What are marshes

Marshes are those mixed ecosystems with high levels of humidity that are inhabited, for the most part, by herbaceous plants that grow on and under the surface of the water. Marshes can be both saltwater and freshwater, so they can be formed by seas or rivers; hence, most of them have brackish water (that mixed by both) and are generally located near the coast. You can discover more information about What is a mixed ecosystem in this other AgroCorrn article.

The marshes are very important both ecologically (for their rich fauna and flora) and on a human level, since they are used for cultivation. That is why marshes are one of the most protected and admired ecosystems in the world.

Marshes characteristics

• They are irregular territories where water is deposited from the movement of the sea or the mouth of rivers.
• They are an area that is located between the mainland and the sea, as is the case with other ecosystems such as estuaries and inlets.
• Its climate is humid, so it is very conducive to the development of numerous plant and animal species.
• Marshes are useful places to carry out various types of agricultural and cultivation activities due to their high degree of fertility.
• They tend to have very little relief. In fact, they rarely exceed 10 meters and are almost always at sea level.
• Sometimes you can barely see the water, since it is covered by vegetation.
• One of the functions of marshes is to absorb storm surges to reduce the risk of flooding. In addition, they are also responsible for trapping sediment, so they also function as a natural filter against pollution.

Due to the particularity of this type of ecosystems, few plant species are really prepared to overcome brackish water conditions. Most of these hardy and typical marsh plants are called halophytic plants . These come to withstand salt concentrations of up to 10%, which prevents the growth of other non-native plants.

However, in general, we can highlight four large groups or formations of marsh vegetation: the seagrass beds, the espartinales, the succulent communities and the shrub halophilic communities. Among them are well-known plants, such as the black juniper, the mastic, the rockrose or the rosemary. Next, we will see some species more typical of this ecosystem:

• Althaea officinalis L . o Common marshmallow
• Apium graveolens L. or Common Celery
• Aster tripolium L. or Tripolio
• Bolboschoenus maritimus or Marine Cirpus
• Cochlearia aestuaria or Spoon grass
• Cotula coronopifolia L. or Cat’s claw
• Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn or Albarrana onion
• Hydrocotyle vulgaris L. or Water Cap
• Juncus maritimus or Maritime Junco
• Limoniastrum monopetalum or Dried purslane

Depending on the area where the marshes are, we will see different types of animals, from mammals to amphibians or invertebrates. The animals most present in these ecosystems, however, are birds. Many migratory species use the marshes to nest or regain strength during the trip, so it is common to see different types of birds in these marshy areas. The most common birds in these ecosystems are:

• Seagulls
• Common heron
• Gray heron
• Storks
• Harrier
• Fishing eagle

We can also find different types of invertebrates such as crabs, clams, mussels and snails. On the other hand, the most representative mammals in these areas are mice, rats, rabbits, wild boar, deer, lynx and even raccoons. It is also common to see fish such as salmon, barbel, sole and aligote.

Besides, it is not at all strange to find cattle in the marshes ; horses, cows, sheep and goats that feed on the plants of these lands. Many farmers use marshes as a means of raising their livestock naturally, usually in order to obtain better results.

If you want to know more details about the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem: what it is and differences , do not hesitate to visit this other article.