“What’s in a name?” asked Shakespeare. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” A swamp by any other name, however, is simply not a swamp.
There are many kinds of wetlands, and each goes by a different name. Some are saltwater, some are freshwater. Some are fed by the ocean, some by rivers or lakes, and some only by rainfall or snowmelt. The three basic types—marshes, swamps, and bogs—are characterized by different types of vegetation. Marshes consist mainly of grasses. Swamps have trees and bushes. Bogs are dominated by sphagnum moss. Put on your hip waders and join Kids Discover for a whirlwind tour of different kinds of wetlands.
