Forested wetlands

Forested wetlands are found throughout the country. The Southeast (including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), however, accounts for about 65% of the forested wetland area in the conterminous United States. Forested wetlands often occur along rivers and streams and are occasionally flooded by these water bodies. When not flooded, these forests remain dry for varying periods during the year. Forested wetlands can be tidal or non-tidal, and water depth may vary with the seasons. The vegetation of forested wetlands consists mainly of trees and shrubs and is very diverse. What species grow in this type of habitat is highly dependent on the frequency and amount of flooding characterizing the site. Some species of trees found in forested wetlands include red maple, cypress, tupelo, oak, ash, and/or evergreen shrubs. Some examples of forested wetlands found in the country include backwater swamps, pocosins, bogs, wetlands of river floodplains, and isolated wetlands.

Fish and other aquatic organisms use these types of wetlands in a variety of ways. Forested floodplain wetlands provide food, protection, and spawning areas to fish that obtain access during floods. Backwater swamps usually retain water even after floodwater recedes, which makes them suitable habitat for fish that do not return to the stream channel. However, because of the fluctuating water levels and low dissolved oxygen levels of these backwaters only those organisms able to tolerate these conditions can live in this environment. Surprisingly, despite the harsh conditions (i.e., acidity conditions, low oxygen levels, and extended drying) found in peatlands such as bogs and pocosins, many are able to support fish including bass, pike, walleye, bluegill, flier, and black crappie.