Freshwater swamp forests, or flooded forests,^[1] are forests which are inundated with freshwater, either permanently or seasonally. They normally occur along the lower reaches of rivers and around freshwater lakes. Freshwater swamp forests are found in a range of climate zones, from boreal through temperate and subtropical to tropical.

Flooded forest

In the Amazon Basin of Brazil, a seasonally flooded forest is known as a várzea,^{[citation needed]}, and refers to a whitewater-inundated forest. Igapó refers to blackwater-inundated forest.

Peat swamp forests are swamp forests where waterlogged soils prevent woody debris from fully decomposing, which over time creates a thick layer of acidic peat.