Marsh/swamp

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milan2003_07

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Jan 7, 2011
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Dear friends,

I'm trying to figure out the difference between "marsh" and "swamp" and have found some articles about this on the Internet:

What's the difference?: Wetland vs. marsh vs. swamp

Wetlands link land and water, creating a crucial habitat with many important roles.
www.reconnectwithnature.org www.reconnectwithnature.org
www.americanoceans.org

What's the Difference Between a Marsh and a Swamp? - American Oceans

Check out this guide to learn the differences and similarities between marshes and swamps. Some people confuse the terms, so let's clear things up!
www.americanoceans.org www.americanoceans.org

I've discovered the fact that swamps do have many more trees and water is among the trees, while marshes don't normally have as many trees and have predominantly shrubs and small trees. Thus, swamps are predominantly forested and are extremely wooded areas. The species that live in swamps and marshes are also different. Marshes are mostly inhabitated by deer, racoons, snakes, and fish whereas on swamps we can find bobcats, beavers, racoons, etc.

I would like to ask you how You use "swamps" and "marshes" in your everyday speech. Maybe your perception will be (slightly) different from those the web-sites provide.

P.S. I have recently come across the collocations "swamp gas" and "marsh gas" and first supposed that they meant the same, just a kind of unnecessary repetition. However, I now see there is the difference between the two.
 
We don't generally use those words in our everyday speech unless we happen to live or work near one. And if we do live or work near one, it's likely that we'll use the same word as conservationists would use.
 
jutfrank said:
We don't generally use those words in our everyday speech unless we happen to live or work near one. And if we do live or work near one, it's likely that we'll use the same word as conservationists would use.
Click to expand...
OK, I see. Do you agree with the definitions provided by the links above?
 
It would be very unusual for us to disagree with a definition given by an expert group such as those you posted links to.
 
I think a swamp is more likely to be navigable. That is the water is deep enough that you can put your canoe in the water and paddle from one place to another. But what do I know? 😊
 
All I know is that there is one that straddles Virgina and North Carolina called The Great Dismal Swamp, which is the perfect name for one.
 
I've also heard about swamps/marshes in Florida and I've seen a documentary film on that with scientists at the head of the program. I remember that those swamps/marshes were inhabited by some reptiles like snakes, crocodiles, insects, and other animals.

Also, my countryside place is located not very far from Moscow and while I was walking from the train station to the destination, I would always come across a swamp. It had quite a few trees and water surrounding the trees as well, and that swamp seemed to me quite impassable. The only way to get through the swamp was to wear tall boots and trousers and probably have something protecting you against mosquitoes and other unpleasant insects.

Marsh is also associated to me with a place where you can pick berries like cranberry or cowberry and the place called "marsh" must have low shrubs and maybe some trees, but not too many. I've been to such a marsh several times. I remember collecting berries there with my parents. Probably a marsh is also the place with quicksand where people can drown or have difficulty passing that marsh.
 
I would agree with the definitions given. In upland areas where soft wet ground is due to an underlying layer of peat, we would use the word "bog".

The photo below is of Leigh Marshes on the River Thames.
 

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PeterCW said:
I would agree with the definitions given. In upland areas where soft wet ground is due to an underlying layer of peat, we would use the word "bog".

The photo below is of Leigh Marshes on the River Thames.
Click to expand...

Am I right that the word "bog" is used in contexts when the underlying layer of wet ground is peat? Pictures that I've just found on the Intenet (google pics) seem to confirm that "bog" is similar to "marsh".

Here are some pictures mentioned above:



 
I'm sure there is some overlap. All of them are wetlands.
 
milan2003_07 said:
Am I right that the word "bog" is used in contexts when the underlying layer of wet ground is peat? Pictures that I've just found on the Intenet (google pics) seem to confirm that "bog" is similar to "marsh".

Here are some pictures mentioned above:



Click to expand...
Sorry, I should have made it clearer that I was referring to usage within the British Isles.
 
The key distinction for me is that swamps have trees. Marshes typically just have grasses, albeit sometimes very tall grass.

I think that's also what all the roundabout distinctions listed in the OP boil down to as well.
 
Skrej said:
The key distinction for me is that swamps have trees. Marshes typically just have grasses, albeit sometimes very tall grass.

I think that's also what all the roundabout distinctions listed in the OP boil down to as well.
Click to expand...
I've also figured out that swamps have trees unlike marshes that have grasses. As a learner, I agree this is the key difference and I've also learnt it from the articles provided above. Thanks!
 
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