Mish Mash Marsh EarthCache
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Most people use the words marshes and swamps interchangeably, but in fact they are two very different kinds of habitats.
A marsh is characterized by an abundance of reeds, rushes and cattails and is generally treeless and open. The plants grow with their stems partly in and partly out of the water. Marshes can be shallow (6" of water) or deep (2-3' of water). In the deeper marshes, pond weeds and water lilies float on the water. Marshes can be found along streams in poorly drained depressions and also develop in the shallower water along the borders of lakes, ponds and rivers..
A swamp is either completely or partially wooded with trees and shrubs. Swamp soils are a form of black muck and is generally saturated with some standing water which can be anywhere from 1" to a 1' or more deep. There are many different types of swamps, i.e., Cypress Swamps located in the south and characterized by protruding tree roots and Spanish moss; Shrub Swamps located in forested regions and characterized by low-growing thickets of evergreen and deciduous shrubs; Red Maple Swamps located in the Northern United States; Southern Bottomland Hardwood Swamps which are river swamps characterized by forests of gum, oak and bald cypress trees.
A wide variety of birds such as ducks, swans, terns, geese, herons and songbirds are found in marshes and swamps.
To log this Earthcache, answer the following questions and email them to me.
1) From the posted coordinates, it is possible to see an example of a swamp and a marsh. Give your opinion as to why one side has evolved into a swamp and the other into a marsh.
2) What are the differences between a marsh and a swamp?
3) What part do marshes and swamps play in the hydrological cycle?
4) Take a pH reading. If there is no water, then you will need to take a pinch of soil and dilute it in some fresh water. Then take a pH reading of that. The water needs to be fresh, but not necessarily sterile, purified or distilled. Tap water will do just fine. I’d encourage you to take some water and a small container to do this in with you, just in case. But if you forget, you can take a pinch of soil with you to do your testing. If you have one of them fancy soil pH testing kits, that’s okay as well. (Don’t feel bad if you don’t, neither do I.)
5) Optional Logging Requirement: Take a picture of yourself with the wetlands in the background.
Additional Hints
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