Nearctica - Biomes - Eastern Deciduous Forest

Lots of Water

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In some places too little water is not the problem, but too much water. Swamps, bogs, floodplains, and marshes are some examples of how trees and other species of plants adapt to wet environments.
Floodplains
	Along many of the major (and not so major) rivers found in the Eastern Deciduous Forest are flat areas (floodplains) that are periodically flooded by flood waters from the overflowing banks of the river. Every few years when snow melts and spring rains are heavier than normal, these flat areas become inundated with water. Many tree species (and other plants of the region) can survive periodic flooding, but some are uniquely adapted to these conditions. Two examples are some species of Willows and Poplars. The soils of floodplains are often thick, rich and very fertile because of the sediments laid down by the flooding water. These same soils, however, can also be poor in decaying humus, leaves, and dead wood washed away by the same flood waters.
Swamps
	Sometimes trees come to dominate swamps. In the southern portion of the Eastern Deciduous Forest are extensive swamps dominated by Tupelo (Black Gum) and Bald Cypress. These tree species may be adapted to standing in water and often the base of the tree is buttressed (widened and fluted) to keep the tree from falling over. Bald Cypress also sends up "knees" above the water line which are segments of roots helping the tree in its respiration. Just because a tree species can live under these swampy conditions does not necessarily mean it cannot live elsewhere. Bald Cypresses does quite well under considerably drier upland conditions. Another example of swamps dominated by trees are the White Cedar swamps of the eastern seaboard of the United States from New England to the Gulf Coast. The Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) is a conifer living in coastal freshwater swamps and sometimes bogs.
Bogs
	A bog is a standing body of water typically without drainage and without a source of water except drainage from the surrounding forest. Bogs often form in the holes created by melting blocks of ice left by receding glaciers. Bog water is typically cold, very acidic, and low in oxygen. A form of moss called sphagnum moss, over time, develops a floating mat of vegetation. This mass of vegetation can support shrubs and small trees. Bogs are extremely common in the Northern Boreal Forest (Taiga) but much less prevalent in the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Within these bogs you can find tree and other plant species typical of the Northern Boreal Forest such as Black Spruce and Tamarck but found no where else in the Eastern Deciduous Forest. The vegetation of bogs, in general, is unique because of its unusual physical conditions.