Water Position of Soils and Peat Oxygen movement Water GDE Type Hydrology Water Vegetation Depths conditions within Chemistry Table wetland Springs Minerogenous; At ground Mostly Oxygenated Standing or Highly variable; Graminoids, completely surface mineral soils; flowing from acidic to forbs, shrubs rarely water basic, and trees; accumulation temperatures rarely of peat vary, can be qualifies as thermal wetland vegetation Peatlands Minerogenous; At ground Accumulation Anoxia Water table Minerotrophic, Bryophytes, (dependent on always surface of peat up to develops usually acidic (poor graminoids groundwater) several slightly below slightly fens) to basic (sedges and meters; little the surface, below the (circumneutral grasses), low or no mineral leading to the surface, so or strongly shrubs; soil accumulation no water alkaline), can be lichens, of peat movement iron-rich or sometimes detectable calcareous trees. Always wetland vegetation Other Minerogenous; At, above, or Usually little Temporary Periodic Highly variable; Tall woody wetlands depend on below or no peat soil anoxia standing or from acidic to plants and (dependent groundwater, surface; accumulation; during times flowing basic; forbs on precipitation fluctuates sometimes of high water water (swamps) or groundwater) and sometimes dramatically; wood-rich table emergent stream inflow periodic peat graminoids standing and floating water aquatic macrophytes (marshes) Wetland types Not Covered by the GDE Inventory Field Guides Certain groundwater-dependent ecosystems are not intended for protocols described in the GDE Inventory Field Guides, such as: Groundwater-dependent lakes; Base-flow streams; and Phreatophytic systems (including some riparian areas). Because of the distinct characteristics of those systems it was not practical to include them in these protocols. It is hoped that other protocols will cover those systems. Protocols do exist, or are in development, for inventorying and monitoring those systems, although they focus on surface water and not groundwater conditions and processes. Wetland systems that look similar to some GDEs, but that are not dependent on groundwater may be inventoried using the Field Guides or some protocols included in the Field Guide. These include:
GDE Type Hydrology Position of Water Table Soils and Peat Depths Oxygen conditions Water movement within wetland Water Chemistry Vegetation Springs Minerogenous; completely At ground surface Mostly mineral soils; rarely accumulation of peat Oxygenated Standing or flowing water Highly variable; from acidic to basic, temperatures vary, can be thermal Graminoids, forbs, shrubs and trees; rarely qualifies as wetland vegetation Peatlands (dependent on groundwater) Minerogenous; always At ground surface Accumulation of peat up to several meters; little or no mineral soil Anoxia develops slightly below the surface, leading to the accumulation of peat Water table usually slightly below the surface, so no water movement detectable Minerotrophic, acidic (poor fens) to basic (circumneutral or strongly alkaline), can be iron-rich or calcareous Bryophytes, graminoids (sedges and grasses), low shrubs; lichens, sometimes trees. Always wetland vegetation Other wetlands (dependent on groundwater) Minerogenous; depend on groundwater, precipitation and sometimes stream inflow At, above, or below surface; fluctuates dramatically; periodic standing water Usually little or no peat accumulation; sometimes wood-rich peat Temporary soil anoxia during times of high water table Periodic standing or flowing water Highly variable; from acidic to basic; Tall woody plants and forbs (swamps) or emergent graminoids and floating aquatic macrophytes (marshes) Wetland types Not Covered by the GDE Inventory Field Guides Certain groundwater-dependent ecosystems are not intended for protocols described in the GDE Inventory Field Guides, such as: Groundwater-dependent lakes; Base-flow streams; and Phreatophytic systems (including some riparian areas). Because of the distinct characteristics of those systems it was not practical to include them in these protocols. It is hoped that other protocols will cover those systems. Protocols do exist, or are in development, for inventorying and monitoring those systems, although they focus on surface water and not groundwater conditions and processes. Wetland systems that look similar to some GDEs, but that are not dependent on groundwater may be inventoried using the Field Guides or some protocols included in the Field Guide. These include:
GWTG_Section_3_v4-4_12-23-13.docx