Marshes are gloomy and mysterious parts of the planet, not for nothing that they were considered in ancient times as the abode of devils and all evil spirits. Only in Russia there are many similar territories, and some of them are quite extensive. Swamps scare, even terrify, but at the same time attract people. The most unusual species of animals and birds are found there. There are also beautiful places that are very attractive for tourists. But still the swamps are really dangerous. Therefore, waterlogging of soils is considered an extremely undesirable phenomenon. These territories are often impassable. There are dangerous areas in the swamps where the bog sucks, and therefore many people die there. In addition, swamps are able to catch fire in the most unexpected way due to the special composition of the environment. And they are unsuitable for business activities.
Features of the marshland
Territories where waterlogging of soils occurs are primarily located in areas where severe waterlogging is observed. This may happen due to the climate. An example of this in Russia is the north of the European region, the marshlands of the Far East, the Siberian taiga, and the Non-Chernozem region. All this - in the middle climatic zone, where at high humidity insufficient evaporation is usually observed due to temperature characteristics. But swamps also arise to the south.
One of the largest swamps in the world is Sudd. This area is located in the channel of the White Nile in eastern Africa in South Sudan. The size of this immense swamp is about 130 thousand km 2 . The nickname "water eater" has been assigned to this site. The course of the White Nile in these places is very insignificant due to the slight slope of the terrain. That is why the water of the river in tropical backwaters flows freely through the labyrinth of lagoons and canals and is not absorbed into the ground due to its dense clay base. This is the answer to why waterlogging of the soil occurs in this region.
More on the reasons
Marshes are areas not only with significant waterlogging, but also, as a rule, with a dense peaty top layer with a thickness of three tens of centimeters or more. The close natural location of low-flowing water bodies with an abundance of vegetation and the lack of sufficient groundwater runoff provokes a natural accumulation of moisture. Most often, swamps form in the forest zone, but also on the plains, in the lowlands and floodplains of large rivers overlooking the banks quite often. These factors are aggravated by insufficient evaporation, an abundance of precipitation, the presence or gradual formation of a dense subsoil layer, which makes it difficult to absorb moisture into the ground and leave it in its lower layers. This is the main reason for the waterlogging of soils.
Damage to business activities
Marshes on the planet arise not only for natural reasons. Often this is facilitated by the person himself and his ill-conceived economic activities: the construction of extensive reservoirs and irrigation systems, the excessive felling of trees in humid woodlands. To spoil the top layer of the earth, to make it impervious to moisture, it is possible to use in too large quantities of heavy agricultural machinery. In addition, the sad consequence of human activity on the planet is soil pollution, the accumulation of debris, harmful substances, solid waste in it. The toxic elements that the earth absorbs cause soil salinization and waterlogging. This is facilitated by the lack of drainage and unsystematic immoderate irrigation of cultivated plants, as a result of which salt accumulation occurs on irrigated areas.
If the ground mineralized water lies shallow in the earth, then, moving up its capillaries and then evaporating, they are able to leave harmful salts that have previously descended below the surface. From this, the visible surface of the soil is covered with ugly salt white spots, and the earth becomes not only excessively moist, but also barren. This is secondary salinization and waterlogging of soils. And a similar process can lead to very detrimental consequences.
Soil gleying
The vast water layer that accumulates in the earth close to its surface and does not have the ability to go lower lies at the heart of the mystery of the origin of swamps. A similar process is called soil gleying. Sooner or later, peat deposits form in this environment. They arise due to the impossibility of dying leaves, grass and animal remains to naturally overtake, since organic substances are not completely mineralized due to increased acidity. They soon soon naturally compress and form peaty beds, which only increase over time, creating a special microclimate and microrelief of swamps.
Peat beds
Peat soils of marshes are poor in nutrients. Phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen are present in them only in small quantities. Therefore, in such an environment only certain types of vegetation take root, and especially sphagnum mosses. A thick layer of formed sod passes an insufficient amount of air. And chemical processes with the release of methane and hydrogen sulfide occurring in such a biomass kill beneficial bacteria. This leads to a new change in vegetation that can take root in such conditions. He, in turn, dies, not having time to decay. All this leads to an increase in the dense peat layer, consisting of a lower, completely decomposed layer; transitional middle and undecomposed upper. This waterproof base provokes secondary waterlogging of soils.
Preventative measures
For agriculture, such sites are completely unsuitable. Oxygen and nutrients for the growth and development of plants are not enough there, especially since the acidic peat reaction makes itself felt. It is impossible to grow cereals and vegetables, to plant hayfields and pastures.
But various preventive measures are used to combat waterlogging. These include, first of all, conducting well-thought-out economic activity, taking into account its influence on the entire ecosystem, systematic irrigation of the land, construction of canals and reservoirs only in suitable areas, as well as moderate deforestation in areas with a humid climate and low evaporation of moisture from the earth's surface. All this should be done taking into account possible consequences. But the most effective way to solve the problem of waterlogging is draining.
Drainage of swamps
The essence of this method is to remove excess moisture from a certain area. To do this, open ditches and drainage systems are created when special pipes are buried to drain water underground. The dryness resulting from this prevents the leaching of valuable minerals from the ground. Thus, they gradually begin to accumulate in the soil. Soon, the humus content in it rises.
But for productive agriculture in this area, these measures are not enough. Regular mineral fertilizing of soils with phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium fertilizers with the addition of copper sulfate is also required. Manure and its substitutes are often used as organic top dressing. At first, fodder crops and perennial grasses are planted on the territory liberated from swamps, and only then are fruit trees grown and vegetable crops cultivated.
Also, drainage of swamps is often done to simplify the process of deforestation and facilitate peat extraction.
The role of swamps in the ecosystem
Soil waterlogging is considered to be a negative phenomenon. And draining the swamps is without doubt an important and useful undertaking. But in addition to benefits, it can bring significant harm. And therefore, when performing this action, it is important to take into account the consequences, to calculate not only advantages, but also disadvantages.
Marshes have their positive aspects. They are wonderful storages of moisture, feeding rivers, and turn out to be unique natural filters for natural water purification. Considering how waterlogging of soils occurs, it can be considered natural that swamps contain a huge amount of carbon dioxide. And with the ill-conceived destruction of this environment, it all enters the atmosphere. In addition, vegetation suffers: coniferous forests, thickets of blueberries, cranberries, cloudberries, and many unique representatives of the fauna of such territories die out.
Should swamps be destroyed?
In establishing the ecological balance in nature, bogs undoubtedly play an important role. And therefore, draining them, people subsequently very often realize that they made a mistake and, recognizing it, restore the natural condition of the area. However, often drainage of swamps is really necessary, since the areas freed from them are used by people reasonably and for the common good. But it should be remembered that the formation of such territories is a natural process. And their occurrence is not necessarily a negative phenomenon if new swamps do not occupy too large areas. After all, they are important for nature and are its integral part.