Final Flashcards
Wetland Functions
The physical, chemical, and biological properties of wetlands operating in natural systems
Wetland Values
Benefits of wetlands to society
Groundwater recharge/discharge
water percolates and recharges to groundwater, high water tables discharge into wetlands
Floodflow Alteration
(Flood control) store and slowly release floodwaters downstream
Sediment/toxicant/pathogen retention
release sediment from floodwaters by reducing flow velocity (80-90% of sediments in floodplain wetlands; 70% of Phosphorus + nitrogen)
Production Export
potential for aquaculture or harvesting vegetation
sediment/shoreline stabilization
ability to keep shoreline intact from erosion (hurricanes)
wave barriers
wetlands along large lakes and rivers weaken storm tides/waves before they reach the uplands
water supply
potential source of water in urban areas
wildlife habitat
over 50% of 800 spp of migratory birds rely on wetlands
Threatened & Endangered species habitat
30% of all T&E spp wetland dependent (wetlands only 5% of US land mass)
fish and shellfish habitat
important for spawning and nursery
recreation
fishing, hunting, observing wildlife
educational/scientific
areas for environmental education and research
uniqueness/heritage
“one of a kind” wetlands for a region or area; historic and archaeological
visual quality/aesthetics
areas of diversity and intrinsic beauty
animals used for fur harvest
1) muskrat 2) nutria 3) beaver 4) mink
3 uses for a beaver’s tail
as a rudder, to store fat, and to slap on water to warn enemies
why are there so few wetland obligate mammals?
they are less mobile than birds (cant travel to new wetland) and therefore have limited evolution of characteristics due to wetlands’ seasonal hydrologies
TNW
Traditional Navigable Waters
SWANCC case ruling
isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters can not be regulated under the Clean Water Act based solely on the presence of migratory birds.
original 1948 statute
1) reduce pollution of interstate waters and tribs
2) improve sanitary condition surface/ground waters
3) improve public water supplies
4) consider propagation of fish and aquatic life
5) section 404 of Clean Water Act
Section 404 of CWA
“to regulate the discharge or fill material into waters of the US, including wetlands
who is the regulatory agency of S.404?
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Individual permits
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -required for potentially significant impacts
General permits
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -issued for most discharges that have minimal adverse effects
Rapanos Decision
2006 -ruled against the US ACE and in favor of developers to build and on top of isolated wetlands
Nexus
connection/link
mitigation (S.404)
to minimize the loss of an aquatic site
“avoid, minimize, mitigate”
Wetland definition
A lowland area (ie swamp or marsh) that is saturated with moisture, especially when thought of as the natural habitat of wildlife
jurisdictional definitions
(fed+state legal def. wetlands) based on legal requirements of federal and state regulations:
S.404 of 1977 CWA
S.10 of 1899 Rivers+harbors Act
Article 24 of NYS Environmental Conservation Law
ecological definitions
(f+s legal def. wetlands) based ecological+biological criteria w/ idea that wetlands may not have certain boundaries (saturation with water is factor to determine)
***USFWS def: lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where: 1) water table at/near surface OR 2) land is covered by shallow water
Areas with hydrophytes and hydric soils
marshes, swamps, bogs
areas without hydrophytes but with hydric soils
mudflats with wave action, high salt conc or tides
areas with hydrophytes but nonhydric soils
margins of impoundments or excavations with hydrophytes but hydric soils have not yet developed
areas without soils, but with hydrophytes
seaweed-covered rocky shores
areas without soil and without hydrophytes
gravel beaches or rocky shores without hydrophytes
the “Big 3” Federal Wetland Regulatory Agencies
The US ACE; EPA; NRCS
USEPA
1) regulates jurisdictional wetlands under S.404
2) oversees/makes final judgements on ACE’s permit issuing process
US ACE
1) regulates jurisdictional wetlands through S.404 and S.10 of Rivers+Harbors Act
2) authorized to issue permits for discharge of dredge or fill materials into waters of US, including wetlands
NRCS
(Natural Resources Cons. Service)
1) regulates wetlands on agricultural lands
2) assess farmer eligibility for USDA program benefits
3) administers Wetland Reserve Program
US FWS
1) use an ecologically-based def of wetlands
2) review applications submitted to ACE + comment on envr impacts of proposed work
3) created “National Wetlands Inventory”
ACE+EPA Jurisdictional wetland definition
“those areas inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions”
NRCS same wetland definition as other agencies but…
excludes Alaska due to high potential for agriculture and mostly permafrost soils
Deepwater habitats
permanently flooded lands lying below the deepwater boundary of wetlands
Deepwater habitat traits:
1) no rooted emergent or woody plants
2) substrate is technically nonsoil if water is >6.6’
3) permanently inundated at mean water depth >6.6’
Marine Systems
Oceans
Estuarine systems
Coastal areas
Riverine systems
rivers
Lacustrine systems
Lakes
Palustrine systems
(P) Swamps, marshes, and bogs
Forested wetland class
(F) dominated by woody vegetation (> 6 m)
Forested wetland subclasses:
1) broad-leaved deciduous
2) needle-leaved deciduous
3) broad-leaved evergreen
4) needle-leaved evergreen
5) dead
Scrub-shrub wetland class
(SS) wetlands dominated by woody vegetatoin (< 6 m)
Scrub-shrub wetland subclasses:
1) broad-leaved deciduous
2) needle-leaved deciduous
3) broad-leaved evergreen
4) needle-leaved evergreen
5) dead
Emergent wetland class
(E) wetlands dominated by erect herbaceous hydrophytes (no mosses/lichens)—marshes
Emergent wetland subclasses:
1) persistent (spp remain standing until beginning next growing season at least)
2) non-persistent (spp fall below surface at end of growing season
Moss-Lichen wetland class
(ML?) coverage of trees, shrubs, emergents <30%
subclasses:
1) moss
2) lichens
Aquatic Bed wetland class
wetlands dominated by plants that grow on/below surface of water for most of the growing season
Aquatic bed wetland subclasses:
1) algal
2) aquatic moss
3) rooted vascular
4) floating vascular
Unconsolidated Bottom wetland class
wetland with substrates with 25%+ particles smaller than stones and less than 30% vegetative cover
Unconsolidated Bottom wetland subclasses:
1) cobble-gravel
2) sand
3) mud
4) organic
Unconsolidated shore wetland class
same as unconsolidated bottom, but along shores and deepwaters—same subclasses as unconsolidated bottom
Rock Bottom wetland class
wetlands with substrates with aerial cover of stones, boulders, or bedrock =/+75% and vegetative cover <30%
Rock Bottom wetland subclasses:
1) bedrock (75% or more)
2) rubble (75% or more)
Class 1 wetland characteristics:
1) classic kettlehole bog
2) habitat of endangered/threatened animal spp
3) contains endangered-threatened plant spp
4) supports unusual abundance/div of an animal spp
5) tributary to water body (flooding potential if drained)
6) adjacent to reservoir or body for public water supply
7) contains 4 or more Class 2 characteristics
List the 8 wetland classes:
Forested, Scrub-shrub, Emergent, Moss/Lichens, Aquatic Bed, Unconsolidated Bottom, Unconsolidated Shore, Rock Bottom
