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46-527: Lower Klamath NWR, established in 1908, was the first waterfowl refuge in the United States. Consisting of 46,900 acre (190 km), it includes shallow freshwater marshes , open water, grassy uplands, and croplands that are intensively managed to provide feeding, resting, nesting, and brood rearing habitat for waterfowl and other water birds. Clear Lake NWR, established in 1911, has an area of 46,460 acres (188.0 km). About 20,000 acres (81 km)

92-882: A genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae . These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or (mainly historically) reedmace , in American English as cattail , or punks , in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush , in Canada as bulrush or cattail , and in New Zealand as reed , cattail , bulrush or raupo . Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush , including some sedges in Scirpus and related genera. The genus

138-550: A depression or on a hill slope. These marshes are not connected to rivers, lakes or oceans, but can be and frequently are fed by groundwater springs or seepages. Within the category of palustrine, there are several subcategories that are based on the location or function of the marsh. These include but are not limited to vernal pools , playas or playa lakes , and prairie potholes. Wetlands are frequently being destroyed for development, agriculture, and other uses. Wetlands have decreased by as much as 50% since 1900 and in some parts of

184-467: A freshwater marsh include ducks , geese , swans , songbirds , swallows , coots , and black ducks . Although shallow marshes do not tend to support many fish, they are used as a nursery to raise young. The deeper ones are home to many species, including large fish such as the northern pike and carp . Soils in freshwater marshes are considered hydric; soils that are saturated during the growing season and have anaerobic, or no oxygen, conditions due to

230-493: A hot spot for biodiversity within the marsh. Continuous proposals for rerouting the river that fills the marsh is the main cause of concern for the future of this wetland. In Eastern Africa, the Rift Valley contains marshlands. Lake Naivasha is surrounded by tropical, freshwater marshes in the extensive 6,500 kilometer rift valley. These marshes are home to cattail, papyrus, and floating mats of other plants. This marsh

276-514: A jelly-like paste for sores, boils, wounds, burns, scabs, and smallpox pustules. Cattail pollen is used as a banker source of food for predatory insects and mites (such as Amblyseius swirskii ) in greenhouses. The cattail, or, as it is commonly referred to in the American Midwest, the sausage tail, has been the subject of multiple artist renditions, gaining popularity in the mid-twentieth century. The term, sausage tail, derives from

322-408: A key component in determining the structure of a freshwater marsh. In a freshwater marsh, there are emergent plants, floating plants, floating leaved and submerged. The primary plant in freshwater marshes are emergent plants. Emergent plants are plants with soft stems and are highly adapted to live in saturated soils. Freshwater marshes have a lengthy growing season and contain high nutrient levels in

368-414: A simple, jointless stem that bears the flowering spikes. The plants are monoecious , with unisexual flowers that develop in dense racemes . The numerous male flowers form a narrow spike at the top of the vertical stem. Each male (staminate) flower is reduced to a pair of stamens and hairs, and withers once the pollen is shed. Large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, sausage -shaped spike on

414-508: A source of starch to produce ethanol . Because of their high productivity in northern latitudes, Typha are considered to be a bioenergy crop . The seed hairs were used by some indigenous peoples of the Americas as tinder for starting fires. Some tribes also used Typha down to line moccasins , and for bedding, diapers, baby powder, and cradleboards . One Native American word for Typha meant "fruit for papoose's bed". Typha down

460-634: A vital night roost site for wintering bald eagles. It consists of 4,200 acres (17 km) of largely old growth ponderosa pine , incense-cedar , white fir and Douglas-fir forest. Historically, the Klamath Basin was dominated by approximately 185,000 acres (749 km) of shallow lakes and freshwater marshes. These extensive wetlands attracted peak fall concentrations of over 6 million waterfowl and supported abundant populations of other water birds including American white pelican , double-crested cormorant , and several heron species. In 1905,

506-718: Is Typha latifolia , which is distributed across the entire temperate northern hemisphere. It has also been introduced to Australia. T. angustifolia is nearly as widespread, but does not extend as far north; it may be introduced and invasive in North America . T. domingensis has a more southern American distribution, and it occurs in Australia. T. orientalis is widespread in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. T. laxmannii , T. minima , and T. shuttleworthii are largely restricted to Asia and southern Europe . Many parts of

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552-641: Is also home to ducks, herons, and crayfish. The rifting in the valley is enlarging the lake, creating more wetlands in the surrounding area. The Mesopotamian Marshlands are located in southern Iraq and Iran. The confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers create the Mesopotamian Marshlands. The Mesopotamian Marshlands were once the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East, covering an area of 15,000 to 20,000 square kilometers. In

598-449: Is flood mitigation. Marshes can slow down the rate at which water is traveling and create a buffer zone to stop flooding. Freshwater marshes can be broken into several types including river marshes, lacustrine (lake), tidal freshwater, and palustrine depressional. Subtypes of these wetland types can be used to further specify the type of freshwater marsh based on vegetation, hydrology or location. River marshes are typically found within

644-657: Is largely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere , where it is found in a variety of wetland habitats. The rhizomes are edible, though at least some species are known to accumulate toxins and so must first undergo treatment before being eaten. Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests they were already eaten in Europe 30,000 years ago. Typha are aquatic or semi-aquatic, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial plants . The leaves are glabrous (hairless), linear, alternate and mostly basal on

690-521: Is open water. The balance is the surrounding upland habitat of bunchgrass, low sagebrush, and juniper. Upper Klamath NWR, established in 1928, is composed of 15,000 acres (61 km) of mostly freshwater marsh and open water. Tule Lake NWR, established in 1928, encompasses 39,116 acres (158.30 km) of mostly open water and croplands. Klamath Marsh NWR, established in 1958, consists of 40,646 acres (164.49 km) of freshwater marsh and adjacent meadows. Bear Valley NWR, established in 1978, protects

736-413: Is restoration of channelized rivers. When rivers are channelized and straightened, the marshes alongside the rivers disappear. Reverting rivers back to their natural state will allow nearby marshes to form again. Another way to restore freshwater marshes is to break down levees, dikes, and berms that impede rivers from flooding. The Florida Everglades represent the largest contiguous freshwater marsh in

782-406: Is still used in some areas to stuff clothing items and pillows. Typha can be dipped in wax or fat and then lit as a candle, the stem serving as a wick. Without the use of wax or fat it will smolder slowly, somewhat like incense , and may repel insects. The flower stalks can be made into chopsticks . The leaves can be treated to weave into baskets, mats, or sandals. The rushes are harvested and

828-474: Is strong with a heavy texture and it is hard to bleach, so it is not suitable for industrial production of graphical paper. In 1853, considerable amounts of cattail paper were produced in New York , due to a shortage of raw materials. In 1948, French scientists tested methods for annual harvesting of the leaves. Because of the high cost, these methods were abandoned and no further research was done. Today Typha

874-461: Is used to make decorative paper. Fibers up to 4 meters long can be obtained from the stems when they are treated mechanically or chemically with sodium hydroxide . The stem fibers resemble jute and can be used to produce raw textiles. The leaf fibers can be used as an alternative to cotton and linen in clothing. The yield of leaf fiber is 30 to 40 percent and Typha glauca can produce 7 to 10 tons per hectare annually. Typha can be used as

920-491: The Typha plant are edible to humans. Before the plant flowers, the tender inside of the shoots can be squeezed out and eaten raw or cooked. The starchy rhizomes are nutritious with a protein content comparable to that of maize or rice. They can be processed into a flour with 266 kcal per 100 grams, and are most often harvested from late autumn to early spring. They are fibrous, and the starch must be scraped or sucked from

966-600: The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation initiated the Klamath Reclamation Project to convert the lakes and marshes of the Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake areas to agricultural lands. As these wetlands receded, the reclaimed lands were opened to agricultural development and settlement. Today, less than 25% of the historic wetlands remain. To conserve much of the Basin's remaining wetland habitat,

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1012-444: The floodplain or delta of rivers, where the wetland receives water from the river. The majority of these wetlands only receive water seasonally, when the river is highest, but there are river marshes found where the river empties into deserts with no outlet. Lacustrine marshes are found at the edges of lakes where the lakes transition from deep water to upland or other wetlands. The hydrology of lacustrine marshes are dependent on

1058-399: The mouths of rivers, along lakes, or are present in low lying areas with low drainage like abandoned oxbow lakes . Unlike its counterpart the salt marsh , which is regularly flushed with sea water, freshwater marshes receive the majority of their water from surface water. Freshwater marshes are highly productive and therefore can support a large biodiversity of vegetation. Vegetation is

1104-399: The 1980s and 1990s, this marshland was drained by upstream dams and water control structures, down to 10% of the original area. The marshland is located on the intercontinental flyway of migratory birds and is used by two-thirds of West Asia's water fowl. The marsh is currently dominated by an invasive grass, Phragmites australis . Cattail Typha / ˈ t aɪ f ə / is

1150-482: The Earth. Marshes can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass or the ground, called carbon sequestration . Fresh water marshes hold a significant amount of the worlds organic carbon, as much as a third. In addition to carbon, other elements including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and iron, are cycled and transformed in freshwater marshes. These elements enter the system through water or from

1196-962: The Great Lakes to the Everglades . Native sedges are displaced and wet meadows shrink, likely as a response to altered hydrology of the wetlands and increased nutrient levels. An introduced or hybrid species may be contributing to the problem. Control is difficult. The most successful strategy appears to be mowing or burning to remove the aerenchymous stalks, followed by prolonged flooding. It may be more important to prevent invasion by preserving water level fluctuations, including periods of drought, and to maintain infertile conditions. Typha are frequently eaten by wetland mammals such as muskrats , which also use them to construct feeding platforms and dens, thereby also providing nesting and resting places for waterfowl. The following species and hybrids are currently accepted: The most widespread species

1242-534: The Okavango Delta, it comes from Angola and passes through Namibia. This marsh is so large that it can support commercial and recreational fishing. There are many tree islands within the Okavango marsh due to termites. Termites colonies build mounds in the dry season that later become flooded. The crowns of the mounds stay above water level and can support trees and other vegetation. The tree islands become

1288-743: The Refuges. In addition, each year the Refuges serve as a migratory stopover for about three-quarters of the Pacific Flyway waterfowl, with peak fall concentrations of over 1 million birds. The Klamath Refuge has been described as "the heartbeat of the Pacific Flyway". Freshwater marsh A freshwater marsh is a non-forested marsh wetland that contains shallow fresh water , and is continuously or frequently flooded. Freshwater marshes primarily consist of sedges, grasses, and emergent plants. Freshwater marshes are usually found near

1334-408: The atmosphere. Once in the wetland, they are transformed from photosynthesis , microbial processes such as nitrogen fixation and denitrification , or redoximorphic processes. Freshwater marshes also assist with particle retention. Freshwater marshes have little to no movement in water, allowing for the sediment and particulates suspended in the water from erosion and overland flow to settle out of

1380-615: The bays of the Great Lakes , for example, they are among the most abundant wetland plants. Different species of cattails are adapted to different water depths. Well-developed aerenchyma make the plants tolerant of submersion. Even the dead stalks are capable of transmitting oxygen to the rooting zone. Although Typha are native wetland plants, they can be aggressive in their competition with other native species. They have been problematic in many regions in North America, from

1426-700: The cob . In mid-summer when the male flowers are mature, the pollen can be collected and used as a flour supplement or thickener. The seeds have a high linoleic acid content and can be used to feed cattle and chickens. They can also be found in African countries like Ghana. Harvesting cattail removes nutrients from the wetland that would otherwise return via the decomposition of decaying plant matter. Floating mats of cattails remove nutrients from eutrophied bodies of freshwater . For local native tribes around Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia , Typha were among

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1472-531: The dry season. The vegetation of the Everglades include grasses , sedges , and other emergent hydrophytes . Continued human development , including drainage for development and polluted agriculture runoff, as well as alterations in the water cycle , threaten the existence of the Everglades. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is one of Africa's largest freshwater marshes. Before the flowing water reaches

1518-622: The entire world. This immense marsh covers 4,200 square miles (11,000 km ) and is located in the southern tip of Florida. The Everglades is home to animals such as the American Alligator , the Apple Snail and the Everglade Snail Kite . Alligators create depressions in the mud that retain water during the dry season. These wet depressions or alligator holes are important to fish, reptiles, and amphibians during

1564-531: The first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud, with their abundant wind-dispersed seeds. Buried seeds can survive in the soil for long periods of time. They germinate best with sunlight and fluctuating temperatures, which is typical of many wetland plants that regenerate on mud flats. The plants also spread by rhizomes , forming large, interconnected stands. Typha are considered to be dominant competitors in wetlands in many areas, and they often exclude other plants with their dense canopy. In

1610-527: The hydrology of the surrounding area. Tidal freshwater marshes occur nearby tidal influences but receive most of their water from groundwater or streams. The wetlands mostly occur nearby brackish marshes where the salt water gradient decreases through those systems, therefore the freshwater tidal marshes are only affected by the tides through water levels but do not receive the salt water. Palustrine depressional marshes, sometimes also called basin or slope marshes, occur in hydrologically isolated areas such as

1656-410: The leaves often dried for later use in chair seats. Re-wetted, the leaves are twisted and wrapped around the chair rungs to form a densely woven seat that is then stuffed (usually with the left over rush). Small-scale experiments have indicated that Typha are able to remove arsenic from drinking water. The boiled rootstocks have been used as a diuretic for increasing urination, or mashed to make

1702-651: The most important plants and every part of the plant had multiple uses. For example, they were used to construct rafts and other boats. During World War II, the United States Navy used the down of Typha as a substitute for kapok in life vests and aviation jackets. Tests showed that even after 100 hours of submersion, the buoyancy was still effective. Typha are used as thermal insulation in buildings as an organic alternative to conventional insulating materials such as glass wool or stone wool . Typha stems and leaves can be used to make paper . It

1748-447: The saturation. The soils in freshwater marshes have high organic matter due to slow decomposition rates and are often black or brown. The anaerobic conditions of the soils are caused by microbial activity that deplete oxygen, which are then reverted to anaerobic processes that accumulate or deplete reduced iron and other minerals creating distinct soil morphology characteristics. Freshwater marshes are dynamic ecosystems. Aspects of

1794-822: The six National Wildlife Refuges have been established. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages these Refuges to enhance wildlife and benefit the American people. Agricultural and water programs are coordinated under an agreement between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation. Klamath Basin Refuges consist of a variety of habitats including freshwater marshes, open water, grassy meadows, coniferous forests, sagebrush and juniper grasslands, agricultural lands, and rocky cliffs and slopes. These habitats support diverse and abundant populations of resident and migratory wildlife with 433 species having been observed on or near

1840-444: The stem below the male spike. In larger species this can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 1 to 4 centimetres (0.4 to 2 in) thick. The seeds are minute, 0.2 millimetres (0.008 in) long, and attached to fine hairs. When ripe, the heads disintegrate into a cottony fluff from which the seeds disperse by wind . Fruits of Typha have been found as long ago as 69 mya in modern Central Europe. Typha are often among

1886-527: The tender white heart inside can be eaten raw or boiled and eaten like asparagus . This food has been popular among the Cossacks in Russia, and has been called "Cossack asparagus". The leaf bases can be eaten raw or cooked, especially in late spring when they are young and tender. In early summer the sheath can be removed from the developing green flower spike, which can then be boiled and eaten like corn on

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1932-509: The tough fibers. Baby shoots emerging from the rhizomes, which are sometimes subterranean, can be picked and eaten raw. Also underground is a carbohydrate lump which can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked like a potato . The plant is one championed by survival experts because various parts can be eaten throughout the year. Plants growing in polluted water can accumulate lead and pesticide residues in their rhizomes, and these should not be eaten. The rind of young stems can be peeled off, and

1978-497: The water accumulating in the wetland. Freshwater marshes can also support and provide services to humans. Many different types of food are produced within a freshwater marsh like fruits, rice, fish, and vegetables such as taro. Freshwater marshes can also provide clothing in the form of pelts and materials for building such as reeds. Freshwater marshes also provide recreational services like fishing, bird-watching, water fowl hunting, and trapping. Another important function of marshes

2024-461: The water and substrate, which contribute to an overall high net primary production. Some of the most common plants in these areas are cattails , water lilies , arrowheads , and rushes . Many types of animals use freshwater marshes for habitat at some point in their life cycles. Birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and macro-invertebrates can be found within freshwater marshes. Birds use freshwater marshes for nesting. Common species of birds found in

2070-419: The water like depth, velocity, oxygen concentration, and temperature change frequently. Marshes can be classified based on their hydrology. Marshes can be flooded permanently, intermittently, temporarily, seasonally, and semi-permanently. Groundwater reserves, water moving across the surface and precipitation are the three main sources of water in marshes. Wetlands have many services and functions that benefit

2116-460: The world by 90%. Inland wetlands, freshwater marshes making up about 20-25% of all freshwater wetlands globally, have been decreasing approximately 1.2% each year throughout the last century (since 1900). Wetland restoration, or bringing back the wetland and its functions, is an important step in conservation of freshwater marshes. Restoration can take two forms, re-establishment or rehabilitation. One common way freshwater marshes are restored

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