Wetlands

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Wetlands
By Dr. James Anderson
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• An estimated 221 million acres of wetlands
  occurred in the 48 states prior to European
  settlement

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• Since that time, more than 53 of those
  wetlands have been drained or filled for
  development, agriculture, resource extraction,
  and other purposes.

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53 Lost
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• West Virginia has an estimated 102,000 acres
  of wetlands, which is less than 1 percent of the
  state's land area

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• In the late 1700s, it was estimated that West
  Virginia had 134,000 acres present, which was 24
  more than the current acreage.

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• West Virginia has fewer wetlands than many
  states primarily because of its rugged
  topography, but there are some well-known
  wetlands in the state such as

• Cranberry Glades

• Canaan Valley

• Pine Swamp

• Cranesville Swamp

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• The rugged topography limits the number of
  wetlands in West Virginia.

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• In West Virginia, numerous wetlands occur where
  man-made structures, such as roads and railroads,
  impound water

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• Wetlands can also be found around the margins of
  lakes and farm ponds, rivers, and seeps

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• So What is a Wetland?

All areas...in which the natural declivity is
insufficient, when the forest cover is removed,
to reduce the soil to the measure of dryness
necessary for agriculture. Whenever any form of
engineering is necessary to secure this
desiccation the area is classified as swamp.
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Today two primary definitions are used, the
scientific and the regulatory
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The scientific definition used by the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service defines wetlands
as lands transitional between terrestrial and
aquatic systems where the water table is usually
at or near the surface or the land is covered by
shallow water. For purposes of this
classification wetlands must have at least one or
more of the following attributes
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(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.
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The regulatory definition used by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency and the
United States Army Corp of Engineers defines
wetlands as those 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.
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Within wetlands three parameters are present
1) Hydrology-indicates that water is present on
the surface or within the root zone
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2) Hydric soils-have unique properties that are
related to alternating wetting and drying of the
soils
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3) Hydrophytic vegetation (or hydrophytes)- are
particular plants such as cattails (Typha spp.)
that are tolerant of wet soil or low oxygen
conditions
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Hydrology Hydric Soil Hydrophytic Vegetation

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• Wetlands are known by a variety of names
  including aquatic, bogs, bottomlands, fens,
  marshes, mires, moors, muskegs, peatlands,
  playas, potholes, ponds, sloughs, swamps,
  riparian (streamside), salt marshes, seeps,
  vernal pools, wet prairie, and wet meadows

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• playas

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• marsh

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• Wet meadow

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• Common types of wetlands occurring in West
  Virginia are aquatic, bogs, marshes, swamps,
  riparian (streamside), seeps, and wet meadows

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• There also is a scientific classification used
  for mapping and reference purposes

• Based on this classification most wetlands in
  West Virginia are a type of palustrine emergent,
  palustrine scrub-shrub, palustrine forested, or
  palustrine unconsolidated bottom/ unconsolidated
  shore wetlands

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• Palustrine wetlands have less than 0.5 parts per
  thousand of ocean-derived salt and are generally
  dominated by trees, shrubs, or persistent
  emergent vegetation (vegetation that lasts at
  least until the next growing season).

• If wetlands do not meet these criteria, they are
  considered lacustrine, estuarine, or riparian
  wetlands

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• Most West Virginia wetlands are Palustrine.

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• Wetlands provide numerous ecological functions
  and also are valuable economically

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• Precipitation and run-off are stored in
  wetlands, which changes sharp run-off peaks to
  slower discharges over longer time periods
  reducing the potential for flooding

• For example, 9,300 acres of wetlands along
  Charles River (Massachusetts) was estimated to
  prevent 17 million in damage/year from floods

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• Wetlands are highly productive wildlife habitats

• Almost 50 of the federally listed threatened or
  endangered animal species rely on wetlands

• Birdwatchers visit wetlands to see and
  photograph bald eagles, red-winged blackbirds,
  kingfishers, tree swallows, and many other birds
  and wildlife

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• It is estimated that 10 billion is spent
  annually by 50 million people observing and
  photographing wetland-dependent wildlife

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• Wetlands contribute millions of dollars annually
  in terms of fish, fur, alligator hides, and other
  commercially valuable wildlife species

• Wetlands also supply cash crops of cranberries,
  blueberries, peat moss, and timber

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• Wetland plants can remove toxic contaminants
  from water and soil and they absorb agricultural
  fertilizer, nutrients, and pesticides before they
  pollute waterways

• Wetlands also have been used in treating acid
  mine drainage from abandoned coal mines

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• Wetlands are primarily conserved through
  management or conservation of existing wetlands
  and through construction of new ones

• Wetlands are often managed specifically as
  habitat for wildlife species

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• Many of the national wildlife refuges also are
  focused on wetland habitats for migratory birds

• Wetlands can be made more productive by
  manipulating the water regimes to promote seed
  germination of favorable forage and
  seed-producing plants

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• There is no comprehensive federal legislation
  designed specifically to conserve wetlands

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• However, some wetlands are protected under
  Section 404 and 401 of the federal Clean Water
  Act, which regulates the discharge of dredged or
  fill material into the waters of the United
  States

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• If an area meets the regulatory definition of a
  wetland it is illegal to fill it in unless a
  federal and state permit is obtained

• However, there are exceptions to this rule

• Wetlands not associated with a stream (isolated
  wetlands) currently are not protected

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• Additionally, wetlands are offered no protection
  against draining and all wetlands less than
  1/10th of an acre are not protected

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• In reality Section 404 and 401 of CWA only
  regulates filling of wetlands greater than 1/10th
  acre.

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• Wetlands that require a permit can still be
  drained, but mitigation must be implemented

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• In general for every acre destroyed 2 acres must
  be constructed if the impacted site was an
  emergent wetlands or 3 acres must be constructed
  for scrub-shrub and forested wetlands

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• The federal policy of no net wetland loss also
  has helped to slow the loss of wetlands.

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• Wetlands are highly productive systems that
  provide valuable ecosystem functions and values
  to humans

• The public has recognized these values and
  although wetlands continue to be lost, it is at a
  much slower pace than historical rates

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• Policies aimed at preventing wetland loss and
  requiring that destroyed wetlands be mitigated
  have helped slow this decline

• However, in many cases the mitigated or
  constructed wetlands do not perform as well as
  natural wetlands

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• In the future, the remaining wetlands will be
  increasingly more important for maintenance of
  biodiversity and contributing to ecosystem
  functions.

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Wetland Related Research
Moist-soil Management Mute Swans Otters Canaan
Valley Rare Wetland Plants Rare Wetland Plant
Communities Vertical Liner Wetland
Mitigation Ohio River Back Channels Wetland
IBI Deer Herbivory Beaver Mitigation Banking
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QUESTIONS????