A bayhead or baygall is a specific type of

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

habitat.Watson, Geraldine Ellis (2006) Big Thicket Plant Ecology: An Introduction, Third Edition (Temple Big Thicket Series #5). University of North Texas Press. 152 pp. Natural Communities of Louisiana:
Bayhead Swamp/Forested Seep
'. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Retrieved 7 July 2020. The name ''baygall'' is derived from sweetbay magnolia (''

Magnolia virginiana ''Magnolia virginiana'', most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay (also laurel magnolia, swampbay, swamp magnolia, white bay, or beaver tree), is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. It was the first magnolia to be ...

'') and sweet gallberry holly ('' Ilex coriacea'').Ajilvsgi, Geyata (1979) Wild Flowers of the Big Thicket: East Texas, and Western Louisiana. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, Texas 361 pp. Baygalls are recognized as a discrete ecosystem by ecologists and the swamps have been described as "distinct wetland

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place (geography), place, set of Norm (social), norms, culture, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Ide ...

in the Natural Communities of Louisiana". Baygall swamps are most often found in the low lying margins of floodplains and bottomlands with little or poor drainage to the main creek, bayou, or river channel. Baygall or bayhead swamps found on slopes and hillsides are sometimes referred to as a forest seep or hanging bogs. Hanging bogs are typically found in hardwood-pine forests. Most baygall swamps are semi-permanently saturated, or flooded.Texas Parks and Wildlife. Ecological Mapping systems of Texas:
West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall
' Retrieved 7 July 2020 Baygall

The characteristics of a bayhead swamp are mostly broad, shallow drains, which can be found near margins of bottomlands and floodplains with little or no drainage. They most often receive a slow, but steady supply of water from seepage at the base of slopes and bluffs. Baygalls are relatively shallow wetlands, ranging from wet and saturated soils and leaf litter, to a few inches of stagnate or very slowly moving water, although some may occasionally be deeper depending on topography and rainfall. Most are also under closed or nearly closed canopies. Occasionally, larger and deeper baygalls may have open water at the center with floating vegetation such as the fragrant water-lily ('' Nymphaea odorata''). High acidity levels distinguish baygalls from other wetlands and they often support

plant communities A plant community is a collection or Association (ecology), association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The comp ...

that are distinct from those of adjacent areas.

Sphagnum moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

is often associated with baygalls. Sometimes referred to as acid bog baygalls, baygalls typically have very low pH levels. Levels as low as 4.5 are not uncommon in the baygalls of the Big Thicket region of Southeast Texas, USA. The acidic waters that drain from baygalls can contribute significantly to

blackwater river A blackwater river is a type of River#Classification, river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. Most major blackwater rivers are in the Amazon Basin and the Southern United States. The term is used in fluvial ...

s and creeks in the bottomlands. A baygall may be no more than a small pool or they can be a mile across. The Jack Gore Baygall Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve at 12 square miles is said to be is the largest in the world.Peacock, Howard (1994) Nature Lover's Guide to the Big Thicket. Texas A&M. University Press. College Station, Texas. 169 pp.

Flora

Baygalls are typically found in densely forested areas. Over-story trees associated with baygalls include baldcypress (''

Taxodium distichum ''Taxodium distichum'' (baldcypress, bald-cypress, bald cypress, swamp cypress; ; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a ...

''), swamp tupelo or swamp blackgum ('' Nyssa biflora''), red maple (''

Acer rubrum ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nati ...

''), green ash (''

Fraxinus pennsylvanica ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae, and comprises 45–65 species of usually medium-to-large trees, most of which are deciduous trees, although some subtropical species are ever ...

''), laurel oak ('' Quercus laurifolia''), water oak (''

Quercus nigra ''Quercus nigra'', the water oak, is an oak in the red oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''), native to the eastern and south-central United States, found in all the coastal states from New Jersey to Texas, and inland as far as Oklahoma, Ke ...

''), sweetgum (''

Liquidambar styraciflua ''Liquidambar styraciflua'', commonly known as the American sweetgum among other names, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central A ...

''), and sweetbay (''

''). Longleaf pine (''

Pinus palustris The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...

'') are usually associated with hanging bogs or forest seeps. Understory species include smooth or hazel alder ('' Alnus serrulata''), swamp titi or leatherwood ('' Cyrilla racemiflora''), sweet gallberry ('' Ilex coriacea''), American holly (''

Ilex opaca ''Ilex opaca'', the American holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern and south-central United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas. Description ''Ilex opaca' ...

''), Virginia willow or sweetspire ('' Itea virginica''), wax-myrtle ('' Morella cerifera''), red bay ('' Persea borbonia''), swamp redbay (''

Persea palustris ''Persea palustris'', also known as swamp bay or swampbay, is a small tree or shrub found throughout the Southeastern United States and the Bahamas, with much of its range overlapping with that of its relative '' Persea borbonia''. It is generally ...

''), bamboo-vine ('' Smilax laurifolia''), poison sumac (''

Toxicodendron vernix ''Toxicodendron vernix'', commonly known as poison sumac, or swamp-sumach, is a woody shrub or small tree growing to tall. It was previously known as ''Rhus vernix''. This plant is also known as thunderwood, particularly where it occurs in the ...

''), possum-haw viburnum ('' Viburnum nudum''), muscadine grape (''

Vitis rotundifolia ''Vitis rotundifolia'', or muscadine, is a grapevine species native to the southeastern and south-central United States. The growth range extends from Florida to New Jersey coast, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It has been extensive ...

''). Ferns such as net-veined chain fern ('' Lorinseria'' 'Woodwardia areolata''''areolata''), sensitive fern (''

Onoclea sensibilis ''Onoclea sensibilis'', the sensitive fern, also known as the bead fern, is a coarse-textured, medium to large-sized deciduous perennial plant, perennial fern. The name comes from its sensitivity to frost, the fronds dying quickly when first touc ...

''), cinnamon fern ('' Osmunda cinnamomea''), and royal fern ('' Osmunda spectabilis'') may be found in the herbaceous layer. Several species of orchid (

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

) are also associated with baygalls.

Species of conservation concern

The baygall swamps have around 20

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

which are considered to be

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

or of conservation concern in various states and countries.

References

{{Authority control Swamps