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DEVELOPING A WETLAND MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM: LAND USE, INVASIVE SPECIES AND BIOASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR VEGETATION
Impact/Purpose:
Montana lacks a comprehensive wetland monitoring and assessment program. As such, the state is unable to evaluate the status and trends of wetland water quality and aquatic conditions. A comprehensive wetland assessment and monitoring program must address both direct and indirect wetland impacts. Currently, most wetland assessments focus only on direct impacts ( i.e., the loss of wetland area caused by the placement of fill materials within a delineated wetland). Indirect impacts are changes in the biological composition, diversity, habitat structure and biochemical processes which maintain water quality. Indirect impacts can result from changes in: 1) hydrologic regime (e.g., source, timing, and quantity), 2) water quality, or 3) invasive species. Changes in hydrologic regime and water quality are tied to landscape-level processes and landuse practices. Exotic invasions and the subsequent loss of biological diversity and habitat are a major cause for changes in wetland structure and function.
Therefore, landscape-level processes, land use and exotic species are indicators of wetland impacts and can be useful in the development of bioassessment criteria for wetland vegetation. Vegetation responds to both direct and indirect wetland impacts. Bioassessment criteria based on vegetation metrics provide a link to all aquatic life because of the food and habitat vegetation provides to all higher trophic levels. Goals for the project include:
1. Develop bioassessment protocols for wetland vegetation that can be used for interpreting existing water quality standards that are used to make 303(d) listing decisions and for refining Montana's water-use classifications.
2. Identify indicators that can be used in rapid assesment to determine wetland water quality and aquatic condition status and trends for 305(b) reports.
Description:
This project is one of a suite of interdependent projects developed by members of the Montana Interagency Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Work Group to develop a comprehensive wetland monitoring and assessment program. This project will develop vegetation metrics related to wetland impacts caused by land use and invasive species. These metrics will be incorporated into the wetland monitoring and assessment program for the purpose of determining the extent and susceptibility of aquatic life impairments in wetlands and will enable the state to better protect and restore Montana's wetland resources.