What Is the Average Temperature of a Swamp?
The average temperature range of the world’s swamps is between 15 C and 35 C. Swamps fall into two categories: swamp forests and shrub swamps. Bogs are not true swamps because they are not forested, but they are often mislabeled as such.
Freshwater swamp forests lie along lakes and rivers in every continent except Antarctica. Some swamp forests are permanent, while others only appear during the rainy season. Shrub swamps contain more water than swamp forests, but not enough to qualify as marshland. These environments include shrubs and trees, with shrubs outnumbering the trees by a significant margin.
The California Academy of Sciences states that although swamps are found throughout the world and in diverse climate conditions, they are by definition very humid environments. Common wildlife denizens include freshwater fish, small crustaceans, frogs, snapping turtles, fish, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, snakes and aquatic birds. Swamps are also the habitat of thousands of insect species.
Swamps are also home to many endangered and ecologically important plants. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, mangrove swamps are a prime example. These are saltwater swamps located in coastal areas of every continent except Antarctica. Mangrove trees have immense, complex root systems that extend down into the deepest parts of the swamp. The roots shelter rare fish and aquatic plants, many of which are found only in mangrove swamps.
