Paludal describes things relating to, inhabiting, or occurring in marshes and swamps. Hikers who wander onto paludal terrain might find themselves slogging through mud and standing water.
Derived from the Latin word palus, meaning "marsh," paludal is a formal term used to describe wetland environments. In ecology, it refers to plants, animals, and habitats associated with swamps, marshes, fens, and bogs. In geology, it can refer to sediment formed in wetlands. Historically, the word was used in medicine, especially referring to "paludal fever," an older term for malaria because of the disease's association with marshy, mosquito-filled areas.