Swamps of Mobius (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

A swamp on Mobius is a forested wetland. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in creating this environment. Swamps vary in size and are located all around the world. The water of a swamp may be fresh water, brackish water, or seawater. Freshwater swamps form along large rivers or lakes where they are critically dependent upon rainwater and seasonal flooding to maintain natural water level fluctuations. Saltwater swamps are found along tropical and subtropical coastlines. Some swamps have hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodic inundation or soil saturation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp forests and "transitional" or shrub swamps. In the boreal regions, the word swamp is colloquially used for what is more correctly termed a bog, fen, or muskeg. Some of the world's largest swamps are found along major rivers on Mobius.
==Differences between marshes and swamps on Mobius==
Swamps (such as Megakat Swamp) and marshes (such as the Marsh of Melador) are specific types of wetlands that form along waterbodies containing rich, hydric soils. Marshes are wetlands, continually or frequently flooded by nearby running bodies of water, that are dominated by emergent soft-stem vegetation and herbaceous plants. Swamps are wetlands consisting of saturated soils or standing water and are dominated by water-tolerant woody vegetation such as shrubs, bushes, and trees.
==Hydrology==
Swamps are characterized by their saturated soils and slow-moving waters. The water that accumulates in swamps comes from a variety of sources including precipitation, groundwater, tides and/or freshwater flooding. These hydrologic pathways all contribute to how energy and nutrients flow in and out of the ecosystem. As water flows through the swamp, nutrients, sediment and pollutants are naturally filtered out. Chemicals like phosphorus and nitrogen that end up in our waterways get absorbed and used by the aquatic plants within the swamp, purifying the water. Any remaining or excess chemicals present will accumulate at the bottom of the swamp, being removed from the water and buried within the sediment. The biogeochemical environment of a swamp is dependent on its hydrology, affecting the levels and availability of resources like oxygen, nutrients, water pH and toxicity, which will influence the whole ecosystem.
==Values and ecosystem services==
Swamps and other wetlands on Mobius have traditionally held a very low property value compared to fields, prairies, or woodlands on the planet. They have a reputation for being unproductive land that cannot easily be utilized for human activities, other than hunting, trapping, or fishing. Farmers, for example, typically drained swamps next to their fields so as to gain more land usable for planting crops, both historically, and to a lesser extent, presently. On the other hand, swamps can (and do) play a beneficial ecological role in the overall functions of the natural environment and provide a variety of resources that many species (such as Mobians) depend on. Swamps and other wetlands have shown to be a natural form of flood management and defense against flooding. In such circumstances where flooding does occur, swamps absorb and use the excess water within the wetland, preventing it from traveling and flooding surrounding areas. Dense vegetation within the swamp also provides soil stability to the land, holding soils and sediment in place whilst preventing erosion and land loss. Swamps are an abundant and valuable source of fresh water and oxygen for all life on Mobius, and they are often breeding grounds for a wide variety of species. Floodplain swamps are an important resource in the production and distribution of non-anthropmorphic fish. Two thirds of global fish and shellfish are commercially harvested and dependent on wetlands.
==Impacts==
Historically, Mobians have been known to drain and/or fill swamps and other wetlands in order to create more space for development and to reduce the threat of diseases borne by swamp insects. Wetlands are removed and replaced with land that is then used for things like agriculture, real estate, and recreational uses. Many swamps have also undergone intensive logging and farming, requiring the construction of drainage ditches and canals. These ditches and canals contributed to drainage and, along the coast, allowed salt water to intrude, converting swamps to marsh or even to open water.
==Notable examples==
Swamps can be found on all continents on Mobius except Arctika. Notable swamps injclude the Dark Swamp and Great Swamp.
The largest swamp in the world is the Crystal River floodplain, which is particularly significant for its large number of fish and tree species.
==Trivia==
*King Sonic has a strong aversion to swamps (as he hates getting bug bites). He often orders his servants to pack him an extra amount of bug spray.
*Swamp Thing and Solomon Grundy have their origin stories located in swamps.
Category:AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot
Category:Swamps
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