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DEVELOPING A WETLAND MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM; BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR VEGETATION
Impact/Purpose:
Because Montana lacks a comprehensive wetland monitoring and assessment program, the state is unable to evaluate the extent of wetland health and needs for wetland restoration and protection. As part of a comprehensive wetland monitoring and assessment program, the state needs to determine the causes, effects, and extent of pollution to wetland resources and to develop pollution prevention, reduction, and elimination strategies. An integral component of the comprehensive program will be the development of bioassessment criteria for wetland vegetation. Vegetation metrics will allow the state to determine whether aquatic life uses are impaired in a wetland and will complement existing biocriteria for macroinvertebrates and diatoms. Vegetation metrics will be especially useful in wetlands that are only ephemerally or temporarily flooded.
The overall goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive state wetland monitoring and assessment program. The specific purpose of this proposal is to develop bioassessment protocols for wetland vegetation. These protocols will be an integral component of the state's goal of determining the status and trends of Montana's water quality.
Description:
The Montana Natural Heritage Program will sample and evaluate riverine and depressional wetlands in the Middle Milk watershed in the Great Plains ecoregion. We will sample wetlands across a human disturbance gradient and collect data on vegetation structure and composition and environmental variables. Based on analysis on these data, as well as data collected by the University of Montana in the Red Rock watershed, we will develop vegetation metrics that are sensitive to human disturbance. This will allow the state to determine the presence and extent of aquatic life use impairment in individual wetlands and will enable the state to better protect and restore Montana's wetland resources. Objective 1 - Identify and select sites (completed prior to project startup) Objective 2 - Conduct field sampling at identified sites Objective 3 - Analyze field data and develop metrics Objective 4 - Report (disseminate results) Objective 5 - Coordinate with Montana Interagency wetland monitoring and assessment workgroup