Wetland Ecology

Water (inundation)

must be present on the surface or the root zone at some point in the growing season

Soil (Hydric)

inundated long enough to develop anaerobic conditions

Biota (hydrophytic veg.)

adapted to saturated conditions particularly vegetation.

hydrophytic vegetation

plants adapted to wet conditions

Upland (UPL)

(Wetland Indictor Status Categories)

Almost never occur in wetlands (1% occurance)

Rarely is hydrophyte almost always in uplands

Facultative Upland

(Wetland Indictor Status Categories)

Usually occur in non wetlands - may occur in wetlands

1-33% occurrence

occasionally is a hydrophyte usually occurs in uplands

occur in drier areas.

Facultative (FAC)

(Wetland Indictor Status Categories)

Occur in wetlands and non wetlands

34-66% occurrence in wetlands

commonly occurs as hydrophyte or nonhydrophyte

Facultative Wetland (FACW)

(Wetland Indictor Status Categories)

occur in wetlands but could occur in non wetlands

67-99% occurrence

Usually a hydrophyte occasionally in uplands

usually hydric soils.

Obligate (OBL)

Almost always occur in wetlands

99% occurrence

always a hydrophyte rarely in uplands.

Submerged

(Plant Growth Types)

Plants that conduct virtually all of their growth and reproductive activity underwater

Free Floating

(Plant Growth Types)

plants that often grow with their leaves and other vegetative and reproductive organs floating on the water surface.

Floating Leaved

(Plant Growth Types)

plants that are rooted in sediment but also have leaves that float on the water surface.

Emergent

(Plant Growth Types)

Herbaceous and woody plants that grow w/ bases submerged and rooted in inundated sediment

Saturation

(Soil)

All pores are filled with water

Field Capacity

(Soil)

Water in Larger pores has drained.

Permanent Wilting Point

(Soil)
Plant can no longer extract water

Hydric Soils

Formed under conditions of saturation flooding or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part.

Mineral Soils

Less than 20-35% organic Content

Organic Content

More than 18% OC if more than 60% clay; 12-18% if less than 60% clay.

Biogeochemical Cycling

transport and transformation of chemicals

Redox Potential

Quantitative measure of the tendency of the soil to oxidize or reduct substances

Oxygenic Photosynthesis

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

major pathway

CO2 reduced to organic compound

Anoyxgenic Photosynthesis

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

CO2 reduced to organic but no O2

in Bacteria.

Oxic Respiration

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

oxygen is the biological oxidation of organic matter

Anerobic Respiration

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

Biological Oxidation of organic matter

NO OXYGEN

Fermentation

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

Carbs have broken down to dissolved organic carbon

Provides substrate for other microbes

Methanogenisis

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

Methanogens use CO2 for the production of methane gas CH4
released into atmosphere

occurs in reduced soil layer - little oxygen - saturated soil with H2O.

What layers produce more methane

reduced soil layers

Methane Emmission

(Carbon Cycle Key Reactions)

Seasonal Fluctuation temperate wetlands but not in the tropics.