Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: No Data Available

Dynamics:  Based on the length of the hydroperiod, flooded forests can be grouped into permanently inundated swamp forest and periodically inundated swamp forest. Swamp forest is usually found on soils that have a high water table, e.g., Mauritia flexuosa (palm) swamp in Trinidad grows on land perpetually inundated with 30 to 100 cm of water; while periodically-inundated swamp occurs in areas subjected to inundation during the rainy season. Species richness generally decreases with increasing hydroperiod. Based on the type of dominant species, swamp forests can be conveniently divided into two types: forests dominated by hardwood species and those dominated by palms. Dominance by palms becomes stronger with increasing hydroperiod or soil moisture conditions (Bacon 1990, Lugo et al. 1990).

Key Factors for evaluating integrity include hydrodynamics that are frequently altered by human uses: flood regime duration, magnitude and return interval of flooding should fall within historical ranges for the type, and channel dynamics, or the rate of change and/or lateral migration in riverine portions of swamps create habitat mosaics such as oxbow lakes, levees, seasonal lakes, canals, forested terraces, and associated successional patterns in vegetation. Water Quality: chemistry (pH, salinity gradient, N, C, P), transparency (suspended sediment, phytoplankton count, fish composition).