1. Defining the Wetlands By: Sam Stengel, TJ Cuclasure and Kelsey Bechtel

2.  Soil, Plants and water characteristics are what define a wetland.  Complicated process of delineating a wetland because of the changeable conditions of their conditions.  Struggle for a delineation strategy. Wetland Delineation

3.  Anaerobic conditions create noticeable soil characteristic.  Smell  Color  Water collection  Mottled coloring  “gleyed” soils  Oxidized rhizospeheres Hydric/Saturated Soils

4.  Plants are the most obvious indicators of a wetland.  Emergent reeds, Lilies and cypress trees.  Plants have to adapt to find ways to capture and transport oxygen.  The “knees” of a tree(cypress)  Shallow or exposed roots  Plants with hollow tubes(emergent reeds)  Floating plants(lilies)  Swollen tree trunks(cypress trees) Water Tolerant Plants

5.  Water is the defining circumstance of a wetland.  Flooded, damp, or saturated below the surface.  Sings of wetland sites:  Kneel test(spongy ground)  Mud/mud cracks in low spots  Water stained tree trunks  Stained vegetation  Depression where water might collect  Gullies or stream channels Hydrologic Regime

6.  Six percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by wetlands. This is about 3.5 million square miles, that just a little smaller then the US.  In order for an area to be considered as a wetland, it has to be dominated by the presence of water. Global Distribution of Wetlands

7.  Water levels in a wetland is either at, just below or above ground level. These water conditions cause the soil in the area to be super saturated. The dominant presence of water

8.  The water levels create perfect conditions for hydric soils.  Hydric soil- low levels of oxygen The Soil

9.  Hydrophytic Plants grow best in these water and soil conditions.  These plants have adapted to thrive in this type of environment. Plant Types

10. Major Categories of Wetlands Coastal:  Marine-open coast, salt water;  ex. marshes, mangrove, swamps  Estuarine-open coast, salt and fresh water mix;  ex. Deltas, lagoons How to Classify a Wetland

11. Coastal Wetland

12. Major Categories of Wetlands Inland:  Riverine-fresh water;  ex. bottomlands, freshwater marshes, floodplains  Lacustrine-fresh water;  ex. Lakes, deltas  Palustrine- fresh water;  ex. Ponds, bogs, peatlands How to classify a Wetland

13. Inland Wetland

14.  Bog: no significant inflows or outflows (no current); water comes from precipitation  Bottomlands: along streams and rivers in floodplains (overflow)  Marsh: fresh or saltwater; vegetation; frequently flooded; found near larger body of water Common Types of Wetlands

15. Bog Bottomlands Marsh

16.  Peatland: accumulates partially decayed plant matter (peat)  Pothole: shallow marsh-like pond; formed by an erosion of rock or soil  Swamp: vegetated by trees and shrubs; shallow slow streams; isolated depressions in soil or rock  Delta: landform at the mouth of a river, form a deposit of sediment Common Types of Wetlands

17. Peatland Pothole Swamp Delta

18. Works Cited www.usafair.org www.treehugger.com www.nps.gov http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_t op_story/coastal-wetlands-worldwide-may- disappear/ http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_t op_story/coastal-wetlands-worldwide-may- disappear/ http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/h ydrology/wetlands/ http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/h ydrology/wetlands/ http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/03/na ture_conservation/wwddetail/Types_classif. html http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/03/na ture_conservation/wwddetail/Types_classif. html