Habitat - As lakes accumulate dead material, they become shallower and turn into Marshes, which are the most abundant of all wetlands and also the most widely and evenly distributed.
These wetlands may be found inland or along the coast. Both are shallow, usually between six inches (15 centimeters) and three feet (0.9 meters) deep. In the interior of the continent productive marshes have grasses, bulrushes, spike rushes, cattails, arrowheads, smartweeds, and pickerelweeds. These are principal duck breeding habitats. Northern marshes freeze solid in winter but in the south they are alive with the sounds of birds, especially waterfowl.
Along the coast, tides affect plant growth but important vegetation includes cattails, wild rice, and giant cutgrass. Activity here is noticeable year-round.
