Soil-Vegetation Correlations in Transition Zones of Rhode Island Red Maple Swamps.
Abstract
The decline in the quality and quantity of wetland resources is receiving broad national recognition from both the scientific and resource management communities. Wetlands have been defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as 'lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water' (Cowardin et al. 1979:3). While scientists attempt to understand the physical, chemical, and biological processes that characterize wetlands, resource management agencies are faced with the task of developing management strategies for, and controlling impacts to, wetlands. Wetland regulations require that boundaries be drawn between wetland and nonwetland, even though such legal boundaries may have little ecological significance. The zone extending from wetland into the adjoining upland, where components of both communities can be found, is commonly referred to as the 'transition zone'; the regulatory boundary is assumed to lie somewhere within this zone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA322789
Entities
People
- Anthony F. Davis
- Francis C. Golet
- Sarah D. Allen
- Thomas E. Sokoloski
Organizations
- University of Rhode Island