Tropical Freshwater Wetlands: Definition and Typology

Abstract

Terms such as swamp, marsh, floodplain, swamp forest or peat swamp have been part of our vocabulary for many years now. In contrast, the general term ‘wetland’ only appeared recently when researchers, development officers and ecologists sought to regroup these different landscape units. It may seem strange that a term which arose from the specific need to manage wetlands wisely is in fact difficult to define, covering as it does a wide range of ecosystems. Wetlands include both land ecosystems whose ecology is strongly influenced by water, and aquatic ecosystems with special characteristics due to their shallowness and the proximity of land.