Intro > Classification > Depressions > Headwater Swamp

Headwater Swamp
Wetland Class: Depressions
Wetland SubClass: Headwater Depression
Detailed Description: Headwater Swamp

Introduction This wetland type occurs in basins formed in ancient glacial outwash channels that receive ground water from adjacent higher terraces. The nearly constant water supply into the depression creates swamp conditions, where baldcypress or water tupelo is the most common tree species. There are few species present in the understory, and herbaceous species grow primarily on stumps or from a zone of mosses on tree trunks at the level where water tends to stabilize during the growing-season. The perimeter forest is dominated by typical lowland species, such as green ash, overcup oak, and Nuttall oak. This wetland type has a very limited distribution, and is known from only a few locations in the Delta. One of the best examples can be found at the Louisiana Purchase State Park in Phillips County, where a boardwalk provides easy access to the swamp and interpretive signs describe the characteristics of this unique ecosystem. For more details on the Headwater Swamp, click here.

Basemap adapted from ©1995 Ray Sterner

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