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Continent

Species

Plains bison, black-footed ferret, pronghorn, greater sage-grouse, mountain plover, swift fox

Two hundred years ago bison, pronghorn, black-footed ferrets, and a diverse array of grassland birds thrived across the Northern Great Plains. While mapping and exploring the region, Lewis and Clark were awestruck, noting the "immence [sic] herds of Buffaloe [sic] deer Elk and Antelopes which we saw in every direction feeding on the hills and plains."

The diverse wildlife that roamed these vast grasslands are not lost. They still call this place home, but their calls are muted and tracks and nests less abundant. WWF is working to restore this living prairie in the heart of North America. At the crux of our vision is a mosaic of private, public and tribal lands managed in a manner that benefits wildlife and local communities. We work with the ranching community, public agencies, tribal nations and other conservation partners to ensure that the richness of the prairie ecosystem is sustained and enhanced for future generations to enjoy.

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Continent Species Plains bison, black-footed ferret, pronghorn, greater sage-grouse, mountain plover, swift fox Two hundred years ago bison, pronghorn, black-footed ferrets, and a diverse array of grassland birds thrived across the Northern Great Plains.

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Amazing Ways to Live in the Desert!

jessica.garcia on February 28 2018

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SafeShare.tv - Amazing Ways to Live in the Desert!...

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Life in a desert can be tough, but the plants, animals, and people that live there have some special skills to help them survive! ---------- Love SciShow Kids and want to help support it? Become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishowkids ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?

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Explore the Rainforest!

jessica.garcia on February 28 2018

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SafeShare.tv - Explore the Rainforest!...

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It's raining where Jessi and Squeaks live, so they decided to bust out some books and read up on a special kind of forest where it rains almost every day! ---------- Love SciShow Kids and want to help support it? Become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishowkids ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?

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Let's Learn the Ocean Zones!

jessica.garcia on February 28 2018

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SafeShare.tv - Let's Learn the Ocean Zones!...

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Learn about the three ocean zones with our ocean experts, Dr. Irene Stanella and her lab assistants Wyatt and Ned! ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids?

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How do Whales, Penguins, and Polar Bears Keep Warm?

jessica.garcia on February 28 2018

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SafeShare.tv - How do Whales, Penguins, and Polar Bears...

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Have you ever wondered how animals can live in super cold places all the time? Jessi shows you how some cool animals like whales, polar bears, and penguins, keep warm! ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids?

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Rain forests are lush, warm, wet habitats. Trees in the rain forest grow very tall because they have to compete with other plants for sunlight. Kapok trees, which are found in tropical rain forests around the world, can grow to 200 feet. The tallest trees spread their branches and leaves blocking the light from the trees below, and creating a canopy over the forest. When one of the big trees dies and falls, the opening lets in more sunlight so that a smaller tree can grow and take its place.

The rain forest has four layers. The emergent layer is made up of the very tallest trees that rise higher than the rest of the forest. In the next layer, the canopy, the leaves and branches of the trees all touch one another or are connected by vines. Most animals in the rain forest live in the canopy. The layer below the canopy is called the understory. Small trees and plants that do not need much light grow here. The last layer is the forest floor where only a few plants grow because it's so dark.

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A beam of sunlight makes its way through the leaves and lights up the brightly colored wings of a macaw. An enormous butterfly flits from plant to plant. Monkeys shout and chatter as they swing from tree to tree looking for breakfast. The rain forest is waking up.

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It's cold at the poles. In the Arctic, the average winter temperature is about around minus 22°F. At the South Pole, it is even colder. The lowest temperature ever recorded-minus 129°F-was in Antarctica.

Even though it's chilly in polar regions, they do have seasons-well, two seasons: summer and winter. In the summer, the sun shines 24 hours a day, but it never gets high enough above the horizon to warm things up, so even summers are pretty cold. It's dark all winter at the poles, because the sun doesn't rise during those months of the year. Fierce continuous winds make it feel even colder.

You'll see plenty of snow at the poles, but little rain. Antarctica and parts of the Arctic are actually considered deserts because of the lack of rainfall.

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Polar habitats cover the top and bottom of planet Earth at the North and South Poles. The North Pole is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean. There isn't any land here, just a group of continually shifting ice sheets. Parts of Canada and Greenland are near the North Pole.

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Watery Habitats

Temperature, ocean depth, and distance from the shore determine the types of plants and animals living in an area of the ocean. These regions are called habitats.

Coral reefs are one type of habitat. When tiny animals called polyps die, their skeletons harden so other polyps can live on top of them. Then those polyps die, and more move in. After thousands of years, this becomes a complex structure called a coral reef that provides food and shelter for many kinds of ocean animals. In fact, corals reefs have been called the rainforests of the sea because of the wide variety of animals found there. Animals such as seahorses, clownfish, and sea turtles all live on coral reefs. And corals themselves are animals! They grab food from the water using tiny tentacle-like arms.

Kelp forests found along the coastlines of the Pacific and Antarctic Oceans also provide food and shelter for marine life. These large, brown, rubbery plants have hollow, globe-shaped growths on the leaves called pneumatocysts that help the plants rise to the surface. Sea lions, whales, shore birds, and other ocean animals make meals of the smaller critters that hide in the leaves.

Other ocean habitats aren't actually in the ocean, such as estuaries. Estuaries are areas where rivers and oceans meet and have a mix of saltwater and freshwater. Oysters, crabs, and many birds like great herons and egrets live in estuaries.

Scientists estimate that we've only explored 5 percent of the ocean. Maybe you'll be the next person to discover a new species of fish or a deeper underwater trench!

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Watery Habitats Temperature, ocean depth, and distance from the shore determine the types of plants and animals living in an area of the ocean. These regions are called habitats. Coral reefs are one type of habitat. When tiny animals called polyps die, their skeletons harden so other polyps can live on top of them.

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It may seem like nothing can live in a desert because it's so dry. But most deserts are full of life, with plants and animals that have adapted to survive without much water. Some plants, like cacti, store enough water in their stems to last until the next rain. Other plants, like mesquite grass, have very small leaves that curl up in the daytime to conserve the water they have. Some desert plants sprout and bloom only when it rains.

Desert animals also have adaptations that help them survive without much water. Kangaroo rats in the Sonoran Desert get water from the seeds they eat. Some carnivores, such as desert foxes, get enough liquid from their prey.

Another trick? Most desert animals stay underground or beneath shady rocks during the day. Many of them come out to hunt for food at night, when it's cool.

If you plan to explore a desert, be sure to pack water, sunscreen, and protective clothing. After all, you're not a kangaroo rat!
Text by Avery Hurt

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It may seem like nothing can live in a desert because it's so dry. But most deserts are full of life, with plants and animals that have adapted to survive without much water. Some plants, like cacti, store enough water in their stems to last until the next rain.

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A swamp is an area of land permanently saturated, or filled, with water. Many swamps are even covered by water. There are two main types of swamps: freshwater swamps and saltwater swamps.

Swamps are dominated by trees. They are often named for the type of trees that grow in them, such as cypress swamps or hardwood swamps. Freshwater swamps are commonly found inland, while saltwater swamps are usually found along coastal areas. Swamps are transition areas. They are neither totally land nor totally water.

Swamps exist in many kinds of climates and on every continent except Antarctica. They vary in size from isolated prairie potholes to huge coastal salt marshes. Some swamps are flooded woodlands. Some are former lakes or ponds overtaken by trees and shrubs.

Freshwater Swamps

Freshwater swamps form around lakes and streams. Rain and seasonal flooding cause water levels to fluctuate. In the wet soil, water-tolerant vegetation grows and helps maintain a moist, swampy condition.

In many freshwater swamps in the southeastern United States, cypress and tupelo trees grow. Spanish moss may hang from the branches, and tiny plants called duckweed may cover the waters surface. Shrubs and bushes may grow beneath the trees. Sometimes poking as much as 4 meters (13 feet) above the water are angular knobs called cypress knees. They are outgrowths of the trees' root systems.

Alligators, frogs, and many other animals live in these swamps. These animals are adapted to fluctuating water levels. The shadowy tree root system and cypress knobs provide a rich, sheltered habitat for nesting birds, as well as fish, amphibians and reptiles.

The freshwater swamps between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the Middle East are so rich in biodiversity that the area is called the "Fertile Crescent." The abundant wildlife, agricultural opportunities, and ability for communication and trade fostered human technological development. The Fertile Crescent is recognized as the birthplace of civilization and the site of the first cities. The earliest recorded written language and the first recorded use of the wheel occurred around these swamps.

The Everglades, in Florida, is one of the largest swamp complexes in the United States. Called the "River of Grass," this freshwater swamp is actually a wide, slow-moving river flowing from the Kissimmee River near Orlando to the Straits of Florida. The Everglades is 97 kilometers (60 miles) wide and 160 kilometers (100 miles) long. A rich collection of wildlife, from alligators to panthers, calls this freshwater swamp home.

Saltwater Swamps

Saltwater swamps form on tropical coastlines. Formation of these swamps begins with bare flats of mud and sand that are thinly covered by seawater during high tides. Plants that are able to tolerate tidal flooding, such as mangrove trees, begin to grow and soon form thickets of roots and branches. Mangrove trees often grow on tall, thin roots. The roots anchor sand and other sediments. The growth and decay of the roots increase the accumulation of soil.

Among these mangroves live animals that feed on fallen leaves and other material. Crabs, conchs, and other shellfish are abundant in mangrove swamps. The swamps are also home to a huge variety of birds, whose droppings help fertilize the swamp.

Because the young of many marine animals find food and shelter in saltwater swamps, these wetlands are sometimes called the nurseries of the ocean. Many ocean species enter coastal wetlands to spawn. Fish swim into salt marshes to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the young find plenty of food and some protection in swamp grasses or among tree roots. Other species spawn in the ocean, and the young swim into the wetlands and live there until they mature.

People and swamps

Swamps are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They act like giant sponges or reservoirs. When heavy rains cause flooding, swamps and other wetlands absorb excess water, moderating the effects of flooding. Swamps also protect coastal areas from storm surges that can wash away fragile coastline. Saltwater swamps and tidal salt marshes help anchor coastal soil and sand.

The swamp ecosystem also acts as a water treatment plant, filtering wastes and purifying water naturally. When excess nitrogen and other chemicals wash into swamps, plants there absorb and use the chemicals. Many of these chemicals come from human activities such as agriculture, where fertilizers use nitrogen and phosphorus. Factories, water treatment plants, and homes also contribute to runoff. Chemicals not absorbed by plants slowly sink to the bottom and are buried in sand and sediment.

For most of history, wetlands were looked upon as wastelands, and as homes for insect pests such as mosquitoes. (Swamps are home to a wide variety of insects, which feed on the wide variety of plants.) People thought swamps were sinister and forbidding.

In the United States, filling or draining swamps was an accepted practice. Almost half of U.S. wetlands were destroyed before environmental protections were enacted during the 1970s. Most of the Everglades have been reclaimed as agricultural land, mostly sugar plantations. Draining swampland also created valuable real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Federal and state authorities drained much of the wetlands at the delta of the Mississippi River in Louisiana as part of a massive system of river management. When Hurricane Katrina blew in from the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, the spongy swamp that traditionally protected the city of New Orleans from destructive weather patterns was diminished. The city was hit full force with a Category 3 hurricane.

Eradicating swampland also threatens economic activity. Two-thirds of the fish and shellfish that are commercially harvested worldwide are linked with wetlands. From Brazils varzeas, or freshwater swamps surrounding the Amazon River, to saltwater swamps near the Florida Keys, commercially valuable fish species that depend on wetlands are threatened with extinction.

In the early 1970s, governments began enacting laws recognizing the enormous value of swamps and other wetlands. In some parts of the United States, it is now against the law to alter or destroy swamps. Through management plans and stricter laws, people are trying to protect remaining swamps and to re-create them in areas where they have been destroyed.

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A swamp is an area of land permanently saturated, or filled, with water. Many swamps are even covered by water. There are two main types of swamps: freshwater swamps and saltwater swamps. Swamps are dominated by trees. They are often named for the type of trees that grow in them, such as cypress swamps or hardwood swamps.

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Any type of swamp ecosystem is an amazing place to visit and explore. These ecosystems are diverse in flora and fauna and around the world many have been home to hunter-gatherer peoples for thousands of years. Swamps are low-elevation fresh, brackish or salt-water wetlands that are dominated by woody plants such as shrubs or trees. Swamps are often associated with rivers and streams, and can be seasonally flooded bringing additional nutrients and allowing animals and plants to disperse. Swamps often include higher and drier areas of land known as "hummocks."

Swamp Ecosystems:
Where are swamps found?

Swamp ecosystems are found on all continents of the world except for Antarctica. Some of the most famous are the Okavango Delta in Africa, the Sundarbans in India or the Everglades in the USA. In general, the most extensive areas of swamp in the USA are found in the Southeast. These lands traditionally have been home to the Caddo Nation, Seminole, and Muscogee peoples. The swamp ecosystem produced for all of the survival needs for these peoples. More recently, the Cajun culture that has become established especially in southern Louisiana is based in living in and utilizing swamps for sustenance.

Swamp ecosystem can be a challenging place to survive, but they can also be very productive. Let's look at the swamps of the southeastern USA. One of the major survival challenges in swamps is staying dry. The abundance of water can also make travel challenging, which is why in many parts of the world where people are found living in and around large wetland areas they rely on boats to take care of their survival needs.

Swamps often have an abundance of fish and turtles as well as a variety of wading birds and waterfowl in southeastern the swamp ecosystem. In addition, raccoons, opossums, muskrats, beavers, nutria, swamp rabbits and alligators can also be found there. All of these animals can be seen a potential source of survival food. One of the best known sources of protein in swamplands of the southeast are the abundant species of crayfish (also called "crawfish", "crawdads" and "mudbugs").

Swamp hazards

Alligators are also one of the main hazards of the swamp ecosystem, and large ones can be dangerous especially during the breeding season when they are most active and potentially most aggressive.

The southeastern USA swamps are also home to variety of snakes, including a few venomous ones such as the pygmy, eastern diamondback and timber rattlesnakes, water moccasin or cottonmouth and the eastern coral snake. Though a majority of snakes in the southeastern swamplands are non-venomous, those species mentioned here should be avoided and not handled or otherwise molested. A bite from one of them is a potentially fatal experience.

The fluctuating levels of water in a swampland can itself be both a blessing and a challenge, and permanent structures in such landscapes must be able to adapt to such changes. In some parts of the world, people who lived in or near swamplands approach the problem in different ways. Some built their structures on very tall stilts which kept the structure from being drowned by rising waters. Others adapted by having their structures on floating platforms or large boats that allowed them to float up and down with changing water levels. Some also simply created their homes on the highest ground available. In a temporary survival situation, building a shelter on the highest ground available is often the most successful. Though, there is no doubt that some kind of water-borne craft is incredibly useful. Such a craft could be as simple as an improvised raft formed of large pieces of wood lashed together.

Also it is recommended that you sleep on an elevated platform to reduce the hazards created by venomous snakes and rising waters.

Swamp plants as food and medicine

There are also some edible and medicinal plants found in the swamp lands. Trees that produce edible seeds or other edible parts include: overcup oak ( Quercus lyrata), water oak ( Quercus nigra), pond pine ( Pinus serotina), cabbage palm ( Sabal palmetto), hickory ( Carya myristiciformis), and hazelnut ( Corylus americana). Smaller edible plants include such species as: cattail ( Typha sp.), wapato ( Sagittaria sp.), pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata), southern blueberry ( Vaccinium formosum), and blackberry ( Rubus sp.).

Medicinal plants can also be found in the southeastern swamp ecosystem, and these include such species as: sweet flag ( Acorus americanus), sassafras ( Sassafras albidum), willow ( Salix sp.), bog bean ( Menyanthes trifolia), sundew ( Drosera filiformis and Drosera rotundifolia) and saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens).

Some swamp plants are dangerously poisonous and should not be handled or consumed. Poison-sumac ( Toxicodendron vernix), and its relatives, poisontree ( Metopium toxiferum) and poison-ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans) are well-known plants that cause mild to severe rashes when touched by people. Wood from these plants should not be burned either, as inhaling the smoke can create the same blistering rash on the lungs and even cause respiratory failure.

Swamp conservation

Many wetlands and swamps around the world are threatened by human impacts. Swamps were - and in some places continue to be - drained and turned into pastures, farmland or paved and developed. Species of many plants and animals are threatened by loss of habitat, and some also from over-harvesting by humans for food and collecting. Please remember that swamps are fragile ecosystems, do not harvest any protect species of plants or animals.

In a true survival situation, it is reasonable to use whatever resources may be available to you to save your life. But outside of such a situation of dire need, there are many ways to enjoy a swamp ecosystem without doing harm. Wildlife watching, photography, canoeing, and camping are just a few examples.

For more resources on survival skills, check out our Wilderness Courses.

Knowledge is Power - Grow Your Wilderness Skills! Get monthly updates on new wilderness skills articles, upcoming courses, and special opportunities. Join the free Alderleaf eNewsletter:

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Any type of swamp ecosystem is an amazing place to visit and explore. These ecosystems are diverse in flora and fauna and around the world many have been home to hunter-gatherer peoples for thousands of years. Swamps are low-elevation fresh, brackish or salt-water wetlands that are dominated by woody plants such as shrubs or trees.

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Welcome to the grasslands at Freshkills Park.

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Grassland