wetlands
Vegetated areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water for a significant part of the year. The vegetation is adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. [USGS Circ 1048]
This category is also used for backwaters, bayous, bogs, cienagas, fens, forested wetlands, intermittent wetlands, mangrove swamps, marshes, mires, mud flats, peat cutting areas, peatlands, quagmires, riparian areas, salt marshes, sloughs, slues, swamps, and tidal flats
