UWA WETLANDS summer 2026 quizes 3/4

Energy flow in deepwater swamps is dominated by primary productivity of the______

Canopy trees

Compare and contrast natural and artificial wetland management techniques

both rely on the same mechanisms either biological or geochemical plant nutrients uptake, physical sedimentation, both require active active water management.

natural wetland management- takes advantage of natural attributes like seed banks, plant succession, water level fluctuations and herbivory.

Artificial wetland management- involves human made applications to further help the wetlands stay maintained. Active planting, ditching and island building

What controls the prevalence and diversity of fish in a freshwater marsh?

hydrologic connectivity and water depth.

vegetation found is characterized by grass, sedge and broad-leaved monocots. these tend to have higher productivity, medium to high nutrient loading rates, and high microbial activity that leads to rapid decomposition and recycling

Before 1950______ was the primary policy for wetland management

draining

Compare and contrast: Cypress dome and cypress strand

vegetation- both are forested ecosystems

environment-both are in poor drain areas. both are semi/permanent flooded

cypress dome-oval, poorly drained, water is mostly stationary, the tallest grow in the deeper center. numerous in the upland pine flatwoods of FL and southern GA cypress strand-found primarily in south Florida where topography is flat and there is little erosive power. described as a diffuse freshwater stream flowing through a shallowly found forested depression on a generally sloping plan

Why are freshwater inland marshes among the most diverse wetland types? Please be specific in your answer

1.algae comprise the majority of the
population found. Likewise, the same three taxa
accounted for most of the epibenthic algae
found

2. small fish Juveniles for most all species are more abundant
   in the shallows, often using submerged
   vegetation for protection from predators

3. Of all wetland habitats, coastal freshwater marshes
   may support the largest and most diverse population
   of birds.

4. The elevation gradient across a TFM and the
   resulting differences in vegetation and flooding
   patterns accounts for three broad zones of PP:

5. Most organic energy flows into the detrital
   pool and is distributed to the benthic fauna
   and bottom feeding nekton.
   • These groups, in turn, feed predatory fish,
   birds and mammals at higher trophic level

Within each of the different wetland types discussed during lecture, there are significant SIMILARTIES. discuss the primary contributions to organic carbon, and the major pathway that this energy is transferred through a wetland system. Furthermore, what ‘determines the extent to which this energy becomes available to adjacent ecosystems?

1. For tidal freshwater marshes- Three major contributors to organic carbon in
   TFM: Vascular plant production, material
   brought from upstream, and phytoplankton. Most organic energy flows into the detrital• Most organic energy flows into the detrital
   pool and is distributed to the benthic fauna
   and bottom feeding nekton. These groups, in turn, feed predatory fish,
   birds and mammals at higher trophic levels

2. 
   

under waterlogged conditions, ______ can be produced which results in the formation of aerenchyma, stem hypertrophy, and cypress leaves.

ethylene

List four of the seven general principles in wetland management

1. protect WL that includes a variety of wetland hydroperiods and sizes

2. protect small wetlands, as those are most vulnerable to loss with unique biota

3. consider all WL dependent wildlife when managing wetlands- not just one or two spp

4. for large species, protect the larger WL as well

5. recognize species with complex life-histories and the WL that support Them

6. protected sites often require direct management to protect wildlife values

7. upland areas that are connected are also important

Compare and contrast: Surface flow and sub-surface flow treatment wetland

Surface Flow and Sub-surface flow are the two main types of engineered wetlands systems designed to treat industrial, agricultural, municipal, or stormwater runoff.

Surface‐flow
• Resembles a natural wetland and can be better habitat for certain wetland species due to standing water.
Subsurface‐flow
• Resembles a wastewater treatment plant than a wetland.
• Water flows horizontally through a porous medium (sand/gravel) supporting one or two species of macrophyte (Phragmites/Typha)

List the five categories of vegetation that can classified when delineating a wetland

1. Obligate wetland plants (OBL): Plants that
   occur almost always in wetlands under
   natural conditions (%99)

2. Facultative wetland plants (FACW)- Plants that occur usually (67-99%) in wetlands, but also occur in non-wetlands

3. Facultative plants-(FAC)- plants with a similar likelihood (33-67%) of occurring in both wetlands and non-wetlands

4. Facultative upland plants (FACU)- plants that occur sometimes (1-33%) in wetlands, but occur more often in non-wetlands (67-99%)

5. Obligate upland plants (UPL)- Plants that occur rarely (1%) in wetlands but occur most always in non-wetlands under natural conditions.

Explain: FSA wetland definition (1985), FWS definition (1978), USACE definition (1977)

1. FSA Wetland definition (1985)-is inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Also mainly the Food security act which was a response to agricultural

2. FWS definition (1979)-.the FWS is responsible for providing input on T&E species and ecologically sensitive areas before impact occurs- it was important and charged with reporting to Congress on the status of the nations Wetlands

3. USACE definition (1977)-thoses 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. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas

definition: Takings

if government laws lead to the loss
of the use of that land by the landowner, the
restriction on that use

Potentially against the 5th amendment of the
US Constitution.

Why is assigning a value to a wetland so problematic

Evaluation systems that seek to compare
natural wetlands to human economic systems
usually reduce all values to monetary terms.
• Conventional theory assumes that in a free economy, the economic benefit of a commodity is the dollar amount that the public is willing to pay for the good or service
rather than be without.
• What’s your price for pure water or pure air?

When applying for a permit to impact a wetland what three approaches are followed before wetland impact is allowed

in 1987 the USACE published a technical manual
that specified three mandatory technical criteria
for a parcel of land to be declared a wetland:
– Vegetation
– Soils
– Hydrology

Definition: Swampbuster

persons converting wetlands to agriculture
would be denied agricultural loans, payments, and
benefits. in response to the concern of agricultural
interests about wetland issues, Congress enacted
specific definitions of wetlands, hydric soils, and
hydrophytic vegetation for Department of
Agriculture programs.

Compare and contrast: USACE and EPA

The FWPCA has argued heavily in the House of
Representa4ves, especially upon the responsibili4es
of the EPA and the USACE.
• The mission of the USACE is to protect naviga5on
and the mission of the EPA is to protect the
environment
In support of the compromise, it was argued
that USACE and EPA had a responsibility to
"identify land-­‐based sites for the disposal of
dredged spoil and where land-­‐based disposal
was not feasible, to establish diked areas for
disposal”.

Explain: Water foul, aquifer recharge, timber, fisheries.

1. Waterfoul- Diversity of WL types important for waterfowl success. Habitat degradation and loss, both in northern breeding grounds and in the wintering areas are contributing to population declines. Hunting is closely regulated and tailored to the local region.

2. Aquifer recharge- Larger wetlands may not serve as great a role in aquifer recharge as do smaller wetlands. This is problematic because often, smaller wetlands are more vulnerable to human impacts than larger ones

3. Timber- Wetlands provide an abundance of building
   materials and food for local economies. Herbaceous vegetation is also a source of energy fiber and other commodities energy, fiber and other commodities. The production of many wetlands’ species are as great as many of our most vigorous agricultural crops.

4. Fisheries- A direct relationship between shrimp and fish harvests and wetland area has been illustrated
   for many fisheries around the world, including
   marine, freshwater and pond‐raised. Over 95% of the fish and shellfish species that Over 95% of the fish and shellfish species that are taken in the US are wetland dependent. Some are permanent residents while others are transient. Virtually all freshwater fish are dependent in some degree on wetlands

Why did the 1975 Judicial interpretation of the water pollution Control Act Amendments (1972) have such a profound impact on the USACE? What series of events did it set into motion

In 1975, the Federal District Court in the District of
Columbia ruled that the defini4on of navigable waters
in Section 404 of FWPCA had the same meaning as did
the broad definitions used elsewhere in the statute,
thus extending coverage of the Act to wetlands
regardless of actual navigability.
• Natural Resources Defense Council v. Callaway held
invalid USACE's earlier interpretation of the act, which
had excluded some 85% of the na4on's wetlands, and
opened a new chapter in the history of wetland
regula4on.
• When the government accepted the new judicial
interpretation of the Act, USACE and EPA needed for
the first 4me to adopt a regulatory definition of
wetland

wetlands must
have one or more of the following three
attributes

(1) at least periodically, the land
supports predominantly hydrophytes; (2) the
substrate is predominantly undrained hydric
soil; and (3) the substrate is nonsoil and is
saturated with water or covered by shallow
water at some time during the growing season
of each year