Dominant vegetation and Dominant vegetation vegetation conditions • Forested contribute significantly to the • Shrub habitat and biodiversity found in • Sedge/grass/forb any location. As such vegetation has a large influence on typology and • No emergent vegetation differentiating different types of aquatic ecosystems and is especially important in palustrine systems. Although this attribute is about dominant vegetation there may be situations where non-dominant vegetation is also important. There is often a difference between grass and sedge in relation to inundation frequency—especially in the rangeland/arid zone areas. In such cases it may be appropriate to split this at a lower level. Care needs to be taken however to ensure that the process is distinguishing between wetland types. Water source Water source (along with type and Dominant water source (>70%): Localised rainfall relates to regime) has a significant impact on non-riverine floodplains areas. • Surface water the specific environmental • Groundwater conditions found at a location and • Both surface and ground (where therefore influences habitat and there is temporal dominance by biota (along with other facets). As one or the other) such, water source, type and regime contribute strongly to typology. • Localised rainfall Water type
Dominant vegetation and vegetation conditions contribute significantly to the habitat and biodiversity found in any location. As such vegetation has a large influence on typology and differentiating different types of aquatic ecosystems and is especially important in palustrine systems. Although this attribute is about dominant vegetation there may be situations where non-dominant vegetation is also important. There is often a difference between grass and sedge in relation to inundation frequency—especially in the rangeland/arid zone areas. In such cases it may be appropriate to split this at a lower level. Care needs to be taken however to ensure that the process is distinguishing between wetland types. Dominant vegetation • Forested • Shrub • Sedge/grass/forb • No emergent vegetation Water source Water source (along with type and regime) has a significant impact on the specific environmental conditions found at a location and therefore influences habitat and biota (along with other facets). As such, water source, type and regime contribute strongly to typology. Dominant water source (>70%): • Surface water • Groundwater • Both surface and ground (where there is temporal dominance by one or the other) • Localised rainfall Localised rainfall relates to non-riverine floodplains areas. Water type