Wetlands Quiz 1

Marsh

frequently or continually inundated wetland characterized by emergent herbaceous vegetation adapted to saturated soil conditions (tidal/non-tidal)

- Dominant type in PA

Fen

relies on groundwater; peat accumulating wetland that receives some drainage from surrounding mineral soil (and groundwater flow) and usually supports marsh-like vegetation. Minerotrophic (do have inflow outflow) (alkaline/less acidic than bogs due to groundwater inflow)

Bog

spongy ground, peat. peat accumulating wetland that has no significant surface inflows and outflows and supports acidophilic mosses, particularly Sphagnum (?). In the US, most bogs are found in glaciated regions. Ombrotrophic (receiving hydrology from rain precipitation, no defined inflow or outflow)

Peatland

generic term for any wetland that accumulates partially decayed plant matter (peat) often occur in glacial areas 30% northern PA was covered in glaciers

Swamp

wetland dominated by trees or shrubs (tidal/non-tidal)

Pocosin

peat accumulating, non-riparian freshwater wetland dominated by evergreen shrubs and trees; found on the SE coastal plain of the US. *not formed by glaciers, but rather specific climatic and topographic features FORMED BY POOR DRAINAGE

Vernal Pool:

shallow, intermittently flooded wetland, with dry season for most of the summer and fall; found in CA, NE United States; most don't support fish; important for amphibian breeding

Riparian ecosystems

these can exhibit wetland characteristics; adjacent to a river or water body, and due to that have a high water table,

Salt marsh

halophytic salt tolerant grassland on alluvial sediments bordering saline water bodies where water levels fluctuate tidally or non-tidally.

Mangrove (swamp/forest)

subtropical and tropical coastal ecosystem dominated by halophytic trees and shrubs growing in brackish to saline tidal waters. Veg is salt loving

Playa

marsh like pond (round hollows) in arid southwest US (high plains of NM west Texas) important for migratory birds - Ephemeral- only present seasonally in spring

Pothole

shallow marsh like ponds typically found in Dakotas and southern Canada typically formed by glacial activity. Very important for migratory bird habitats, "duck factory" GRASSLAND

PA Region

Eastern Mountain and Piedmont

PA MLRA

Central Allegheny Plateau

LRR

East and Central Farming and Forest Region

What are the 5 wetland systems

Paulustrine, lacustrine, Riverine, Estuarine, Marine

Marine

associated with the ocean subtotal or intertidal

o Open ocean / high energy coastline / waves

o Subsystems: Intertidal and subtidal

Estuarine

tidal briskish waters

o Deepwater tidal habitats adjacent tidal wetlands that are usually semi-enclosed by land but have open partial or sporadic acces to the open ocean / ocean water is at least occasionall diluted by freshwater runoff from land

o Subsystems: subtidal(the subtrate is continuously submerged) and intertidal (substrate is exposed and flooded by tides)

Riverine

freshwaters rivers and stream

o All wetlands and Deepwater habitats contained within a channel, with two exceptions

§ 1) wetlands dominated by trees shrubs or persistent emergent veg

§ 2) habitats with water containing ocean derived salts above 500 ppm

§ Water is usually but not always flowing

§ Subsystems:

· Tidal

· Lower perennial: gradient is low/slow, no tidal influence

· Upper perennial: gradient is high and velocity is high

· Intermittent: channel only has flowing water for part of the year

Lacustrine

lakes and other freshwater bodies

o Wetland and Deepwater habitats with all the following characteristics

§ 1. Situated in topographic depression or damned river channel.

§ 2. Lacks trees shrubs persistent emergent veg,

§ Total area exceeds 8 ha

o Lacustrine waters may be tidal or nontidal, but ocean derived salinity is always less than 500 ppm

o Subsystems

§ Limnetic: all deep water habitats, water that is too deep for rooted plants

§ Littoral: closer to shore line, where water meets the land, rooted plants

Paulustrine

freshwater wetlands not associated with rivers or lakes

o No subsystems

o All non tidal wetlands dominated by trees shrubs persistent emergent veg emergent mosses or lichens

o All wetlands that occur in tidal areas where salinity due to ocean derived salts is below 500 ppm

o Catch all

§ Area less than 8 HA

§ Lacking active waves

Wetland definition

Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.

Wetland subsystems and quick definition

+Sub tidal: always underneath the water / always submerged

+intertidal: exposed to air at low tide, and submerged at high tide

+tidal: saturated marshy areas, typically not submerged beyond occasion

+intermittent: flowing water only there part of the year

+lower perennial: slow water velocity, sand/mud

+upper perennial: high water velocity, rocks

What do wetland classes describe?

They describe the bottom substrate (substance of the base) of wetlands

- paulustrine also use classes to describe the type of vegetation

What do wetland subclasses describe?

Bottom substrate / vegitation / organisms. (aint this the same as classes basically? DAFUQ)

What do wetland modifiers describe

water regime / soil / or chemistry

Which states lost over 80% wetlands

Ohio, California, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana

States that lost the most overal wetlands

Florida, Loisiana, illinois, Minisota