Inventorying and monitoring wetland condition and restoration potential on a watershed basis with examples from spring creek watershed, Pennsylvania, USA.

摘要: We developed an approach for inventorying wetland resources, assessing their condition, and determining restoration potential in a watershed context. This article outlines how this can be into Wetland Monitoring Matrix (WMM) that help resource management agencies make regulatory nonregulatory decisions. The WMM embedded standard planning process (Wetlands, Wildlife, Watershed Assessment Techniques Evaluation Restoration, or W3ATER) involving the setting of objectives, condition resource, prioritizing watersheds sites, implementing projects, evaluating progress. To we have added concepts reference, hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classification, prioritization protection by triage adaptive management. Three levels effort are possible, increasing detail diagnostic reliability as data collection shifts from remote sensing to intensive sampling on ground. Of key importance is use consistent set monitoring protocols conducting assessments, designing creation performance mitigation projects; same variables measured regardless intended data. tailored any region establishing reference wetlands organized HGM subclasses, individual wetlands, protocols. Application illustrated with examples streams Spring Creek central Pennsylvania, USA.