A swamp is a wetland that is dominated by woody plants (shrubs and trees). Swamps are often near rivers or streams. These rivers and streams sometimes flood, and the water from the flood carries nutrients to the swamp. Common species are rushes, sedges, Typha species along with dragonflies, beetles, worms, etc.
Other than the previous answers I bellieve the conservation of nitrogen through uptake and dissimmilatory reduction to ammonia or its escape via denitrification. However, in a freshwater swamp hardly any of these processes operate at optimal levels. But comparatively most of the nitrogen remains within the cycle in a freshwater swamp as mineralizable and remineralizable forms, than being lost.
According to Cowardin et al. 1979 (see link) a freshwater swamp is a forested wetland that is covered at least 30% with trees at least 6m tall and is flooded or innundated at least 50% of a typical year with water at or below 0.05 ppt salinity.
Distinct characteristics of a swamp forest could be:
i. Have got specific emergent or submerged woody and non-woody plants which can be inclusive of trees adapted to this ecosystem.
ii. The region is green throughout the year because of the availability of water all the seasons (GIS tool and google earth maps can be used to prove it).
iii. Root types are normally buttressed in most of the plants.