montane wetlands by jacob wigginton. what is a montane wetland? montane means of mountains high...
TRANSCRIPT
Montane Wetlands
By
Jacob Wigginton
What is a montane wetland?• Montane means of mountains• High altitude pulustrine wetlands with emergent
vegetation
How do montane wetlands compare to prairie potholes?
Similar yet contrasting wetlands
Similarities
•Pulustrine•Similar in appreance•Some are created by a similar glacial process•provide important habitat for water fowl
Differences
•Montane wetlands are typically less disturbed•Montane wetlands are still dominated by native vegetation•Montane wetlands almost always have enough rainfall to acommidate ducks and geese•They also differ in soil types making the vegetation very different•Succession happens much slower in montane wetlands•Montane wetlands do not have as many high concentrations of waterfowl
What different types on montane wetlands are there?
•Intermountain Basin Wetlands•Beaver ponds•Glacial Ponds•Montane Depression Wetlands•Montane woodland seeps
Intermountain Basin Wetland
•Flat or rolling areas created by tectonic and volcanic action•Thick underlying layers of alluvial material eroded from the mountains•High water tables are recharged in the spring by impoundments and artesian flow
Plants of intermountain basin wetlands
MonumentPlant
Mint
Arrow GrassAdditional SpeciesBlack greesewood, saltgrasses, wheatgrass, bluegrass, sedges, rushes, sage brush, rabbit brush
Waterfowl of intermountain basins
Canada Goose Cinnamon teal
Additional species•Gadwall, Northern Pintails, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, and Lesser Scaulp
Invertebrates of Intermountain basins
Freshwater ShrimpOdonate larvae
Midges Diptera
Beaver Ponds
•mid-elevation on gradients less than 15%•Water levels maintained by percipitation and run off•Nutrients sinks trapping organic matter and sediments•Ideal waterfowl breeding area
Waterfowl of beaver ponds
Bufflehead
Additional speciesGadwalls, ring-necked ducks
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Plants of Beaver ponds
Wild Licorice
Additional SpeciesFlooded willows, sedges, burreeds
Alder
Invertebrates of Beaver Ponds
Gastropods
Dragonflies
Caddisflies
Freshwater shrimp
Glacial Ponds
•Formed either behind moraines or by a glacial process similar to the prairie potholes•Only occur in mountains and prairies•Only water sources are summer percipitation and spring runoff•Very old wetlands, peat accumulations in some are 7,000 years old•Although absence of fish competition allows an abundant invertebrate population landscape makes it a difficult habitat for some birds
Waterfowl of glacial ponds
Additional SpeciesBufflehead, Barrow’s Goldeneye
Ring-necked DuckGadwall
Plants of glacial ponds
Southern Maidenhair fernscouring rush
Additional speciesPondweeds, watermilfoils, cowlilies
Invertebrates of Glacial Ponds
Caddisfly larvae Dragonfly
ColeopteraMisquitos
Montane Depression Wetlands
•Saturated, seasonally and semipermanently flooded vegetation •Occur in the eastern U.S.•Prononced seasonal water fluctuations•Important breeding habitat for amphibians and odonates
Plants of montane depression wetlands
Additional SpeciesVirginia sneezwart, Virginia quillwort, St. John’s Wart, Robbins’ Spikerush, Black-fruited Spikerush
3-way sedgeWinter berry common green
brierHigh-bush Blueberry
Trees of montane depression wetlands
Red Maple
Black Gum
Amphibians of montane depression wetlands
Tiger Salamander
Additional species
Salamander Eggs
Spotted Salamander
Jefferson’s salamander, four-toed salamander, marbled salamander, wood frogs, Upland Chorus frog
Invertebrates of montane depression wetlands
Crayfish
Odonate Larvae
Freshwater shrimp
Montane woodland seeps
•Saturated herbacous wetlands•Occur in sinkholes or on steep, bouldered slopes at the site of water discharge•Western Virginia mountains•Above 2500 ft.
Plants of montane woodland seeps
watercarpet
white turtle head
marsh blue violet Oswego-tea
Additional SpeciesCut-leaved coneflower, spotted jewelweed, Rough golden rod, golden rag wart, American false-hellbore, marsh marigold, bluejoint reedgrass
Threats to montane wetlands
1. Proposed changes to the Clean Water Act2. Overgrazing of Elk3. Invasive Species
Clean Water Act Changes
•Before the Clean water act only a third of the nations waters were safe and clean•Now half are clean and safe•Redefining wetlands to exclude montane wetlands would be a step in the wrong direction•Changes would leave Colorado with only fifteen miles of protected water
Overgrazing by Elk
In the 1960’s a policy of natural regulation which has led to an upsurge in the Elk population.
This increase in has caused the problem of overgrazing of riparian vegetation in the Rocky Mountain region
Invasive plant species of montane wetlands
Russian olive
lepidium latifolium
pittosporum_undulatum
Introduce trout
Brook trout
Brown Trout tadpoles
Threatened, Endangered, or Endemic Species montane wetlands.
Criteria for selecting wetlands of importance
1. Area that provides habitat for rare or endemic species2. Area of rich biota 3. Area which provides habitat for considerable numbers of a
specific species4. Area that is indespensible in the life history of an organism