Swamp
Description: A swamp is a wetland consisting of dry land that is temporarily or permanently flooded by water. A swamp has a number of dry-land protrusions, covered by vegetation that can tolerate periods of flooding – most notably, woody vegetation.
Location: The Great Swamp – The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Morris County
History: Roughly 25,000 years ago, where the Wisconsin Glacier stopped, the creation of the Great Swamp began. The melting glacier withdrew leaving sand and gravel strewn in long ridges that blocked the outlet of a river basin. Water, melted from the glacier, flowed into the basin behind this natural dam to form Lake Passaic - a giant lake, 30 miles long and 10 miles wide.
The Delaware Indians in 1708 deeded a 30,000-acre tract, including the Great Swamp, to English investors for a barrel of rum, 15 kettles, 4 pistols, 4 cutlasses plus other goods, and 30 pounds cash.
It was the threat of a jetport that enabled the Great Swamp Committee of the North American Wildlife Foundation to raise more than a million dollars to purchase nearly 3,000 acres, which were donated to the Department of the Interior.
The refuge was established by an act of Congress on November 3, 1960. These acres formed the nucleus of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Through the years, additional acres have been added to the original tract. In 1966, the Refuge was designated a Registered National Natural landmark.
Type of water: Fresh – originally formed from Glacial Lake Passaic
Plants:
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Water Oak (Quercus nigra L.)
American Elm (Ulmus americana L.)
Animal species:
Mammals
Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans)
Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis)
Birds
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)
Fish
Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)
Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
Reptiles/Amphibians
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra s. serpentina)
Blue-spotted Salamander (A. laterale)
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)
Invertebrates
Silver-bordered Fritillary (Bolorla selene)
Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
Bronze Copper(Lycaena hyllus)
Habitat links:
Water Oak Image
http://www.wildflower.org/image_archive/320x240/SAW/SAW_03030.JPG
Eastern Bluebird Image
http://goldenferi.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/600px-eastern_bluebird-27527-2.jpg
Bronze Copper Image
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/species-data/Lycaena-hyllus-photo-7.jpg
Audubon Report:
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionIBBA/IBBASiteGuide.aspx?sk=3157
Fish and Wildlife
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatswamp/index.html
NJ Skylands
http://www.njskylands.com/pkswamp2.htm
Friends of the Great Swamp
http://frogs-ny.org/Animals1.shtml
Bats
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/somoct.htm
Animals List
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatswamp/Herplist.htm
General Links:
Aquatic Invertebrates:
http://www.vernalpool.org/BSW/bugs/index.htm
http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/water/HCP/archive/final-hcp/pdfs/apps/AppD/17a_tadpoleshrimp_9-28-06_profile.pdf
http://www.ontariovernalpools.org/pages/species.html
http://www.penobscotswcd.org/publications/insects.pdf
http://www.troutnut.com/hatches
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/insect.html
Endangered Species List:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/tandespp.htm
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/pdf/spclspp.pdf
Rock Climbing
http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/climbing/index.html
Red List
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Freshwater Fish
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2003/plcpnds03.pdf
Frogs
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/frogs.pdf
Salamanders
http://nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/salmandr.pdf
Turtles
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/turtles.pdf
Water Sheds and Quality
http://nj.usgs.gov/
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/monitoring/
http://mset.rst2.edu/portfolios/k/khanna%5Fn/Watershed/introduction.htm
NJ State Parks
http://www.stateparks.com/nj.html
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/parkindex.html
Facts about NJ:
www.state.nj.us
http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/njsymbol.htm
Maps
http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/MAPS.html
http://geology.com/state-map/new-jersey.shtml
Invasive Species
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natural/InvasiveReport.pdf
Physiographic Provinces
http://www.cumauriceriver.org/botany/provinces.html