Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2017
Keywords
Clean Water Act, Connectivity, Geographic isolation, Hydrology, Streams, Upland embedded wetlands, Waters of the U.S.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0887-3
Abstract
We evaluated the current literature, coupled with our collective research expertise, on surface-water connectivity of wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” (sensu Tiner Wetlands 23:494–516, 2003a) to critically assess the scientific foundation of grouping wetlands based on the singular condition of being surrounded by uplands. The most recent research on wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” shows the difficulties in grouping an ecological resource that does not reliably indicate lack of surface water connectivity in order to meet legal, regulatory, or scientific needs. Additionally, the practice of identifying “geographically isolated wetlands” based on distance from a stream can result in gross overestimates of the number of wetlands lacking ecologically important surface-water connections. Our findings do not support use of the overly simplistic label of “geographically isolated wetlands”. Wetlands surrounded by uplands vary in function and surface-water connections based on wetland landscape setting, context, climate, and geographic region and should be evaluated as such. We found that the “geographically isolated” grouping does not reflect our understanding of the hydrologic variability of these wetlands and hence does not benefit conservation of the Nation’s diverse wetland resources. Therefore, we strongly discourage use of categorizations that provide overly simplistic views of surface-water connectivity of wetlands fully embedded in upland landscapes.
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Wetlands, v. 37, issue 4, p. 801-806
Scholar Commons Citation
Calhoun, Aram J. K.; Mushet, David M.; Alexander, Laurie C.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Fowler, Laurie; Lane, Charles R.; Lang, Megan W.; Rains, Mark C.; Richter, Stephen C.; and Walls, Susan C., "The Significant Surface-Water Connectivity of “Geographically Isolated Wetlands”" (2017). School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications. 1220.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/1220
