Wetlands general

Question 1

What are the three basic components of a wetland?

Answer 1

water or hydrology, soils or physiochemical environment, and plants or biota

Question 2

Describe briefly the three components of wetlands’ definitions

Answer 2

• Presence of water in the rootzone or surface
• Presence of hydric soils (organic and mineral soils)
• Vegetation:
  - Presence of hydrophytes
  - Absence of flood intolerant plants

Question 3

Do your own definition of a wetland describing the relationships between hydrology, geomorphology, climate, and biota

Answer 3

Answer revised by Ms. Graf, it can obviously vary:
A wetland is an ecosystem characterized by the presence of either surface or groundwater in the root zone of plants, hydric soils organic or mineral, and hydrophyte vegetation with a complete absence of flooding intolerant plants. The previously mentioned characteristics are intertwined as the hydrology, physiochemical environment and biota aspects of the wetland, where the hydrology has a direct effect on both others, the physiochemical environment has a direct effect over the biota, and the biota has a feedback relation to the other both aspects. The previous aspects also depend on the geomorphology and climate of the zone where the ecosystem is located, with the climate having a direct effect on the hydrology and biota, and the geomorphology on the hydrologic and physiochemical environment aspects. (Relationships in slide 8)

Question 4

Vegetation is the most used indicator to recognize wetlands. what are the indicator categories, description, and % in Wetland?

Answer 4

Indicator categories / Description / % in Wetland:

• obligated wetland plants / Almost always found in wetlands / > 99%
• Facultative wetland plants / usually occur in wetlands / 67 - 99%
• Facultative plants / Occurs equally in wetland and non-wetlands 34 - 66%
• Facultative upland plants / usually occur in non-wetlands / 1 - 33%
• obligate upland plants / almost always occur in non-wetlands / < 1%

Question 5

From the relationship between geomorphology and climate, where is easier for a wetland to occur with an intermediate climate?

Answer 5

Flatlands, channels, and basins. for channels and basins aquatic systems may occur.
for highlands, slopes, and hills wetlands a very wet climate is needed (rainy scotland or cloud forests in South America)

Question 6

Describe the differences between systems: terrestrial, wetland and deepwater aquatic system, according to hydrology, bichemical role, and productivity

Answer 6

(slide 9) Hydrology / Biochemical role / Productivity:
terrestrial: dry / Source / low to medium
Wetland: Intermittently to pernanently flooded / source, sink, and/or transformer (not the fighting against the decepticons type ;) ) / generally high, sometimes low
Deepwater aquatic system: pernanently flooded / sink / generally low

Question 7

What is unique about wetlands compared to the other systems?

Answer 7

they are source, sink and transformer at the same time.