7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

1/22

Wetlands

1) What is a wetland?

2) What has happened to the Everglades?

3) How are temporary pond communities differentfrom communities in permanent systems?

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

2/22

What is a wetland?

Habitats that are not quite terrestrial and not quite aquatic

http://www.nps.gov/ever/

stahl.ce.washington.edu/projects/ whatwedoanne.html

www.ebibleteacher.com/imagehtml/ sermonimages.html

http://stahl.ce.washington.edu/projects/whatwedoanne.htmlhttp://www.ebibleteacher.com/imagehtml/sermonimages.htmlhttp://www.ebibleteacher.com/imagehtml/sermonimages.htmlhttp://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/swamp.jpghttp://stahl.ce.washington.edu/projects/whatwedoanne.html

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

3/22

cleaning of polluted waters andimproving water quality

Wetland Function

recharge groundwater supplies and moderatestream flow by providing water to streams

reduce damage caused by floods by slowing and

storing flood water

habitat for plants and animals

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

4/22

What is a wetland?

Wetlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and

aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near thesurface or the land is covered by shallow water.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

3) the substrate is nonsoil and is saturated with water or

covered by shallow water at some time during the growingseason of each year

For purposes of this classification, wetlands must have one ormore of the following three attributes (at least periodically):

1) the land supports hydrophytes

2) the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

5/22

hydrophytes plants typically found in wet habitats

hydric soil soils which are usually wet and where

there is little or no free oxygen

Purple loosestrifeLythrum salicaria

cattail

Typha sp.

https://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/04

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/plants/magnoliophyta/magnoliophytina/magnoliopsida/lythraceae/lythrum/salicaria-2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/warp/plants-2-English-Photolist.html&h=872&w=500&prev=/images%3Fq%3DLythrum%2Bsalicaria%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

6/22

What is a wetland?

The term "wetland" means those areas that areinundated or saturated by surface water or ground

water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support,and that under normal circumstances do support, aprevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in

saturated conditions. Wetlands generally includeswamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

7/22

Why care about these formal definitions?

Arent wetlands just a nuisance anyway?

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

8/22

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/wetloss/fig_3_4.htm

California has lostthe largestpercentage oforiginal wetlands(91%)

Florida has lostthe most acreage(9.3 million acres)

In Illinois, manycounties have lost90%-99% of theirwetlands

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

9/22

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/wetloss/figure5.htm

Extent and location of artificially drained agricultural landin the US, 1985

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

10/22

cleaning of polluted waters andimproving water quality

Wetland Function

recharge groundwater supplies and moderatestream flow by providing water to streams

reduce damage caused by floods by slowing and

storing flood water

habitat for plants and animals

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

11/22

Major causes of wetland loss and degradation

Draining, dredging and filling

Dams and levees

Logging, mining and construction

Runoff, pollutants, exotic species

Erosion, sea level rise, hurricanes

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

12/22

Swamp any wetland dominated by woody plants

www.ebibleteacher.com/imagehtml/ sermonimages.html

isis.uwimona.edu.jm/centres/ cms/caricomp/

www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/ bawwg/case/ohphoto1.html

http://www.ebibleteacher.com/imagehtml/sermonimages.htmlhttp://isis.uwimona.edu.jm/centres/cms/caricomp/http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/bawwg/case/ohphoto1.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/bawwg/case/ohphoto1.htmlhttp://isis.uwimona.edu.jm/centres/cms/caricomp/http://isis.uwimona.edu.jm/centres/cms/caricomp/mangrove_swamp.gifhttp://www.ebibleteacher.com/imagehtml/sermonimages.htmlhttp://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/swamp.jpg

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

13/22

Bog characterized by spongy peat deposits, acidic waters,and a floor covered by sphagnum moss.

www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/ types/bog.html

Bogs receive all or most of their water from precipitationrather than from runoff, groundwater or streams.

Northern pitcher plant

Sarracenia purpureaEastern mud salamander (Pseudotritonmontanus) on sphagnummoss

http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/types/bog.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/types/bog.html

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

14/22

Fen peat-forming wetlands that receive nutrientsfrom sources other than precipitation

Fens differ from bogs because they are less acidic and havehigher nutrient levels

They can support a much more diverse community

http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/types/fen.html

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

15/22

Marsh frequently or continually inundated with water,characterized by emergent soft-stemmed vegetationadapted to saturated soil conditions

Tidal Marshesstahl.ce.washington.edu/projects/ whatwedoanne.html

Salt Marsh

Cordgrass Spartina

N id l h

http://stahl.ce.washington.edu/projects/whatwedoanne.htmlhttp://stahl.ce.washington.edu/projects/whatwedoanne.html

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

16/22

Non-tidal marshes

Wet meadows

www.wetland.org/kids/ wetlands.htm

Prairie potholes

Playas

Vernal pools

http://www.vernalpool.org/vpinfo_1.htmwww.consbio.umn.edu/ CB_Program/Wahl.htm

Th E l d

http://www.wetland.org/kids/wetlands.htmhttp://www.consbio.umn.edu/CB_Program/Wahl.htmhttp://www.consbio.umn.edu/CB_Program/Wahl.htmhttp://www.wetland.org/kids/wetlands.htm

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

17/22

The Everglades

River of grass was once 160 km long, 80 kmwide, < 1 m deep

Draining began in the 1880s

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec04/everglades_11-25.html#

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

18/22

Temporary ponds (vernal pools) support a unique aquaticcommunity

http://www.vernalpool.org/vpinfo_1.htm

Often fishless

Big zooplankton

Big benthic invertebrates

Amphibians

F i Sh i T d l h i

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

19/22

www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ artjul00/dwtriops.html

mailbox.univie.ac.at/ ~edere6/UZK/

Fairy Shrimp Tadpole shrimp

Clam shrimp All these species makedormant eggs to survive duringthe dry period.

www.sacsplash.org/mather/ lessons/lesson3c.htm

So do the other temporaryponds zooplankton like

Daphnia, copepods and othercladocera

I t ft j d t i t d

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjul00/dwtriops.htmlhttp://mailbox.univie.ac.at/~edere6/UZK/http://www.sacsplash.org/mather/lessons/lesson3c.htmhttp://www.sacsplash.org/mather/lessons/lesson3c.htmhttp://mailbox.univie.ac.at/~edere6/UZK/http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjul00/dwtriops.htmlhttp://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjul00/dwtriops.htmlhttp://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjul00/dwtriops.html

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

20/22

Insects are often major predators in temporary ponds

Notonecta--backswimmer Dyticid beetle larva

Dragonflies

Some insects get throughthe dry phase in dormancy,other just fly away and re-colonize the pond once itrefills

www.biol.lu.se/funkmorf/ vision/dan/prey.html

http://www.fhsu.edu/biology/thomasson/AquaticInsects/HerlOdonata/Herl.htm

M hibi b d i t d

http://www.biol.lu.se/funkmorf/vision/dan/prey.htmlhttp://www.biol.lu.se/funkmorf/vision/dan/prey.html

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

21/22

Many amphibians breed in temporary ponds

American ToadBufo americanus

users.erols.com/reptiles/ amphibia.htm

Spring peeperPseudacris crucifer

Chorus frogPseudacris triseriata

http://www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA/frogs_state.cfm

C t t k

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/psecrub.htmhttp://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/psecrub.htmhttp://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/psetrib.htmhttp://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/tadpole/psecrub.htmhttp://users.erols.com/reptiles/amphibia.htm

7/31/2019 13. Wetlands04

22/22

Concepts to know

What are the major characteristics of wetlands?What are the different types of wetlands?What ecosystem services do wetlands provide?Are federal, state and local laws adequate to

protect wetlands?How have humans altered the habitat of theEverglades?What are the consequences?

Why are the communities of temporary pondsdifferent that those of permanent systems?