Wetland Ecology Exam 1

Define Jurisdictional wetland

An area that is saturated enough throughout the year to support hydrophytic vegetation.

Name the 5 wetland systems from the Cowardin et al.

Marine, Estuarine, Riverine, Lacustrine, Palustrine

Describe a marine wetland system

Open ocean

Describe an estuarine wetland system.

Deepwater tidal habitats partially enclosed by land.

Describe a riverine wetland system.

Wetlands and deep water habitats contained in a channel.

Describe a lacustrine wetland system.

A depression or dammed river channel without trees, shrubs, or persistent emergents; more than 8 hectares

Describe a palustrine wetland system.

Non-tidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, and persistent emergents.

What are the 2 agencies that administer the Clean Water Act?

US Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency

Define innundation

Water covers the surface of land at some point throughout the year.

Define ponded

Water stands in a depression, only removed by percolation, evaporation, or transpiration.

Define flooded

Water covers the land surface temporarily from overflowing streams and rivers.

Define saturation.

The pores in the soil are permanently or temporarily filled with water.

Define hydro-period

The seasonal pattern of a wetland’s water level.

Describe the 50/20 rule and the dominance test.

If any species is over 20% of total cover, it is dominant. When the species are in order from highest to lowest percentage, if 2 species have the same amount of cover in in the top 50% of cover, they are dominant.

Which correctly shows the FAC Neutral Test?

OBL+FACW>FACU+UPL=Hydrology

What are the major palustrine wetland types found in Ohio?

Emergent, scrub-shrub, and forested.

What is the hue associated with hydric soil?

gray/blue/green

Value ≥ 5, chroma ≤ 1

Depleted matrix

What 3 features describe soil color?

Hue, value, chroma

Value ≥ 6, chroma ≤ 2

Depleted matrix

Value 4, chroma 1 or 2 with cd mottles

Depleted matrix

Value 5, chroma 2 with cd mottles

Depleted matrix

All values ≥ 4

Gleyed matrix

List the major water sources of hydrologic budgets.

Permanently flooded, semi-permanently flooded, saturated, temporarily flooded.

Describe a permanently flooded hydrologic budget.

Flooded all year (100%) at a depth greater then 2 meters

Describe a semi-permanently flooded hydrologic budget.

Flooded during the growing season (75-90%) at a depth less than 2 meters

Describe a saturated hydrologic budget.

Substrate is saturated, but rarely standing water (>25-75%)

Describe a temporarily flooded hydrologic budget.

Flooded for shot periods of time during growing season, otherwise water table is well below surface (>12.5-25%)

What are the 4 goals of wetland classification?

To describe wetlands, organize them to aid decisions, classify for inventory and mapping, and provide uniform terminology and concepts.