Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity for Southern Rocky Mountain Fens, Wet Meadows, and Riparian Shrublands: Phase 1 Final Report
Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity for Southern Rocky Mountain Fens, Wet Meadows, and Riparian Shrublands: Phase 1 Final Report June 9, 2006 Colorado Natural Heritage Program Colorado State University 254 General Services Building Fort Collins, CO 80523 Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity for Southern Rocky Mountain Fens, Wet Meadows, and Riparian Shrublands: Phase 1 Final Report Prepared for: Colorado Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street Room 718 Denver, Colorado 80203 Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, Wetlands Program 6060 Broadway Denver, CO 80216 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8. 999 18th Street, Suite 300 Denver, Colorado 80202 Prepared by: Joe Rocchio June 9, 2006 Colorado Natural Heritage Program Warner College of Natural Resources Colorado State University 254 General Services Building Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 Cover photograph: Clockwise (1) Riparian Shrubland, Middle Fork Swan River, Summit County, CO; (2) High Creek Fen, South Park, CO; and (3) Wet Meadow, San Luis Valley, CO. All photos taken by Colorado Natural Heritage Program Staff. Copyright © 2006 Colorado State University Colorado Natural Heritage Program All Rights Reserved EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The primary objective of the Clean Water Act is to "maintain and restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters," which includes wetlands. In order to make informed management decisions aimed at minimizing loss or protecting wetland acreage and function, credible data on the integrity of Colorado’s wetlands need to be collected (U.S. EPA 2002a). An index of biotic integrity is a cost-effective and direct way to evaluate the biotic integrityof a wetland by measuring attributes of the biological community known to respond to human disturbance.
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