Marsh Landscape

Synonym: Salt marsh landscape

This is a type of swamp landscape composed of land with a very wet surface or seasonal water ponding that has facilitated soil salinisation and the growth of saline plants. Salt marsh is a broad swamp category, but there are significant differences in water quality, soil, vegetation and fauna type compared to other types of swamps. The surface water of a salt marsh is alkaline, and the soil has a high salt content. The upper layer accumulates soluble salt, and saline plants grow on it, which is a basic characteristic of a salt marsh. Salt marshes are widely distributed along coasts, estuaries, arid or semi-arid grasslands and desert areas. In China, salt marshes are mainly found in the western arid and semi-arid plateaus in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Province, which have a continental climate, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has an alpine climate. The marshes in these areas are small and scattered, whereas those in the Qaidam Basin are the largest....