Wetlands Important and often unappreciated lands.

Wetlands

What is a wetland?  It is the transition zone between truly aquatic habitat and terrestrial habitat.  The problem of defining a wetland has become entangled in politics as well as science.  High economic stakes  Very nature of being a transitional zone

Wetland Distribution  Currently, estimates indicate about 6.4% of land globally is wetland  Over the past 250 or so years, 53% of US wetlands have been lost due to human activities  Most US wetlands are in Alaska (approx. 70%) with the remainder in the lower 48 states  Of the approx. 42 million acres in the lower 48, about 80% is inland and about 20% is coastal

Historically Important  The wetlands of the Carboniferous Period generated most of the fossil fuel upon which we now rely

Wetland Characteristics 1.Shallow water or saturated soils at least at some time during the year 2.Accumulate slowly decomposing organic matter 3.Have plants and animals typically adapted to saturated conditions

Why are Wetlands Valuable to Environment? 1.They are purifiers – “kidneys of the landscape” 2.Prevent floods 3.Protect shorelines 4.Recharge aquifers with “purified” water 5.Important as wildlife habitat 6.Global climate stabilizers and CO 2 absorbers

Economic Benefits  Recreational Opportunities  Hunting  Fishing  Bird watching  Wildlife Photography  Hiking  Boating Added an estimated $59.5 million to the national economy in 1991.

Endangered Species  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 43% of the federally threatened and endangered species rely directly or indirectly on wetlands for their survival Florida Panther

The United States Supreme Court recently affirmed the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers to require a permit for “deep ripping” activities. The defendant, Angelo Tsakopoulos, began “deep ripping” his ranch in 1993 without a permit. “Deep ripping” is a farming practice which uses four- to seven-foot prongs to churn the soil behind the tractor and prepare the soil for orchards and vineyards. Many of the areas chosen by Tsakopoulos contained protected swales, sloped wetlands which filter water and minimize erosion. The Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA informed Tsakopoulos that he needed a permit to continue, and when he failed to cease activities, issued an administrative order against him. Tsakopoulos filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California challenging the authority of the Corps and the EPA. Tsakopoulos was fined $500,000 and required to restore four acres of wetlands. Fines for Destroying Wetlands

 Neb.USA - Environmental Protection Agency cited two western Nebraska landowners for violating the Clean Water Act.Wayne Hansmeier and the Kingsley Cattle Company are ordered to pay $20,000 and replace lost wetland area.Hansmeier diverted Whitetail Creek, a tributary of the North Platte River.The Kingsley Cattle Company dug a new channel for the creek and filled about 1,200 feet of the creek bed and wetlands in Spring of 2003.

What exactly are a Wetland’s Boundaries?  Want to do this just as we have for forests, deserts, grasslands, etc., scientifically  This is called wetlands delineation or wetlands determinations  Determinations - is a wetland present or not  Delineation - where exactly is the boundary

The Problems of Defining a Wetland 1.What if water is only present part of the year? 2.Not all “wetland organisms” are strictly limited solely to “aquatic” habitats 3.Wetlands may be large or small and very different because of size or location 4.Any different wetlands affected differently by outside influences

Most definitions will have the following components to some degree or another 1.Wetlands are distinguished by the “presence” of water either at the surface or in the root zone 2.Wetlands often have unique soil conditions that differ from adjacent upland soils 3.Wetlands support vegetation adapted to wet conditions and lack those intolerant of flooding

In a nutshell, the main factors are 1.HYDROLOGY 2.VEGETATION 3.SOIL

Circular 39  Included a list of 20 types of habitats that would be called wetlands

Common Wetland Habitats Around Here  Deepwater swamps  Freshwater marshes  Riparian forested wetlands