– (Tom Belly/Strange World)
1) PAST WATER
The swamp is a biome consisting of an area of vegetation that is constantly flooded. The soil is impermeable, which makes this situation possible. Swamps occur, mainly, in places where rivers drain, and are reinforced by rains, which increase flooding. Marshes formed by marine waters, such as mangroves, are fed by rising tides
2) SUBMERGED DARKNESS
The waters that flow into the swamp bring various types of sediments: earth, microorganisms, vegetation and even garbage. This material accumulates at the bottom and forms a biomass called peat. Although most of it is submerged, there is also peat around the waters. It is often mined for fuel production, mainly in the UK.
3) DEATH LAYER
Plants are hydrophilic, that is, their roots are submerged. This part absorbs few nutrients: the amount of nitrogen, for example, is naturally low, and peat also stifles much of the oxygen (and water flow). These requirements greatly reduce species diversity. Another consequence of peat is that it encourages the rotting of vegetation.
4) TRAM OF ANIMALS
A varied fauna lives and feeds in the swamp. In those of North America (the most famous are in Louisiana), dragonflies and owls are quite common. In Brazil, in the Pantanal region, the highlights are the jaguar, the blue macaw and reptiles, such as the anaconda and the water snake. In the mangroves, which are usually located in coastal regions, the typical animal is the crab.
5) HELPING THE PLANET
In the fight against global warming, wetlands can be fundamental. According to scientists, they work to reduce CO2 emissions and can contribute to cutting about 100 million tons per year, one of the goals of the Kyoto Protocol. Although only 3% of the Earth’s surface is covered by the biome, it captures more carbon dioxide than all the world’s forests combined.
Pântano X Brejo
A common mistake, according to experts, is to consider swamps and swamps as the same thing. They are similar, but whereas swamps receive water from rivers and rain and are nutrient-poor, swamps are fed by mineral-rich groundwater.
The different swamps
Different locations around the globe have very specific types
1) Pantanal
two) Mangrove
3) Louisiana (USA)
4) Whitlaw Mosses (Scotland)
5) Vasyugan swamp (Russia)
6) Esteros Del Ibera (Argentina)
7) La Digue Swamps (Seychelles)
Reader Question – Kaique Rossoni, Colatina, ES