Lecture 12 Wetlands. Lecture 3: Outline

Transcription

1 Lecture 12 Wetlands Lecture 3: Outline I. What is a Wetland? II. Types of Wetlands III. Importance of Wetlands IV. Major Threats to Wetlands V. Wetlands in the U.S. VI. Wetlands in California VII. Wetland Legislation VIII. Southern California Wetlands Mapping Project 1

2 What is a wetland? Generally, a wetland is land that is periodically flooded, whether by the tide, the rise of river flows, rain, or--in some cases--human action. Among the several types of wetlands are marshes, bogs, swamps, baylands, and riparian areas. (State of California) What is a wetland? Jurisdictional wetlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Wetlands must have the following characteristics: At least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytes (defined by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil (defined by NRCS). The substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season of each year. Army Corps of Engineers requires all 3 characteristics U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires only 1 of any 3 2

3 Types of wetlands Marine Open ocean up to the high tide line Lacustrine-Lakes (non-flowing permanently flooded impoundments) Estuarine Transitional between salt water and freshwater Riverine - Rivers (flowing water confined to a channel, not impounded) Palustrine Wetlands with vegetation,marshes and swamps (shallow basins which may periodically dry) a. marsh: contains only herbaceous vegetation and/or shrubs (but no trees) b. swamp: basically, a forested marsh Importance of wetlands Water filtration Water storage Water quality control Erosion control Fish and wildlife Biological diversity Recreation 3

4 Importance of wetlands In 2002 wetland-related ecotourism activities such as hunting, fishing, bird-watching, and photography added approximately $59 billion to the national economy. According to the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen s Associations, almost $79 billion per year is generated from wetland-dependent species, or about 71 percent of the nation s entire $111 billion commercial and recreational fishing industry. An acre of wetland can store million gallons of floodwater. Up to one-half of North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands. Although wetlands represent only about 5% of the land surface in the conterminous United States, they home to 31% of our plant species *EPA Wetland Resources Report, 2002 Major threats to wetlands Development Agriculture Changes in water regime Global l warming Dredging associated with flood control, disease control, etc. Addition of impervious surfaces to the watershed 4

5 Wetlands in the U.S. In the late 1700 s there was an estimated 392 million acres of wetlands Over the last 200 years, the U.S. has lost approximately 53% of its wetlands Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Ohio-have lost 70 percent or more of their original wetland acreage Wetlands in California More than 90% of California's original wetlands have been lost, the largest loss of any state t in the nation Only 5% of the historic riparian habitat remains Loss has been attributed to conversion to agriculture, development, and other forms of human impact 5

6 Wetlands Legislation The Clean Water Act (1972) Section 404 Mandates no net loss of wetlands U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Other: Department of Defense U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) Wetlands Legislation State Wetlands Conservation Policy (1993) Ensure no overall net loss and achieve a long-term net gain in the quantity, quality, and permanence of wetlands acreage and values. Reduce procedural complexity in the administration of State and Federal wetlands conservation programs. Encourage partnerships to make landowner incentive programs and cooperative planning efforts the Primary focus of wetlands conservation and restoration.. 6