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Proposed Hydrogeomorphic Classification for Wetlands of the Mid-Atlantic Region, USA

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Abstract

We propose a regional classification for wetlands of the Mid-Atlantic region, USA. It combines functional characteristics recognized by the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) approach with the established classification of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI). The HGM approach supplements the NWI classification by recognizing the importance of geomorphic setting, water sources, and flow dynamics that are key to functioning wetlands. Both NWI and HGM share at their highest levels the Marine, Estuarine, and Lacustrine classes. This classification departs from the NWI system by subdividing the Palustrine system into HGM classes of Slope, Depression, and Flat. Further, the Riverine class expands to include associated Palustrine wetlands, thus recognizing the interdependency between channel and floodplain. Deepwater habitats of NWI are not included because they differ functionally. Mid-Atlantic regional subclasses recognize two subclasses each for Flat, Slope, and Marine Tidal Fringe; three subclasses for Depression; four subclasses for Lacustrine Fringe and Estuarine Tidal Fringe, and five subclasses for Riverine. Taking a similar approach in other geographic regions will better characterize wetlands for assessment and restoration. This approach was applied successfully during a regional wetlands condition assessment. We encourage additional testing by others to confirm its utility in the region.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Estuarine and Great Lakes (EaGLe) program through funding to the Atlantic Slope Consortium (ASC), a broad multi-institutional group of investigators; USEPA agreement R-82868401. The field trials were supported by a USEPA grant to conduct a regional wetlands assessment, not yet published. Although the research described in this report has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, it has not been subjected to the Agency’s required peer and policy review and, therefore, does not reflect the view of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred. The authors appreciate the suggestions of two anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Riparia, Department of Geography, 302 Walker Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Robert P. Brooks, Denice H. Wardrop & Jennifer M. Rubbo

  2. Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    Mark M. Brinson & Richard D. Rheinhardt

  3. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA

    Kirk J. Havens & Carl S. Hershner

  4. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Box 28, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA

    Dennis F. Whigham

  5. Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resources, 820 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 220, Dover, DE, 19904, USA

    Amy D. Jacobs

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  1. Robert P. Brooks
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Appendix

Appendix

Key for selecting among tidal and nontidal hydrogeomorphic wetland types in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the U.S. Descriptions and definitions are based on Cowardin et al. (1979), Brinson (1993a, b), Cole et al. (1997, 2006). Classes and subclasses are in bold. Please read footnote before using this wetland classification system.a

figure a

aBefore using this wetland classification system:

No classification system can capture effectively all of the inherent variability in natural systems, nor can it provide a foolproof determination given the different experiences of users. This wetland classification system for the Mid-Atlantic region is designed to distinguish among major wetland types with recognizable differences. It also purports to serve both the needs of the regulatory community where certainty is preferred, and the science community that grapples with variability in ecological systems. Given that dual function, it is critical that users consider the landscape and hydrologic contexts of each wetland. How large an area is being classified? A river channel and the associated floodplain on both sides of the channel, or just the wetland associated with a property on the upland edge of a floodplain. Context really matters, and should be carefully and succinctly documented.

When seeking to classify a particular wetland, the most fundamental question the user must ask is, ’How was the wetland formed?”, which can be stated as, “What is the origin of the wetland?”. If this question is thoughtfully answered and described in a brief narrative, then the actual label assigned to the wetland matters less, because the user will have considered where and how the wetland fits in a given landscape and hydrologic setting. Obviously, this is more relevant for regions where wetlands do not form the dominant matrix of a landscape (e.g., coastal salt marshes, bottomland hardwood forests).

For example, is it a depression that is isolated during drier times of the year, but located in a floodplain setting? Or is it isolated from all riverine influences, and receiving a combination of groundwater and precipitation? Clearly, these wetlands are distinctively different in many of their attributes and functions, but they could have the same morphometric dimensions. Either wetland also could have some characteristics of yet another type, warranting a dual label (e.g., depression/slope) just as NWI mapping recognizes mixed vegetation classes (e.g., forested/scrub-shrub, FO/SS). Thus, it is important to recognize these distinctive elements and document the reasons for labeling the wetland as a specific type. This is especially important when addressing wetlands that occur along a broad hydrologic gradient and when a group of microhabitats occur in a cluster. Thoughtful selection of classes supported by careful documentation will make any classification system more consistent among users.

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Brooks, R.P., Brinson, M.M., Havens, K.J. et al. Proposed Hydrogeomorphic Classification for Wetlands of the Mid-Atlantic Region, USA. Wetlands 31, 207–219 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0158-7

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