Wetlands in the Landscape Context

Outline:

• Wetland diking history
• Wetland functions and values
  • hydrologic buffering
  • sediment trapping
  • water quality buffering
  • Wetland restoration/creation methods

Course Reader:

• Whigham, D. F., Chitterling, C., Palmer, B. 1988. Impacts of freshwater wetlands on water quality: a landscape perspective. Environmental Management 12:5:663-671. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867544.

Related web links:

• General Information
  • History of wetlands in the U.S.- This is an excellent on-line document
  • Primer on wetland function assessment
  • U.S. EPA Wetland Restoration information
  • Wetland.org
• State-based information
  • Florida wetland restoration information center
  • Michigan wetland restoration state program
• Individual restoration projects
  • San Francisco Bay area wetlands restoration program
  • Southern California wetlands recovery project
  • Sonoma Baylands Restoration Site
  • Restoring Wetland Habitat at Duluth's Grassy Point

Video Podcast: Wetlands in the Landscape Context

This 37-minute presentation defines wetland functions, values, and restoration. Then it provides case studies of human impacts on wetlands, how to assess functions, and what kinds of things can be restored.

• 640 x 480 (480p) format that balances speed and quality. (521 MB file)
• 1920 x 1280 (HD) format that provides larges size and best quality. (3.5 GB file)

USGS YouTube Video: Sea-Level Rise, Subsidence, and Wetland Loss

This 10-minute presentation explains and illustrates the science behind coastal wetland growth and loss, using the Mississippi Delta as an example.

USGS YouTube Video: Wetland Functions & Values: Hydrology

This 11-minute presentation explains the hydrological functions of wetlands.  it is ok to skip the first 2 minutes that summarizes the water cycle.

USGS YouTube Video: Wetland Functions & Values: Ecology

This 11-minute presentation describes and illustrates many ecological functions of wetlands.

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Chapter 12 :: Chapter 14