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ADVANCING EPA WETLAND SCIENCE: DEVELOPING TOOLS FOR QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF WETLAND FUNCTION AND CONDITION AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL
Citation:
LANE, C. R. ADVANCING EPA WETLAND SCIENCE: DEVELOPING TOOLS FOR QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF WETLAND FUNCTION AND CONDITION AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL. Presented at 2005 EPA Science Forum, Washington, DC, May 16 - 18, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
The EPA Office of Water has recognized a critical need for tribes, states and federal agencies to be able to quantitatively assess the condition of the nations wetland resources. Currently, greater than 85% of states, tribes, and territories are lacking even rudimentary biological assessment methodologies for wetlands. Additional important needs identified include obtaining baseline nutrient and physical/chemical conditions to aid in understanding the role of wetland systems (isolated wetlands in particular) in ensuring aquatic life and beneficial uses of lakes, rivers, and streams in the watershed.
To address these challenges, we have initiated a pilot study with EPA Region IV to: 1) Develop a probabilistic sampling design that stratifies wetlands by type and size (also targeting reference conditions); 2) Collect biotic (macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, and diatoms) and abiotic (water and soil chemistry) data to establish baseline conditions, develop soil spectral database, and quantify wetland contribution to landscape nutrient dynamics; 3) Concurrently assess wetland condition with Level 1 (GIS) and Level 2 (rapid assessment) assessment methods; 4) Correlate biotic signature to local and landscape assessments; 5) Report on the condition of systems across region and recommend assessment methods to states and tribes.
In addition, we are currently planning research to develop a spectral library for monitoring and assessment of wetlands of the Cuyahoga basin in Ohio using visual and near infrared spectrometry. In order to leverage resources, the work involves collaboration with key personnel from Kenyon College and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, with sample processing and library development by the Wetland Biogeochemistry Lab at the University of Florida.
This research will provide a region-wide understanding of wetland condition and contribution to landscape nutrient dynamics. This will contribute to a fuller understanding of not only wetland condition, but also the use of wetlands in restoration, and the functions and benefits of wetlands with respect to regional environmental health.