Classification of Wetlandsand Deepwater Habitats

of the United Statesof the United States

Website for the Manual:http://www fws gov/nwi/Pubs Reports/Class Manual/class titlepg htm

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http://www.fws.gov/nwi/Pubs_Reports/Class_Manual/class_titlepg.htm

• Wetlands: Lands transitional between terrestrial & aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the ysurface or the land is covered by shallow water

• Must have one or more of the following:– hydrophytic vegetation– hydrophytic vegetation– undrained hydric soil

nonsoil and saturated or covered by– nonsoil and saturated or covered by shallow water

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• Deepwater habitats: Permanently• Deepwater habitats: Permanently flooded lands lying below the deepwater boundary of wetlandsboundary of wetlands.

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Deepwater UplandWetland

• Coastal shelf Marine & Estuarine •Edge of land with •elevation of extreme low water of spring tide

Lacustrine and Riverine

predominantly hydrophytic cover oredge of hydric soilLacustrine and Riverine

• 2 meters below low water or deepwater edge

edge of hydric soil or edge of flooded/saturated l d

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of persistent vegetation land

Marine Estuarine Riverine Lacustrine Palustrine

S tSubtidal Subtidal Tidal Littoral

SystemsIntertidalIntertidal LowerPerennial

Limnetic

UpperPerennialSubsystems Subsystems

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Intermittent

Vegetation Vegetation Vegetation Vegetationg> 30 %

Trees > 30%

g> 30%

Trees < 30%Shrubs > 30%

g> 30%

Trees < 30%Shrubs < 30%

g< 30%

ForestedShrubs > 30%Scrub-Shrub

Shrubs < 30%Emergent Unconsolidated

Shore

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Marine Estuarine Riverine Lacustrine PalustrineST IT ST IT TI LP UP IN LM LT --

A ti b dAquatic bed

Algal

Aquatic Moss

X X X X X X X X X X

X X X X X XRooted Vascular

Floating Vascular

XX X X X X X X X X

XX X X X X X X

Emergent wetland

Persistent X X

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Nonpersistent XX X X X X

Upland Intertidal SubtidalUpland Intertidal Subtidal

f

Extreme high water

Ree

Extreme low water

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IT ST IT STat

ed

and d

Unc

onso

lida

botto

m

rgen

t wet

lape

rsis

tent

Aqu

atic

be

EHWELW

U

Emer p A

ELW

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HyperhalineEuhaline

Palustrine PalustrineRiverine (Lower Perennial)

ndd

gent

wet

lan

pers

iste

nt

solid

ated

ttom

gent

wet

lan

pers

iste

nt

Emer

g p

Unc

ons

bot

Emer

gno

npSeasonally flooded Seasonally flooded

High water

Average waterg

Low waterTemporarily

fl d d

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floodedPermanently

flooded

Lacustrine Pal.

Littoral LittoralLimnetic

and

nt ed d m t wet

land

iste

nt

erge

nt w

etla

onpe

rsis

ten

quat

ic b

ed

cons

olid

ate

botto

m

Aqu

atic

bed

Roc

k bo

ttom

Emer

gent

pers

i

Eme no Aq

Unc A R

pH = > 7.4Alk lki

2m

Alkalkine

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No subsystem

ub w

etla

nd

ic b

ed

ed w

etla

nd

ub w

etla

nd

en w

etla

nd

Scru

b/sh

ru

Aqu

ati

Fore

ste

Scru

b/sh

ru

Mos

s/lic

he

Seepage zone

12Organic soilMineral soil

From Cowardin & Golet 1995

• Wetland definition

From Cowardin & Golet 1995

• Wetland definition

• Lack of basic ecological data• Lack of basic ecological data

• Limitations of remote sensingLimitations of remote sensing

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“One of the most comprehensive and widely applauded wetland classification systems is that developed for the USA by Cowardin et al (1979) ” Finlayson & van der Valk 1995

“...for ecological studies and inventories the 1979 USFWS f

by Cowardin et al. (1979). Finlayson & van der Valk 1995

definition has been and should continue to be applied to wetlands in the US.” Mitsch & Gosselink 1993

“Despite undisputed problems, we believe that the classification has met its stated objectives.” Cowardin &

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Golet 1995

System: Palustrine

Subsystem: NA

Class: Scrub-ShrubClass: Scrub-Shrub Wetland

Subclass: Needle-leaved Deciduous

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System: Marine

Subsystem: Intertidal

Class: Rocky ShoreClass: Rocky Shore

Subclass: Rubble

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System: Lacustrine

Subsystem: Littoral

Class: UnconsolidatedClass: Unconsolidated Shore

Subclass: OrganicSubclass: Organic

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System: Marine

Subsystem: Subtidal

Class: ReefClass: Reef

Subclass: Coral

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