MARSH COMMUNITY
Along the stems of these plants, many aquatic insects crawl from the water,
split their larval casings and fly off as adults. Amphibians and fish anchor
egg masses to the underwater shoots, and marsh-nesting birds find shelter
in the dense foliage.
Muskrats swim through the marsh and live in structures made of cattail leaves.
They also feed on the plant and may even consume the inside walls of their
homes when winter grips the marsh.
Where depressions occur in the floodplain, ground water collects, and ponds
form. Along the edge, where these still waters meet land, a second wetland
community appears:
Cattails and rushes sprout in the saturated soils and extend their rhizomes
out into shallow water. Muskrats soon follow, then Red-winged Blackbirds
arrive. Where the marsh vegetation grows thick, American Coots and Virginia
Rails take up residence.
Pied-billed Grebes build floating nests among the cattails, to incubate
and hide their young. Bullfrogs and Northern Leopard Frogs lurk along marsh
edges. Painted Turtles sun themselves on mats of dried cattail foliage,
while damselflies rest on neighboring stems, and dragonflies pause between
meals scouped from midair.