Wetlands - Marshes, Swamps & Bogs

Life Science - Middle School

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Freshwater Wetlands: Marshes, Swamps and Bogs Freshwater marshes, swamps and bogs are found all over the world. Marshes form near ponds and lakes, growing reeds, grass, sedges and other soft-stemmed plants, like cattails (1), pickerelweed (2) and American bur-reed (3). Swamps have more water-tolerant trees like cedars (4) and tamaracks (5) and woody-stemmed shrubs. The growth can be so thick that it’s hard to walk through. Bogs begin as shallow ponds that slowly fill with rotting leaves and plants. Over time, mosses, ferns (6) and other plants grow, spreading out from the shore forming a thick mat. Under the mat there is little air and acids from plants build up. This slows decay so things that fall into a bog stay there for a long time. All that water makes for poor soil quality and plants like the sundew (7) and pitcher plant (8) adapt by catching insects for extra nutrients. Marshes, swamps and bogs are home to many animals including the very rare bog turtle (9). Osprey (10), wood ducks (11), teals (12), tree swallows (13), and night herons (14) find plentiful food and places to raise their young. Male red-winged blackbirds (15) guard their territory calling loudly and watching over the females nesting in the cattails. Fierce little shrews (16) hunt mice and voles twice their size, while mink (17) prey on small mammals, birds, frogs and crayfish. Newts (18) spend part of their lives in the water and part on land, and tiny spring peepers (19) gather in the greenery over the water every spring night to trill. As night falls, barred owls (20) and bobcat (21) hunt prey on the edge of the forest. 4 1 2 3 5 8 17 6 11 14 7 10 12 15 13 21 20 18 19 9 16 Sheri Amsel
94-4019 Sheri Amsel Freshwater Wetlands: Marshes, Swamps and Bogs 4 1 2 3 5 8 17 6 11 14 7 10 12 15 13 21 20 18 19 9 16 Freshwater marshes, swamps and bogs are found all over the world. All that water makes for poor soil quality, and plants like the sundew (7) and pitcher plant (8) adapt by catching insects for extra nutrients. Marshes, swamps and bogs are home to many animals including the very rare bog _______________________ (9). Osprey (10), wood ___________________ (11), teals (12), tree _______________________ (13) and night _______________________ (14) find plentiful food and places to raise their young. Male red-winged ________________________ (15) guard their territory calling loudly and watching over the females nesting in the cattails. Fierce little ________________________ (16) hunt mice and voles twice their size, while ________________________ (17) prey on small mammals, birds, frogs and crayfish. ________________________ (18) spend part of their lives in the water and part on land, and tiny spring ________________________ (19) gather in the greenery over the water every spring night to trill. As night falls, barred ___________________ (20) and ________________________ (21) hunt prey on the edge of the forest.