BIOL462 Lecture Notes - Geochemistry, Physiognomy, Limnetic Zone
20 Apr 2014
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Document Summary
An area of land that is usually surrounded with water, often a marsh or swamp. Land areas where the land surface is saturated for most of the year. Saturated long enough to produce hydric soils. Support specialized biota community adapted to hydrophytic conditions. Marine water at low tide not more than 6m. Purpose of classification: standard terminology, provides framework for defining and recognizing wetlands, provides common terms/standards for wetland inventories, mapping, and zones, is a system available for legislative, scientific, conservative and management purposes. Classes: bog,fen, marshes, shallow water, swamp: wetland form: Wetlands are hard to classify due to: physical setting, hydrology, geochemistry, and biota. More than 40 cm of organic accumulation(whether active or not) Mire: peat forming veg, where peat is being formed. Hydrol: wt at surface or few cm above/below it. Veg: rushes, reeds, grass, sedge, floating emergent aquatic veg. water. Landform: in transition b. w peatland/ mineral wetland and aquatic systems.
