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Wetlands Flashcards

1
Q

These are lands between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water

A

Wetlands

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2
Q

What are three attributes that wetlands must have at least one of?

A
  1. Predominantly hydrophytic plants at least periodically; 2. Predominantly undrained hydric soil substrate; 3. Nonsoil, water-saturated substrate or substrate covered by shallow water at some time during growing season
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3
Q

What three things can be analyzed to determine a wetland?

A
  1. Vegetation; 2. Soil; 3. Hydrology
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4
Q

These are soils that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper horizons

A

Hydric soils

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5
Q

What are four unique morphological/chemical properties of hydric soils?

A
  1. High organic content; 2. Specific moisture regime; 3. Saturated at least 7 days of growing season; 4. Supports specific aquatic plants
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6
Q

Can hydric soils be either organic or mineral soils?

A

Yes

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7
Q

These hydric soils come mostly from living material that accumulates due to slow decomposition

A

Organic soils

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8
Q

What are two other terms for organic hydric soils?

A

Peat or muck

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9
Q

These hydric soils come mostly from rock and other non-living material and have periodic saturation for a sufficient duration to produce chemical and physical properties associated with anaerobic environments

A

Mineral soils

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10
Q

What is the organic material content of hydric soils?

A

At least 50% by volume

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11
Q

For how many days must surface soil be saturated for a soil to be considered hydric?

A

At least 30 days

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12
Q

Mineral hydric soils emit an odor of rotten eggs due to the presence of this compound

A

Hydrogen sulfide

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13
Q

Hydric soils have this type of moisture regime due to water saturation and the resulting lack of dissolved oxygen

A

Aquic or peraquic moisture regime

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14
Q

Hydric soil condition can be reduced due the state transformations of these

A

Ions

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15
Q

These are plants adapted to handle little oxygen, hydric soils and frequent water fluctuations

A

Hydrophytes

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16
Q

What are four characteristics of hydrophytes?

A
  1. Large/thin/floating leaves; 2. Elongated leaf stalks; 3. Little or no waxy cuticle; 4. Poorly developed tissues
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17
Q

Plants are spaced in wetlands depending on this

A

Adaptation for moisture regimes

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18
Q

What are three vegetation zones of wetlands?

A
  1. Transition zone; 2. Emergent zone; 3. Open water
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19
Q

What are four types of wetland plants based on water regime and location?

A
  1. Emergent; 2. Free floating; 3. Floating leaf; 4. Submerged
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20
Q

This is the length of time and portion of the year that a wetland holds water

A

Hydroperiod

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21
Q

Hydroperiods are important determinants of this

A

Aquatic wildlife

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22
Q

What is considered a short hydroperiod?

A

< 4 months (dry by May)

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23
Q

What is considered an intermediate hydroperiod?

A

+ 4 months

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24
Q

What is considered a long hydroperiod?

A

Permanent wetland

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25
This is the biggest challenge for wetland vegetation
Getting oxygen
26
What are six examples of plant morphological adaptations to anoxia?
1. Aerenchyma; 2. Adventitious roots; 3. Rapid stem elongation; 4. Knees; 5. Buttresses; 6. Lenticels
27
Into what two groups does the EPA classify wetlands?
Tidal and non-tidal wetlands
28
These EPA wetlands are affected by oceanic tides and occur inland but in coastal areas
Tidal wetlands
29
What are three examples of tidal wetlands?
Tidal marshes, mangrove swamps, saltwater marshes
30
These are EPA wetlands not associated with oceanic tides or connected to the ocean
Non-tidal wetlands
31
Which EPA wetland classification is most prevalent and widely distribution?
Non-tidal wetlands
32
What are four examples of non-tidal wetlands?
1. Wet meadows; 2. Prairie potholes; 3. Vernal pools; 4. Playa lakes
33
What are five categories of wetlands according to the FWS method?
1. Marine; 2. Estuaries; 3. Riverine; 4. Palustrine; 5. Lacustrine
34
Marine and estuary wetlands are divided into what two zones?
Subtidal and intertidal wetlands
35
This wetland type is contained within a channel and associated with a river system
Riverine wetland
36
What two types of plants are generally found in riverine wetlands?
Non-persistent emergent plants and submerged/floating plants
37
This type of wetland is less than 3 m deep and is less than 20 acres of open water
Palustrine wetland
38
What are two types of plants that grow in palustrine wetlands?
Persistent emergent plants and shrubs/trees
39
What are six examples of palustrine wetlands?
1. Marsh; 2. Swamp; 3. Slough; 4. Meadow bog; 5. Playa lake; 6. Hardwood bottom land
40
This type of wetland is found in topographic depressions or dammed river channels and are at least 20 acres of open water
Lacustrine wetland
41
What two types of plants are found in lacustrine wetlands?
Non-persistent emergent plants (less than 30% plant cover) and submerged/floating plants
42
What are two categories of wetland in North America?
Coastal and wetland
43
These wetlands only make up 38% of North American wetlands
Coastal wetlands
44
What are three types of coastal wetland?
Tidal salt marsh, tidal freshwater marsh, mangrove swamp
45
These wetlands are most common on floodplains along rivers/streams, in depressions on the land, along lakes, or in other low-lying areas in North America
Inland wetlands
46
What are six examples of inland wetlands in North America?
1. Freshwater marshes; 2. Prairie potholes; 3. Sandhill wetlands; 4. Playas; 5. Rainwater basins; 6. Vernal pools
47
These inland wetlands are found in the north/midwest U.S. and are formed by glacial depressions that fill with precipitation
Prairie potholes
48
Do prairie potholes have a widely variable water regime?
Yes
49
Are some prairie potholes permanent?
Yes
50
What is the general depth profile of a prairie pothole?
Shallow with a deeper center
51
These North American inland wetlands are located in the north/central U.S. and form at the groundwater and surface water interface
Sandhill wetlands
52
This type of North American wetland forms the largest contiguous tract of U.S. wetlands
Sandhill wetlands
53
Sandhill wetlands attract these due to their shallowness and invertebrate diversity
Birds
54
There are 19,000+ of this type of North American wetland in Texas
Playa
55
How are playas formed?
Wind scours a depression in a semi-arid area that fills with rainfall
56
Are most playas very large?
No
57
Do playas have low species diversity when wet?
No
58
This type of North American wetland is a complex of wetlands scattered across the state of Nebraska
Rainwater basin
59
Are rainwater basins highly productive?
Yes
60
Rainwater basins are very important to these animals
Migratory birds
61
What U.S. agency protects rainwater basins?
USFWS
62
This type of North American wetland is located in the northeast/midwest U.S. and are covered with water in the winter and spring
Vernal pools
63
What prevents drainage from vernal pools?
Clay/bedrock
64
These North American wetlands are important habitat for wildlife reproduction
Vernal pools
65
What percent of U.S. wetlands have been lost due to wetland conversion?
> 50%
66
How many acres of wetland are lost in the U.S. each year?
~60,000
67
What are three indicators of wetland degradation?
1. Changing water quality; 2. Increasing pollutants; 3. Changing species composition
68
What are two main causes of wetland loss and degradation?
Agricultural use and river channelization
69
What are five economic values of wetlands?
1. Animal harvest; 2. Waterfowl hunting; 3. Fishing/shellfish; 4. Timber harvest; 5. Tourist value
70
What are three ecological values of wetlands?
1. Endangered species habitat; 2. Nutrient and chemical transformation/sequester; 3. Hydrologic benefits
71
What are three hydrologic benefits of wetlands?
1. Flood mitigation; 2. Aquifer recharge; 3. Water quality
72

Limnology (12 decks)

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