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Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States

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Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States Pfego-/6^7fV SDMS DocID 463450 ^7'7/ Biological Services Program \ ^ FWS/OBS-79/31 DECEMBER 1979 Superfund Records Center ClassificaHioFF^^^ V\Aetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States KPHODtKtD BY NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFOR/V^ATION SERVICE U.S. IKPARTMEN TOF COMMERCt SPRINGMflO, VA. 22161 Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) C # The Biological Services Program was established within the U.S. Fish . and Wildlife Service to supply scientific information and methodologies on key environmental issues which have an impact on fish and wildlife resources and their supporting ecosystems. The mission of the Program is as follows: 1. To strengthen the Fish and Wildlife Service in its role as a primary source of Information on natural fish and wildlife resources, par­ ticularly with respect to environmental impact assessment. 2. To gather, analyze, and present information that will aid decision­ makers in the identification and resolution of problems asso­ ciated with major land and water use changes. 3. To provide better ecological information and evaluation for Department of the Interior development programs, such as those relating to energy development. Information developed by the Biological Services Program is intended for use in the planning and decisionmaking process, to prevent or minimize the impact of development on fish and wildlife. Biological Services research activities and technical assistance services are based on an analysis of the issues, the decisionmakers involved and their information neeids, and an evaluation of the state^f-the-art to Identify information gaps and determine priorities. This Is a strategy to assure that the products produced and disseminated will be timely and useful. Biological Services projects have been initiated in the following areas: Coal extraction and conversion Power plants Geothermal, mineral, and oil shale development Water resource analysis, including stream alterations and western water allocation Coastal ecosystems ahd Outer Continental Shelf development Systems and Inventory, including National Wetlands Inventory, habitat classification and analysis, and information transfer The Program consists of the Office of Biological Services in Washington, D.C, which is responsible for overall planning and management; National Teams which provide the Program's central, scientific and technical expertise, and which arrange for contracting of Biological Services studies with States, universities, consulting firms, and others; Regional staff who provide a link to problems at the operating level; and staff at certain Fish and Wildlife Service research facilities who • conduct inhouse research studies. 50272-101 REPORT DOCUMENTATION l._REP0RT NO. PAGE "FWS/OBS-79/31 4 . Title and Subtitle 55.. ReporReportt Date J Classification.of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the December 1979 United States 7. Author(s) LBWi S M . Cowardin, Virginia Carter, Francis C. Golet, 8. Performing Organization Rept. No. and Edward T. LaRoe 9. Performing Orginization Name and Address 10. Project/Tatk/Work Unit No. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jamestown, North Dakota U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 11. Cantract(C) or Grant(G) No. U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Wash., D.C. (C) Department of Forest & Wildlife Managment, Univeristy of RI, Kingston, RI (G) 12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Addrets 13. Type of Report & Period Covered Office of Biological Services Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior 14. Washington, D. C. 20240 15. Supplementary Notet Government Printing Office Stock #024-010-00524-6 Library of Congress #79-607795 16. Abttraet (Limit: 200 word$)This cl3ssification describcs ecological taxa, arranges them in a system useful to resource managers, furnishes units for mapping, and provides uniformity of concep and terms. Wetlands are defined by plants, soils, and frequency of flooding. Ecologically related areas of deepwater, traditionally not considered wetlands, are included as deepwate habitats. Systems form the highest level of the classification hierarchy; Marine, Estuarine, Riverine Lacustrine, and Palustrine are defined. Marine and Estuarine each have two subsystems,the Riverine has four, the Lacustrine has two, and the Palustrine has none. Within the subsystei classes are based on substrate material and flooding regime, or on vegetative life form. The dominance type is the lowest level of the classification heirarchy. Although examples are provided, dominance types myst be developed by individual users. The structure of the classification allows it to be used at any of several levels. Special data required for detailed application of the system are frequently unavailable, and thus data gathering may be prerequisite to classification. Development of rules by the user will be required for specific map scales. Keys to the systems and classes are furnished as a guide, and numerous wetlands and deepwater habitats are illustrated and classified. The classification system is also compared with several other systems currently in use in the United States. 17. Document Analytis a. Descriptor* Environments Ecological Succession Ecology Underwater Environments Plant Ecology Water Resources b. Identlfiers/Open-Ended Terms Wetlands Marshes Riverine System Habitats Estuaries Lacustrine System Classification System Marine System Palustrine Systems Estuarine System Deepwater Habitats e. COSATI Field/Group 060 6 Enviromieintal Biology 18. Availability Statement 19. Security Clatt (Thit Report) 21. No. of Paget UNCLASSIFIED ^•^.LEASE UNLIMITED 20. Security Clatt (Thit Page) 22. Price UNCLASSIFIED -Z39.18) See Instructions on Reverse OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77) (Formerly NTIS-35) • Department of Commerce FWS.'OBS-79 31 December 1979 CLASSIFICATION OF WETLANDS AND DEEPWATER HABITATS OF THE UNITED STATES By Lewis M. Cowardin U.S. Fish an(i Wildlife Service Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Jamestown, North Dakota 58401 Virginia Carter U.S. Geological Survey Reston, Virginia 22092 Francis C. Golet Department of Forest and Wildlife Management University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 and Edward T. LaRoe U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coastal Zone Management Washington, D.C. 20235 Performed for Office of Biological Services Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20240 • Library of Congress Cataloging In Publication Data United States, Fish and Wildlife Service Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. (Biological services program ; FWS/OBS-79/31) 1. Wetlands—United States—Classification. 2. Wetland ecology- United States. 3. Aquatic ecology—United States. I. Cowardin, Lewis M. II. Title. III. Series: United SUtes. Fish and Wildlife Service. Biological services program; FWS/OBS-79/31. QH76.U54a 79/31 [QH104) 574.5'0973s (574.5'2632] 79-607795 • Foreword Wetlands and deepwater habitats are essential breeding, rearing, and feeding grounds for many species of fish and wildlife. They may also perform important flood protection and pollution control functions, increasing national and international recognition of these values has intensified the need for reliable information on the status and extent of wetland resources. To develop comparable information over large areas, a clear definition and classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats is required. The classification system contained in this report was developed by wetland ecologists, with the assistance of many private individuals and organizations and local. State, and Federal agencies. An operational draft was published in October 1977, and a notice of intent to adopt the system for all pertinent Service activities was published December 12,1977 (42 FR 62432). The Fish and Wildlife Service is officially adopting this wetland classification system. Future wetland data bases developed by the Service, including the National Wetlands Inventory, will utilize this system. A one-year transition peri(xl will allow for training of Service personnel, amendment of administrative manuals, and further development of the National Wetlands Inventory data base. During this period. Service personnel may continue to use the old wetland classification described in Fish and Wildlife Service Circular 39 for Fish and Wiliilife Coordination Act reports, wetland acquisition priority determinations, and other activities in conjunction with the new system, where immediate conversion is not practicable. Upon completion of the transition periixi, the Circular 39 system will no longer be officially used by the Fish and Wildlife Service except where applicable laws still reference that system or when the only information available is organized according to that system and cannot be restructured without new field surveys. Other Federal and State agencies are encouraged to convert to the use of this system. No specific legal authorities require the use of this system—or any other system for that matter. However, it is expected that the benefits of National consistency and a developing wetland data base utilizing this system will result in ac­ ceptance and use by most agencies involved in wetland management. Training can be provided to users by the Service, depending on availability of resources. Congressional committees will be notified of this adoption action • and will be encouraged to facilitate general adoption of the new system by amending any laws that reference the Circular 39 system. This
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