
- If so which - Pipistrelle
Bristle Worms
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - YES
- If so which -
- If so which -
Florida Bonneted Bat
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - NO
- If so which - NONE
Swamp Rabbits
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - NO
- If so which - NONE
Pipistrelle
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - NO
- If so which - NONE
River Otters
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - MAYBE
- If so which - Green Anaconda, sometimes might feed on this animal
Green Anaconda
- Predator - YES
- Does it have any Predators - NO
- If so which - NONE
Water : Do we really need it?
Florida Panther (My Story)
Classification of a Florida Panther
Domain - Eukaryote
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Order - Carnivora
Family - Felidae
Genus - Puma
Species - P. concolor
This is a video of a Female Florida Panther and three cubs
What is the Human Impact on Swamp?
Swamps provide very important habitat for many creatures such as birds, rabbits, alligators and many more. Swamps are considered a wetland.The Audubon society says the remaining 100 million acres of wetlands in the continental U.S. are about the size of California. Alaska has an estimated 170 to 200 million acres, while Hawaii has 52,000 acres. Of the 100 million acres of wetlands remaining in the continental U.S., Florida has the most, with 11 million acres, Louisiana (8.8 million), Minnesota (8.7 million).
Human Impact:
Humans have impacted swamps by introducing non-native plants which have no natural control factor. The plants soon take over the swamp with massive negative impact.
A lot of wetland loss is attributable to agricultural activities, such as draining, diking and plowing of wetlands. Other human activities that lead to wetlands destruction include:
- Development projects, such as subdivisions, shopping malls and business parks
- Dikes and levees along rivers to divert flood waters
- Pollution
- Logging
- Mining
- Road construction
- Non-native invasive plants
- Grazing
Resources
- http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep7i.htm
- http://www.wildernesscollege.com/swamp-ecosystem.html
- http://a-z-animals.com/reference/swamps-and-wetland/
- http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/swamp.cfm
- https://prezi.com/ijfwjcq5uog0/florida-swamps-biotic-and-abiotic/
- http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/florida-panther.aspx
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdhWfdZ5TKs
- https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/wetlandextension/types/cypress.htm
- https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/greenswamp.html
- http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/giant-pythons-invade-florida-swamps-15495036
- http://www.audubon.org/campaign/wetland/destroy.html
- http://thegardenersrake.com/the-value-of-a-swamp
- http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/guide/swamps.html