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heast @TACF,,G@ AND TRENDS, MID- 1 970'S TO MID- I 980'S &w ........... GB625 out Lnd .H44S68 1994 _4 '-it' Lutcher Moore Swamp, Louisiana PALUSTR[NTE FORESTED NANCY WEBB@ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report is the result of work by many We would also like to thank the many people individuals within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife who shared their werland photographs with us Service and others. Special thanks are extended including John Gahr, Wendel Metzen, Kevin to Dr. Donald Woodard, Director and his staff at Moorhead, John Oberheu, Larry Ditto, Louis the National Wetlands Inventory Center in St. Justice, George Gentry, Nora Murdock, and Petersburg, Florida; and to Mark Newcastle, others with the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Division of Printing in Washington, D.C.; Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, to Keith Patterson and staff at Geonex-Martel, the United States Soil Conservation Service, and Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida; to Eric Hughes the South Carolina Division of Tourism. and Robert Lord with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta, Georgia. Our very special appreciation is extended to Nancy Webb of Zachary, Louisiana, for providing We are especially grateful for the efforts of us with some of the most unusual and beautiful Thomas Gale, Gale Communications in St. Paid, wetland photographs we have seen. Minnesota, for editing, layout and other help in preparation of the final document. Cover pboto: This report should be cited as follows: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida Hefner, J.M., B.O. Wilen, T.E. Dahl and W.E. Frayer. PALUSTRINE FORESTED 1994. Southeast Wetlands; Status and Trends, Mid- GEORGE GENTRY@ 1970's to Mid-1980's. U.S. Department of the Page 2 pboto: Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, Georgia. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida 32 pages. PALUSTRINE FORESTED GEORGE GENTRY@, For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20462@ @i28' ISBN 0-16-045537-5 Southeast Wetlands STATUS AND TRENDS, MID-1970'S TO MID- 1980'S J.M. Hefner U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Atlanta, Georgia B.O. Wilen U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Washington, D.C. T.E. Dahl U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service St. Petersburg, Florida WE. Fraver Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan U.S. Department Of The Interior March 3,1849 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia United States Environmental Protection Agency United States Environmental Protection Agency Region IV Atlanta, Georgia Yellow Fringed-orchid PALUSTRINE EMERGENT NANCY WEBB mgg *4 low,; V Ilk I 4t .mik JAM* iOw "I. Vl 4 YAL Southeast Wetlands STATUS AND TRENDS, MID- 1970'S TO MID-1980'S J.M. Hefner U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Atlanta, Georgia B.O. Wilen U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Washington, D.C. T.E. Dahl U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service St. Petersburg, Florida W.E. Fraver Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan A 1994 Cooperative Publication by U.S. Department Of The Interior March 3, 1849 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia United States Environmental Protection Agency Region IV Atlanta, Georgia Yellow Fringed-orchid PALUSTRINE EMERGENT NANCY WEBB @41 1, ,4@@J, 14, IV J,Qlo, V,t --aw OfN ,Nr A.0 Zw iLl Contents Highlights ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 8 Survey Methods ............................................................................................................................. 10 Results Regional Status ....................................................................................................................... 12 Regional Trends ..................................................................................................................... 13 State Analyses ......................................................................................................................... 14 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 26 Appendix A: Habitat Categories ..................................................................................................... 27 Appendix B: Data Tables ................................................................................................................ 31 List of Figures 1. Study area: Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ............................................ 5 2. Map of the physical subdivisions of the Southeast ....................................................................... 7 3. Wetlands of the Southeast ........................................................................................................ 12 4. Estuarine wetlands of the Southeast ......................................................................................... 12 5. Palustrine wetlands of the Southeast ................................................................ ....................... 12 6. Wetlands, deepwater habitats, and uplands of the Southeast ..................................................... 12 7. Palustrine wetland gains and losses in the Southeast... .............................................................. 13 8. Fate of palustrine forested wetland losses and conversions ........................................................ 13 9. Weiland acreages, percentage of state landscapes and net losses, by state ....................... I.......... 15 10. Wetlands of the conterminous United States ............................................................................ 21 11. Estuarine wetlands of the conterminous United States ............................................................. 21 12. Wetland losses in the conterminous United States .................................................................... 21 13. Estuarine vegetated wetland losses in the conterminous United States ...................................... 21 14. Palustrine forested wetland losses and conversions in the conterminous United States .............. 21 15. Wetland losses in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats compared to the rest of the U.S . .................... 21 16. All wetlands in the Southeast: Average annual loss .... .............................................................. 22 17. Palustrine forested wetlands in the Southeast: Annual average loss/conversion .............. .......... 22 18. Palustrine forested wetland losses and conversions in the Southeast .......................................... 25 List of Tables Table 1. Major wetland functions and values ................................................................................. 8-9 Table 2. Distribution of sample plots and mean dates of aerial photo coverage by state .........I......... 10 Table 3. Distribution of sample plots within physical subdivisions ................................................... 10 Table 4. Wetland, deepwater and upland habitat categories used in this study ................................. 11 Table S. States with large conversions from palustrine forested to palustrine emergent wetlands ...... 13 Table 6. Wetland trends for the Southeast states, mid-1970's to mid-1980's ......................... ......... 14 PM Highlights 9 Nearly half (47 percent or 48.9 million acres) *Estuarine (saltwater) wedand acreages of the wetlands in the conterminous United remained stable throughout most of the region States are in the 10 states of the Southeast - except for coastal Louisiana, where substantial Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, losses were identified. Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Wetlands and Freshwater wetlands declined dramatically. deepwater habitats comprise 21 percent Forested wetlands such as bottomiand of the region's area. hardwood swamps and cypress sloughs declined by 3.1 million acres, -with heaviest *Wetlands alone cover 16 percent of the losses in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats of region's area, compared to a 5-percent overall North Carolina and in the Mississippi Alluvial coverage in area for the lower 48 states. Plain in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. e From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, the 0 North Carolina stood out among all average annual net loss of wetlands in the southeastern states with an estimated loss of Southeast was 259,000 acres. Wetland losses 1.2 million acres in palustrine forested and within the region accounted for 89 percent of scrub/shrub wetlands. Although the average the net national wetland losses for the period. annual net loss for all combined wetland types declined compared to earlier periods, the rate at which freshwater forested wetlands were lost and converted increased. Wetlands in the Wetland losses between (onterminous mid-] 970's and mid-1 980's United States 89% in the Southeast 47% in the utheast EAST 103.3 million acres 2.6 acres Left.- Wood Ducks Figure 2. Study area: Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service LARRY R DITTO* Executive Summary The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares Changes were determined to be either natural or reports on the status and trends of wetlands and human-induced. The wetland acreage estimate deepwater habitats of the conterminous United for the mid-1980's was subtracted from the States on a 10-year cycle, in accordance with the estimate for the mid-1970's and divided by the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 116 nine-year study period for an estimate of average U.S.C. 3931(a)l. annual net loss. The most recent report in the series (Dahl and Results show an estimated 51.2 million acres of Johnson 1991) evaluated wetland trends for the wetlands in the 10 Southeast states in the mid- period from the mid-1970's to mid-1980's. 1970's. By the mid-1980's, wetlands were The national studv design was such that region- reduced to 48.9 million acres, including 44.6 specific - and in @ome cases state-spccific - million acres of freshwater wetlands and 4.3 information also could be developed. The million acres of estuarine wetlands. The net loss present report analyzes data collected for the within the region was more than 2.3 million 10-state Southeast Region of the Fish and acres, making the average annual net loss Wildlife Service (Fig. 1). approximately 259,000 acres. Nearly all the losses were from freshwater wetlands. The design of this regional study consisted of a stratified random sample of 2,204 plots drawn In the mid-1980's, wetlands comprised 16 from the national sample of 3,629 plots. Aerial percent of the regional landscape. By contrast, photography from the mid-1970's and mid- wetlands covered only 5 percent of the total area 1980's (mean dates 1974 and 1983) for each of of the lower 48 states. Southeast wetlands the plots was analyzed to detect changes in represented 47 percent of the total wetlands in wetlands and deepwater habitat acreage. Car Island, Louisiana PALUSTRINE FORESTED CNANCY WEBB 4.1 Aj T411 .4@ All the conterminous United States. Nearly half of Over 3.1 million acres of forested wetlands the freshwater wetlands and over three-quarters (bottomland hardwoods, cypress sloughs, etc.) of the estuarine wetlands of the lower 48 states were lost or converted to other wetland types. are in the region. Wetland losses within the Losses were particularly acute in the Lower Southeast represented 89 percent of the net Mississippi Alluvial Plain (Louisiana, Mississippi national losses during this period. and Arkansas) and in the Gulf Atlantic Coastal Flats of North Carolina (Fig. 2). Estuarine (saltwater) wetlands declined by about 1 percent, with an estimated net loss of 50,000 Palustrine nonvegetated wetlands increased by acres. The loss rate for estuarine wetlands was 400,000 acres. Most of the increase came from substantially less than estimates for previous conversion of non-wetlands to farm ponds, decades. However, the estuarine loss did not ponds in residential areas and other small encompass all coastal wetland losses, because impoundments. some coastal areas also contain extensive freshwater wetlands that had losses. Most Although urban development increased, the estuarine wetland losses occurred along the effect on wetlands was relatively small compared northern Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana. to other factors. Wetland conversions to non- Estuarine wetland acreage remained stable wetlands were distributed nearlv evenlv between throughout the rest of the region. agriculture and "other" land, such as @orests and barren lands. This is a change from previous Palustrine (freshwater) wetlands showed a net decades when agricultural development was the decline of 2.3 million acres (4.8 percent). primary cause of wetland loss. Middle Western Upland Plain (INTERIOR DIVISION) Mid-continent 41GHLAN Plains and Vv- Escarpments (INTERIOR DIVISION) Ulf-Atlantic o P i In lling 101 HTIC 011IF-ATIA Gulf-Allanti @Coastal mots Figure 2. Map of the physical subdivisions of the Southeast (Hammond 1970). Introduction Extensive floodplains, wide coastal plains and The wetlands of the Gulf Coast from Alabama to abundant rainfall have created rich and diverse Louisiana provide winter habitat for more thari wetland resources in the Southeast (Fig. 1). 400,000 geese and three million ducks At the time of European settlement, wetlands (Mississippi Flyway Council 1991). Louisiana is may have occupied a third of the land surface second only to Alaska in volume of commercial within this portion of the United States (Dahl fishery landings with a harvest of over 1.2 billion 1990). Nearly half of Louisiana and Florida may pounds, with a value of $264 millon in 1989 have been wetlands. (National Marine Fisheries Service 1991). Louisiana's catch is made up primarily of The landscape in this region, as in most of the wctland-dcpendent species such as brown eastern United States, has been altered shrimp, white shrimp, blue crab, seatrout and dramaticallv over the past 200 years. Wetlands spot (Gossclink 1984). have been @raincd to develop agricultural and forestrv resources; they have been filled or otherwise altered to construct comrncrcial and urban developments, transportation networks and navigational facilities (Tiner 1984). Southeast wetlands play an integral role in the region's quality of life - maintaining water quality and quantity, supporting diverse and plen4ul fish and Nvildlife habitat, and providing economic livelihood and recreation for millions of people. A few specific examples of the contribution of wetlands to the region are noted here. A single 2,300-acre Georgia floodplairi wetland ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SUPPORT naturally provides pollution control benefits worth a'n estimated $1 million each year Water Quality Maintenance (Wharton 1970). The 552,000-acre Green L Pollution Filter Swamp complex northeast of Tampa, Florida, - Sediment and Toxicant Trapping stores water for eventual aquifer recharge with an - Oxygen Production estimated value of $25 million annually (Brown 1984). The value of standing timber in southern - Nutrient Cycling wetland forests has been estimated at $8 billion Chemical and Nutrient Absorption (Tiner 1984). Biogeochemical (ycling i Primary Productivity < Microclimate Regulation Z Biospheric Stabilization Biodiversity FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT F d Shellfish ish an Waterfowl, Wading Birds, Shorebirds and Other Birds t Furbearers and Other Mammals Reptiles and Amphibians Plant (ommunities Endangered Species 8 Freshwater fishes of the region also depend on visit Everglades NatioDal Park, America's largest wetlands. For example, 53 species of fish are wetland park and a designated Wetland of known to use flooded bottorriland hardwood International Importance (Ramsar Convention wetlands during their fife cycles (Wharton et al. Bureau). Table I provides a representative list of 1981). wetland values. Wetlands provide the region with a varicty of To manage wetlands resources effectively, it is recreational opportunities as well. In 198@ alone, important to understand their extent and the more than two million people fished Florida's influences that mav be affecting them. Hefher fresh waters. Nearly one million people each year and Brown's (1984) report on wetland trends in the Southeast Pegion estimated the rate of wetland conversion in the Southeast from the mid-1950's to the mid-1970's, a time immediately preceding governmental wetland protection @fforts. The present report covers a period in which government programs and policies - and environmental awareness - were beginning to influence wetland management decisions. This regional information can serve as an indicator of the effectiveness of public policies and programs 'r. intended to reduce the loss of the nation's wetlands and to identifi, areas experiencing wetland change. SOCIO-ECONOMK VALUES HYDROLOGIC FUNCTIONS Product Source Flood Control Timber Wave Dampening Peot Erosion Control Forage Groundwater Recharge Fish and Shellfish Groundwater Discharge Fur and Other Wildlife Products Flow Stabilization Food Saltwater Intrusion Prevention Medicine L Aquaculture Recreation Wastewater Treatment Water Supply P Aesthetics 0 Education and Scientific Research < Bank Stabilization Cultural Heritage Archaeological Resource Uniqueness Table I (both pages). Major wetland functions and values: Fish and wildlife habitat, environmental quality support, socio-economic values, hydrologic functions. 9 Survey Methods Survey procedures for this study were first used black and white at 1:80,000 or 1:60,000 scale, by Frayer et. al. 1983. The metfiod was reviewed while the 1980's images were principally color and approved prior to its use by statisticians from infrared at 1:58,000 scale. the Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service and the Army Corps of Aerial photographs were interpreted and cover Engineers. It has been employed for a series of types delineated according to procedures national (Fraycr et al. 1983, Dahl and Johnson developed by the National Wetlands Inventory 1991, Frayer 1991) and regional wetland status (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a; 1990b@. and trend studies (Frayer et al. 1989, Heffier Wetlands, deepwater habitats and uplands and Brown 1984). identified on the photographs were assigned to one of 16 categories listed in Table 4 and The Southeast regional status and trends study described in Appendix A. All changes were consists of a stratified random sample of 2,204 determined to be either natural (e.g. scrub/ plots. Each plot is four square miles, or 2,560 shrub wetland succeeding to forested wctland) or acres, and is permanently established for periodic human-inducccl (e.g. conversion of wetland to reevaluation. The samples are stratified based on residential development or agricultural usage). physical subdivisions (Hammond 1970)(Fig. 2), Non-wctland areas were assigned to one of three and state boundaries (Fig. 1) with the addition of general land-use categories: agricultural, urban a coastal stratum along the Gulf of Mexico and and "other." Atlantic coasts. The coastal stratum was added to incorporate estuarine and marine wetlands that Delineations on the interpreted aerial extended beyond the continuous land mass. photographs were transferred to overlays on Sample plots were allocated to each stratum in 1:24,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey proportion to the expected wettand density based topographic maps. Measurements of the various on estimates by Shaw and Fredine (1956). Table categories were made and acreages recorded for 2 shows the number of plots within each state. analyses. Changes in wetland area from the mid- Table 3 shows plot distribution within the 1970's to mid-1980's for each sample plot were physical subdivision strata. also determined from these maps, measured and recorded. Regional and state estimates were Aerial photography was the basic information developed from the sample plot data using the source. Two sets of photographs were analyzed statistical procedures presented by Frayer et al. for each study plot. The mean years of the aerial (1983). As with previous status and trends photography for the study were 1974 and 1983 studies by the Fish and Wildlife Service, this (Table 2). This ninc-vear interval was used for study is a quantitative measure of wetlands. calculating average ar@urual wetland change No assessment of wctland quality other than estimates. The 1970's photography was primarily changes in areal extent was made. Table 2. Distribution of sample plots and mean dates of aerial photographic coverage, by state. Table 3. Distribution of sample plots State Plots 1970's Date I 980's Date within physical subdivisions (Hammond 1970). Alabama 76 1975 1981 Physical Subdivision Sample Plots Appalachian Highlands 21 Arkansas 127 1974 Florida 644 1974 1984 Eastern Interior Uplands and Basins 17 Ge@rgj 9 206 Gulf-Aflantic Coastal Flats 762 Kentucky 17 1972 1982 Gulf-Aflantic Rolling Plain 440 jano 974 1 9@fi Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain 335 Mississippi 96 1973 1982 Mid-Gontinent Plains and Escarpments 3 NO Carolina 235 1973 8 Middle Western Upland Plain 4 South Carolina 133 1973 1983 Ozark-Ouachito Highlands 12 Tennessee 33 1972 9-@ -1,1 Coastal Zone 610 10 Table 4. Wetland, deepwater and upland habitat categories used in this study. (Detailed description in Appendix A) Saltwater Habitats** Common Description Freshwater Habitats** Common Description Marine Intertidal Ocean beaches, bars,and flats Palustrine Forested Swamps, bottomland hardwoods, etc. Estuarine Subtidol* Open water of boys and sounds Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Shrub wetlands Estuarine Intertidal Emergents Salt marshes Palustrine Emergents Fresh marshes, wet meadows, etc. Estuarine Intertidal Forest/Shrub Mangroves & other estuarine shrubs Palustrine Unconsolitated Bottom Beaches, bars, and flats Estuarine Intertidal Palustrine Unconsolidated Bottom Open water ponds Unconsolidated Shore Beaches, bars and flats Palustrine Aquatic Beds Floating or submerged vegetation Riverine* Open water within river channels Upland Land Use*** Common Description Locustrine* Lakes and reservoirs Agriculture Croplands and pastures Cities towns and other built-up areas Urban other built-up areas Deepwater Habitats Other Uplands Forest, range land and barren land Adapted from Cowardin et aL (1979) Adapted from Anderson et aL (1976) Norris Dam, Tennessee ACUSTRINE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY Norris Dam, Tennessee LACUSTRINE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY 11 Results Estimates for acreage changes from the mid- Palustrine forested wetlands represented 74 1970's to the mid-1980's,,vere developed for 13 percent of all freshwater wetlands in the region. wctland and deepwater habitat categories within Freshwater emergent wetlands made up 13 the Southeast Region (Fig. 1). Data tables for percent. Wetlands dominated by shrubs the region are presented in Appendix B. comprised 10 percent. PaInStrine unconsolidated bottom (freshwater ponds) were 3 percent of the total (Fig.5). REGIONAL STATUS Wetlands covered approximately 16 percent of There were an estimated 51.2 million acres of the Southeast landscape in the mid-1980's. wetlands in the Southeast Region in the mid- Dcepwater habitats occupied an additional 1970's. An estimated 48.9 million acres remained 5 percent of the area for a combined total bv the mid-1980's. The average annual net loss of 21 percent of the region's acreage (Fig. 6). f@r the period was 259,000 acres. In the mid- 1980's, 91 percent of the region's wetlands Wetlands are present in every phvsical subdivision (44.6 million acres) were palustrine (freshwater). of the Southeast. The highest wetland density The remaining 9 percent (4.3 million acres) occurred in the combined area of the Gulf- were estuarine wetlands (Fig. 3). Atlantic Coastal Flats and Coastal Zone, where wetlands covered 31 percent of the landscape. The estuarine intertidal emergent category Although these two areas represent less than a accounted for 73 percent of estuarine wetlands. fourth of the region, nearly half of the region's Another 16 percent were estuarine forested/ wetlands occur there. More than three-quarters shrub, principally mangrove -dominated habitats. of the deepwater habitat acreage in the Southeast Approximately I I percent of all estuarine was estimated within these physical subdivisions, wetlands were nonvegetated, e.g. saltflats, primarily due to extensive estuarine subtidal muciflats and sandbars, (Fig.4). habitats in the Coastal Zone. Figure 3 Figure 4 Wetlands of the Southeast Estuarine wetlands of the Southeast Polustrine Emergent Forest/Shrub 700,000acres 44,600,000 acres Estuarine 3, 7 00, 000 acres acres Non-Vegetated 500,000 acres Figure 6 Figure 5 Wetlands, deepwater habitats and uplands Palustrine wetlands of the Southeast of the Southeast Forested ScruhlShrub 4,600,000acres Uplands Deepwater 15,800,000 acres 32,800,000 acres 250,300,000 ocr Emergent Wetlands 5,800,000ocres 48,900,000 acres Non-Vegetuted 1, 300, 000 acres 12 REGIONAL TRENDS Palustrine Wetlands Freshwater wetlands declined by 4.9 percent, a Estuarine Wetlands net loss of2.3 million acres, from the mid-1970's Estuarine wetlands declined by 1.2 percent, a net base. Palustrine forested wetlands suffered large loss of 50,000 acres. This does not include all of losses. All other freshwater categories showed the coastal wetland losses during the study period slight net increases from conversions of palustrine because most coastal areas also contain extensive forested wetlands to those categories (Fig. 7). palustrine wetlands that may have experienced losses. Therefore, the overall loss of coastal Approximately 3.1 million acres ofpalustrine wetlands in states like Louisiana cannot be forested wetlands (9 percent) were Jost or derived exclusively from losses of estuarine converted. Nearly two-thirds ofthis decrease was wetlands. actual wetland loss to agriculture and the "other" (i.e. forest, range land and barren land) upland An increase in estuarine intertidal nonvegetated category. Most ofthe remaining decrease habitats partially masked a 60,000-acre decrease resulte@ from conversions to other wetland types, in estuarine intertidal emergent wetlands particularly palustrine scrub/shrub and emergent (saltmarshes). Nearly all saltmarsh loss and most wetlands (Fig. 8). of the increase in nonvegetated habitats occurred in Louisiana. There was little change in More than two-thirds of the palustrine forested mangrove -dominated habitats. Estuarine subtidal wetland loss took place in the Lower Mississippi (bay bottoms) increased by 27,000 acres; Alluvial Plain (Louisiana, Mississippi and virtually all the increase was the result of Arkansas) and the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats, saltmarsh loss in Louisiana. Except for coastal especially in North Carolina. Nearly 900,000 Louisiana, the acreage of estuarine wetlands and acres were lost to agriculture in the Lower deepwater habitats remained stable from the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Within the Gulf- mid-1970's to mid-1980's. Atlantic Coastal Flats of North Carolina, 887,000 acres were lost, nearlv all ofNvhich went to the "other" category. There were no Figure 7 identifiable gains to palustrine forested wetlands Palustrine wetland gains and losses in the Southeast ,vithin the region. Forested Emergent Scrub/Shrub Non-Vegetated Palustrine emergent wetlands showed a net L-----7 increase, with losses offset by conversion 0 +369,900 +53,400 +399, 0 (i.e. cleared but otherwise unaltered) of 90 palustrine forested to the palustrinc emergent category (Table 5). NET (HANGE (in acres) Table 5. States with large conversions from palustrine forested to polustrine emergent wetlands. Georgia 184,000 acres Figure 8 Mississippi 101,000 acres Fate of palustrine forested wetlands: Losses and conversions Louisiana 89,000 acres r an SOS 86,000 acres Urban 1.8% Agricultore 28.0% EIV;@ There were large losses of palustrine emergent wetlands at specific locations. For example, nearly 108,000 acres were lost to agriculture in Florida. Other 32.0% PondslLokes Regionwide, agriculture claimed 209,000 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands. More than 3.8% 13,000 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands lost to urban development - mainly Scrub/Shrub 14.2%6 were in Florida - and 89,000 acres went to the category [mergent 20.2% other," mostly in North Carolina. 13 Palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands showed no Deepwater Habitats measurable net change. As with palustrine There was a net increase of 199,000 acres of emergent wetlands, scrub/shrub losses were lakes (lacustrine habitat) during the study period. offset by conversions of palustrine forested Most of the increased acreage came from the wetlands. upland categories of agriculture and "other," More than 719,000 acres of palustrine forested vith some increases from palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands were converted to scrub/shrub and forested wetlands. wetlands. A third of this conversion took place in Georgia. More than 181,000 acres of palustrine STATE ANALYSES emergent wetlands succeeded to scrub/shrub wetlands - more than half of this in Florida. The number of sample plots within each state During the study period, 112,000 acres of was based on the anticipated density and palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands were lost to variability of the wetlands (see Survey Methods), agriculture. Florida accounted for approximately The reliability and extent of the state-specific half of this loss with the remaining losses spread estimates varies. Precise estimates were possible among North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia and for states with large sample sizes (Louisiana and Arkansas. About 272,000 acres of scrub/shrub Florida), while estimates were much less reliable wetlands were lost to "other," predominantly in for states with very small sample sizes (Kentucky North Carolina. and Ten 'nessee). State trend information is summarized in Table 6. Wctland acreage Palustrine nonvcgctatcd wetlands, e.g. mudflats, estimates, the percent of land Surface occupied by wetland and net wetland losses for each state are beaches, sandbars and small water bodies, summarized in Figure 9. increased by 43 percent, or 400,000 acres. Water bodies such as farm ponds, mine pits, golf course Alabama and residential ponds accounted for most of the increase in nonvegetated freshwater wetlands. Wetlands covered approximately 2.7 million acres More than half of the increase occurred in or nearly 8 percent of Alabama. Palustrine Arkansas. Most of the increases came from forested wetlands made up over 80 percent (2.2 upland areas, predominantly from the "other" million acres) of the total. The net loss of category. In general, these wetland increases did wetlands was estimated to be 42,000 acres. The not affect the acreage totals of vegetated principal cause of the net wetland loss was wetlands or agriculture. agricultural development. Table 6. Wetland trends for the Southeast states, mid-1 970's to mid-I 980's. Standard error percent is shown as SE%. Mid-] 970'S Acres (SE%) Mid-1980'S Acres 51%) Net (hange (S1%) in thousands in thousands inthousands Alabama 2,693 (15.0) 2,651 (15.2) -42 (42.1) Arkansas 3,516 (9.2) 3,573 (10.4) 57 Florida 11,299 (3.7) 11,039 (3.7) -260 QU) --- - ------- Georgia 7,792 (5.4) 7,714 (5.4) -78 (27.8) Kentucky 381 (46.7) 388 (45.6) 6 9,303 8,784 (3.9) -518 (21.0) Mississippi 4,574 (14.8) 4,365 05.0) -209 (35.8) -5-,-04 8__ _63- 3-) 1,199-- (-19-.5-)- South Carolina 4,749 (11.5) 4,689 (11.6) 61 (38.8) nessee 657 (22.4) 632 (22.8) -25 (88.8) - ----- - -------- - - --------- -------- ---- Standard deviations exceed estimated totals 14 Figure 9 Wetland acreages, percentage of state landscapes and net losses, by state, mid- I 970's to mid- I 980's Weflonds 8% of state landscape *A 42,000 acres net change (mid-I 970's to mid-1 980's) Total state study area AVPAS Standard deviations exceed estimated net change "@ ALA 30% 260,000 acres net change 20% 78,000 acres net change Standard deviations exceed estimated net change L 28% - 518,000 acres net change MI4IPPI 1151F@11111111 209,000 acres net change ANA - 1, 199,000 acres net change H CAMA 61,000 acres net change 25,000 acres net change @A' lam 01ftv W Z: 'K4 Cardinalflower in Lutcher Moore Sivamp, Louisiana PALUSTRINE FORESTED NANCY WEB&91 16 f M ILI Ilk 21 Off 404' it K A Forested wetland conversion in Florida PALUSTRINE FORESTED TO PALUSTRJNE EMERGENT JOHN HEFNER Excellent statistical reliability was achieved in a number of other categories due to the large sample size. Complete results of the Florida analysis are in Frayer and Heffier (1991). Georgia Georgia followed Florida and Louisiana with a total wetland area of 7.7 million acres, covering 2 percent of the state's landscape. This total U included nearly 367,000 acres of estuarine wetlands and 7.3 million acres of palustrine 41 - wetlands. The state's net wetland loss was estimated at approximately 78,000 acres. Palustrine forested was the predominant wetland type, approximately 6.1 million acres. Nearly 500,000 acres of palustrine forested wetlands were converted (i.e. cleared but otherwise unaltered), with virtually the entire change to Arkansas palustrine scrub/shrub or emergent wetland. Arkansas contained nearly 3.6 million acres of Kentucky wetlands, more than 10 percent of the state's The estimated total wetland acreage was 388,000 land surface. Approximately 2.8 million acres acres, covering about 1 percent of the land were palustrine forested, the majority of which surface. The predommant type was palustrine were located in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial forested wetland. A statistically reliable estimate Plain. Although a reliable estimate of net of wetland change could not be determined. wetlands change could not be determined, there was an estimated forested wetland decrease of Louisiana 210,000 acres. Louisiana was second to Florida with a total Florida wetland area of 8.8 million acres, 28 percent of Florida contained more than 11. 0 million acres the state's surface area. Estuarine wetlands, of wetlands, approximately 30 percent of the consisting mainly of saltmarshes and some state. Among the southea4ern states, Florida had mangroves, totaled 1.9 million acres. Palustrine the greatest wet-land acreage and density. wetlands totaled 6.9 million acres, of which 4.9 million acres were forested and 1.5 million acres Palustrine (freshwater) wetlands predominated, were emergent. covering more than 9.6 million acres. Palustrine forested wetlands covered 5.5 million The net loss for all Louisiana wetland types was acres, 50 percent of the state's wetland total. 518,000 acres. Approximately 57,000 @crcs of Palustrine emergent wetlands covered 2.9 million estuarine vegetated wetlands were changed to acres (26 percent). Palustrine scrub/shrub other habitats. Nearly three-quarters of the wetlands covered 1.2 million acres, or about 10 estuarine wetland change was the conversion of percent of the state's wetland total. Florida vegetated wetland to dccpwater habitat, i.e. from showed a net wetland loss of 260,000 acres, marsh to open water. Palustrine forested wetlands declined dramatically, with net losses and mainly from the destruction of palustrine conversions of 628,000 acres. Most palustrinc wetlands. Two-thirds of the loss of palustrine forested wetland losses in Louisiana took place in wetlands was attributable to agricultural the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain and were development, with the rest split evenly between directly attributable to agricultural development. urban development and "other" land use. Estuarine wetlands, most of which were saltmarsh Mississippi and mangroves, totaled 1.4 million acres. Some Mississippi had 4.4 million acres of wetlands, losses of estuarine vegetated wetlands were due about 14 percent of the state's land surface. Of to urbanization. A precise estuarine wetiand loss the total wetland area, 3.7 million acres were estimate could not be determined. palustrine forested. A net loss of 209,000 acres of wetlands was estimated. More than 365,000 South Carolina acres of palustrine forested wetlands were lost or South Carolina had 4.7 million acres of wetlands, converted to other wetland types. Over half of nearly 24 percent of the state. This acreage the change can be attributed to agricultural included 418,000 acres of estuarine emergent development in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial wetlands (saltmarsh). Palustrine wetlands held Plain. 3.6 million acres of forested wetlands, 369,000 North Carolina acres of scrub/shrub wetlands, and 218,000 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands. North Carolina had 5.0 million acres of wetlands, 15 percent of the landscape. This total included The state's net loss of wetlands during the study 154,000 acres of estuarine emergent wetlands. period was estimated at 61,000 acres. The Palustrine wetlands held 4.9 million acres, of greatest acreage change occurred in the which 3.4 million acres were forested, 1.3 million palustrine forested wedand category. About one- acres were scrub/shrub, approximately 119,000 third of the 125,000 acres of forested wetlands acres were emergent wetlands, and 81,000 acres altered was lost to non-wetland categories. were unconsolidated bottom (ponds). Tennessee North Carolina stood out among all southeastern There were an estimated 632,000 acres of states with the highest acreage of net Nvetland wetlands, covering about 2 percent of the state. loss. An estimated 1.2 million acres of wetlands Most of this total was palustrine forested were lost to the "other" (forest, range land and wetlands. The net loss of wetlands was estimated barren land) non-wetland catcgorv@ Nearly all the at 25,000 acres. losses were from palustrine forested and palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands, and were concentrated in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats. CumberlandIsland, Georgia INLUUNTE INTERTIDAL 9GEORGE GENTRY ,-4@flr ,.z7 19 Discussion Wetlands represent an important component of than the combined total losses for the 38 the southeastern landscape, comprising 16 conterminous states outside the Southeast percent of the study area. By comparison, Region (Fig. 15). Almost 69 percent of the wetlands cover onl@ about 5 percent of the lower region's palustrine forested wetland loss was 48 states (Dahl and Johnson 1991). recorded within the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats and Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Nearly half (47 percent) of all wetlands and more than three-quartcrs (78 percent) of all estuarine Specific locations within these physical wetlands occur in the Southeast (Fig. 10 & 11), subdivisions stood out as excepti@nally vulnerable even though the region is only 16 percent of the to wetland conversion. Large acreages of conterminous United States. Nearly half of the palustrine forested wetlands were lost in the estimated wetland acreage in the Southeast is Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats of North Carolina and located in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats and the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain in Louisiana. Coastal Zone physical subdivisions. These two Nearly 1.2 million acres of wetlands were lost in subdivisions account for less than a quarter of the Nortl@ Carolina, presumably by a combination of region's total area. silvicultural and agriculturai activities. In the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain, nearly one Wetland loss in the Southeast strongly influences million acres of bottomland hardwood wetlands overall wetland trend estimates for the were destroved, mostly converted to farm land. conterminous United States. The region's Over half d this change took place within the wetland losses represented 89 percent of the net Louisiana portion of the plain. national loss (Fig. 12). For example, 84 percent of the net losses/conversions of saltmarshes and Peninsular Florida and coastal Louisiana also mangroves (estuarine vegetated wetlands) experienced notable losses. Nearly all of the (Fig. 13) and 9 1 percent of all losses/conversions 110,000 acres of freshwater marshes lost in of freshwater (palustrinc) forested wetlands Florida were altered for agricultural purposes. occurred in the Southeast Region (Fig. 14). Along coastal Louisiana, about 42,000 acres of estuarine marsh were changed to nonvegetated just as wetlands are not evenly distributed across bay bottom due to a variety of causes including the landscape, neither were sites of significant erosion, saltwater intrusion, subsidence, sea-level wetland losses. Over 62 percent of the region's rise, sediment deprivation and physical alteration. wetland loss took place in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats and Coastal Zone. Wetland loss in Eastern Tennessee this portion of the region was five times greater RIVEIUNE JOHN HEFNER "I me-Ft'"T @711 15 -7-1-Q0 3 -Q@ 20 Figure 10 Figure I I Wetlands of the conterminous United States Estuarine wetlands of the conterminous United States Southeast Southeast 48,900,000 acres 4,300, 000 acres IN,m Remainder U.S. Remainder U.S. ......... 54,300,000 acres 1,200,000acres Figure 13 Figure 12 Estuarine vegetated wetland losses Wetland losses in the conterminous United States in the conterminous United States southeast Southeast Z328,000acres 59,500 acres Remainder U.S. Remainder U.S. 283, 000 ocres 11,500 acres Figure 14 Figure 15 Oalustrine forested wetland losses and conversions Wetland losses in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats in the conterminous United States compared to the rest of the United States Southeast Remainder of U.S. 3,100,700 acres 11.0% Remainder of Southeast 34. No Remainder U.S. 302,700 acres Guff-Aflunfic Coastal Flats 55.0% 21 Annual wedand loss rates were variable due to Although the overall wetland loss rate declined, economic conditions, demographic patterns, land the rate at which freshwater forested wetlands values, and farm and timber prices, among other were lost or converted accelerated (Fig. 17). factors. From the 1950's to the 1970's, wetlands Forested wetlands of the region were lost or of the Southeast were lost at an average net rate converted to other wetland types at an average of 386,000 acres per year (Hefner and Brown rate of 276,000 acres per year from the mid- 1984). During the study period from 1974 to 1950's to the mid-1970's (Hefner and Brown 1983, the net rate of regional wetland losses 1984). However, this rate increased to declined to 259,000 acres annually. This is a one- 345,000 acres per year from the mid-1970's third reduction compared to the rate of the to the mid-1980's. previous two decades (Fig. 16). The loss rate for estuarine wetlands showed particular improvement. And the rate of gains Great Egret in small open-water bodies accelerated. UkRRY R DITTOC Figure 16 All wetlands in the Southeast: Average annual loss (Wetlands 0- Non-wetlands) 386 000 acFes_PLr 259,000 acres pLr year Mid 1950's - 1970's Mid 1970's - 1980's Figure 17 Palustrine forested wetlands in the Southeast: Average annual loss/conversion (Forested wetlands P- Non-wetlands or other wetland categories) ----- -- --------- ------ - -- - 345,000 a(res per year ----------- --------------- - ------ 276,000 a(res per year Mid 1950's - 1970's Mid 1970's - 1980's 22 t Own ir 4N,V. Conclusion Wetland losses in the Southeast during the study In recent years, public awareness of the period far exceeded losses for the remainder of relationship between wetlands and environmental the conterminous United States. Losses were quality has increased; wedand conservation concentrated in a few specific areas within the effort@ have been bolstered. Federal legislation region: the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, coastal such as the Federal Water Polution Control Act; Louisiana, the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Flats of the 1985 Food Security Act; the 1990 Food, North Carolina, and in Florida. One wetland Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act; Public type - palustrine forested - showed the Tax Reform Act of 1986; and the 1986 greatest decline. Although large acreages were Emergency Wetlands Resources Act include lost to agriculture and other upland categories, provisions that positively influence wedand nearly as many additional acres were converted to management. palustrine scrub/shrub and emergent wetland types. Scrub/shrub and emergent wetlands also These laws have stimulated wetland programs would have displaved net losses without these that include regulatory enforcement, wetland conversions (Fig. i8). restoration, public outreach and education, direct assistance to private landowners, disincentives for The Fish and Wildlife Service currently is agricultural drainage, and public acquisition. collecting data to develop trend estimates for the Clearly, these programs could be maximized in period from the mid-1980's to the mid-1990's. the Southeast to achieve real gains in wetland Based on the findings of the current report, conservation nationally@ The national wetland sampling has intensified throughout a large trend study now in progress should provide an portion of the region, The number of upland index for measuring these achievements. categories has been increased to identi4, more specifically the causes of wetland change. Lutcher Moorc Swamp, Louisiana PALUSTRINE FORESTED CNANCY WEBB -4 A r A M!V % j- Y". 24 Figure 18 Palustrine forested wetland losses and conversions in the Southeast gh Urban Agriculture 1,0.2 Deepwater Other \\ 7_ Other Shrubs f_20,5 4500.7 Acres x 1000 4554.1 9 13.8 +53.4 Other Ei R^ 7 7.1 4.3 Earergents 5459.7 5829.6 13.3 +369.9 Other I C, 30.7 627.4 9 2.7 61.2 6EI A NOR Vege 867.1 Wetlands s 3 .7 Other 1338.6 +399.9 7.2 54.7 A complete analysis of forested wetlands in the Southecst, other wetland types: 627,400 acres to emergents, 440,700 which showed a loss of 3.1 mil ion acres during the study acres to shrubs, and 61 200 acres to nonvegetated wetcnds. period, has to include the impact of human activities and conversion to other wetland categories. Human activities Although scrub/shrub wetlands lost more than 400,000 acres converted more then one million acres of forested wetlands to to upland categories, these losses were completely offset by other wetland types. Without these conversions, scrub/shrub conversions from forested wetlands. and emergent wetlands would have experienced net losses in acreage. The net gain of 369,900 acres of emergent wetlands similarly is deceptive. The nearly 250,000-acre loss to agriculture, Nearly two million acres of forested wetlands were lost to "other" and urban categories was more than offset by upland categories - mostly "other" and agriculture. conversion of 627,400 acres of forested wetlands. Large forested wetland acreages were converted to 25 Literature Cited Anderson, J.R., E. Hardy, J. Roach, and R. Hammond, E.H. 1970. Physical subdivisions of Witmer. 1976. A land use and cover classification the United States of America. In: National Atlas system for use with remote sensor data. U.S. of the United States of America. U.S. Geol. Geol. Surv. Prof Paper 964. 22 pp. Surv@, Washington, D.C. Page 61. Brown, S.L. 1984. The role of wetlands in the Hefncr, J.M., and J.D. Brown. 1984. Wetland Green Swamp. -In: Cypress Swamps, K.C. Ewel trends in the southeastern United States. and H.T. Odum, eds. University Presses of Wetlands 4:1-11. Florida. Gainesville, Fla. pp. 40@415. Mississippi Flyxay Council (MFC). 1991. Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and E.T. Technical section minutes of a meeting held in LaRoe. 1979. Classification of wetlands and Nashville, Tenn. (February 22-27, 199 1). MFC. deepwater habitats of the United States. U.S. 138 pp. Fish Wildl. Serv. 103 pp. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Dahl, T.E. 1990. Wetlands losses in tile United 1991. Fisheries of the United States, 1990. U.S. States, 1780's to 1980's. U.S. Department of the Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 21 pp. Shaw, S.P., and C.G. Fredine. 1956. Wetlands of the United States. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Dahl, T.E. and C.E. Johnson. 1991. Status and Washington, D.C. 67 pp. trends of wetlands in the conterminous United States, mid-1970's to mid-1980's. U.S. Fish Tiner, R.W. Jr. 1984. Wetlands of the United Wildl. Serv., Washington, D.C. 28 pp. States. U.S. Fish Wildl. Scrv@, Washington, D.C. 59 pp. Frayer, WE. 1991. Status and trends of wetlands and deepwater habitats in the conterminous U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1990a. United States, 1970's to 1980's. Michigan Cartographic conventions for the National Technological Univ@ Houghton, Mich. 32 pp. Wetlands Inventory. St. Petersburg, Fla. 73 pp. Frayer, W.E., and J.M. Heffier. 1991. Florida U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1990b. Photo wetlands: Status and trends, 1970's to 1980's. interpretation conventions for the National U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Atlanta, Ga. 32 pp. Wetlands Inventory. St. Petersburg, Fla. 45 pp. and appendices. Fraver, WE., T.J. Monahan, D.C. Bowden, and F.A. Graybill. 1983. Status and trends of Wharton, C.H. 1970. The southern river swamp: wetlands and deepwater habitats in the A multiple use environment. School of Business conterminous United States, 1950's to 1970's. Administration, Georgia State Univ. Atlanta, Ga. Colorado St. Univ. 32 pp. 48 pp. Frayer, W.E., D.E. Peters, and H.R. Pywell. Wharton, C.H., V.W. Labou, J. Newsom, P.V. 1989. Wetlands of the California Central Valley: Winger, L.L. Gaddy, and R. Mancke. 1981. The Status and trends, 1939 to mid- 1980's. U.S. tai-ina of bottomland hardwoods in Southeastern Fish Wildl. Serv., Portland, Ore. 29 pp. United States. In: Wetlands of Bottomland Hardwood Forests. JR. Clark and J. Benforado, Gosselink, J.G. 1984. The ecology of delta eds. Elsevier, Amsterdam. pp. 87-100. marshes of coastal Louisiana: a community profile. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., FWS/OBS- 84/09. 134 pp. 26 Habitat Categories Wetlands and deepwater habitat categories used Within the Cowardin et al. (1979) classification in this study were adapted from Cowardin et al. structure, wetlands and deepwater habitats are Appendix A (1979). In general terms, wetland is land where grouped according to five systems: Marine, saturation with water is the dominant factor Estuarine, Riverine, Lacustrine and Palustrine. determining the nature of soil development and A system consists of environments of similar the types of plant and animal communities living hydrological, gcomorphological, chemical and in the soil and on its surface. Technically, biological influences. Each system is further wetlands are lands transitional betAecn terrestrial divided by the driving ecological force, such as and aquatic systems where the water table usually the ebb and flow of the tide, and by substrate is at or near the surface or the land is covered by material and flooding regimes, or on vegetative shallow water. For the purposes of this life form. Groupings of categories were made to classification, wetlands must have one or more of accommodate the special interests of the study the following attributes: 1) at least periodically, the and the detail to which aerial photography could land supports predominantly hydrophytes; 2) the be interpreted. substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil-, and 3) the substrate is nonsoil and is saturated An overview of the Cowardin et al. (1979) with water or covered by shallow water at some classification system and general descriptions of time during the growing season of each year. the category types can be found in Dahl and Johnson (1991) and Frayer (1991). The Deepwater habitats consist of certain following are specific examples of the most permanently flooded lands. The separation common Southeastern wetland environments between wetland and deepwater habitat in included within the study categories. saltwater areas coincides with the elevation of the extreme low water of spring tide. In other areas, Marine Wetlands the separation is at a depth of 6.6 feet below low Marine intertidal category includes beaches, bars water. This is the maximum depth in which and flats alternately exposed and flooded bV tidal emergent plants normally grow. action - including the splash zone - of the open ocean. Wbite-Tailed Deer PALUSTRINE EMERGENT LARRY R D[7-TO@ q 27 ESTUARINE FORESTED AND SCRUB/SHRUB Mangroves, Everglades National Park JOHN HEFNER The estuarine intertidal unconsolidated shores category includes wetlands with less than 30 percent areal coverage by vegetation and are periodically flooded by tidal waters with at least 0.5 parts per thousand ocean-derived salts. These areas include sand bars, mudflats and other nonvegetated or sparsely vegetated habitats called A saltflats. SaItflats are hypersaline environments 41 that generally occur near the interface of saltmarsh and upland habitats. Sparse vegetation of the saitflats may include glassworts (Salicornia spp.) and saltwort (Batt's maritima). This category also includes intertidal sandbars and mudflats. V, Palustrine Wetlands The palustrine forested category includes all freshwater (containing less than 0.5 parts per thousand ocean-derivcd salts) wetlands dominated by woody vegetation greater than 20 Estuarine Wetlands feet in height. Floodplain wetlands locally called bottomland hardwoods make up the The estuarine intertidal emergent category predominant portion of this category. Water includes coastal marshes that are flooded regimes range from brief periodic flooding to periodically by tidal waters with salinity of at least near permanent inundation. For example, 0.5 parts per thousand. Three types of estuarine communities dominated by oaks (Quercus nira, marshes are locally recognized throughout the Q. micbauxii and Q. phello@), along with green region. They are commonly called saltmarsh, ash (Fraxinuspennsylvanica), sweet gum brackish marsh and, along the Gulf of Mexico, (Liquidambar styraciflua) and ironwood intermediate marsh. These types are separated (Carpinus caroliniana) are subject to spring and based on degrees of salinity, as reflected by the winter flooding. Old river scars and oxbows vegetation. Common plant species of the vegetated by cypress (Taxodium disticbum) and estuarine marshes include smooth cordgrass water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) may be flooded (Spartina alterniflora), black needlerush (Juncus nearly continuously. Forested wetland roemerianus), seashore saltgrass (Disticblis communities with intermediate degrees of spicata), and saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina flooding are an extensive part of the bottorriland patens). Extensive saltmarshes occur in South hardwood spectrum. Important species of the Carolina and Georgia; brackish marshes in North intermediate zones include willows (Salix spp.), Carolina, Florida and Louisiana; and maples (Acer spp.), overcup oak (Quercus lyrara) intermediate marshes in Louisiana. and water hickory (Carya aquatica). The estuarine intertidal forested/shrub category In addition to bottomland hardwoods, non- describes wetlands dominated by woody alluvial forested wetlands cover large acreages. vegetation and are periodically flooded by tidal These include pine (Pinus spp.) dominated waters with ocean-derived salinity of at least 0.5 pocosins, savannas and wet pine flatwoods; hydric parts per thousand. This category primarily hammocks; bay (Magnolia virginiana, Gordonia encompasses the mangrove -dominated wetlands lasiantbus and Persea borbonia) heads; Atlantic of peninsular Florida and Louisiana. Principal white cedar (Chamaecyparis tbyozdes) swamps; pin species of mangrove communities include red oak (Quercuspalustris) flats; and cypress or gum mangrove (Rbizopbora mangle), white mangrove (Nyssa sylvatica Par. biflora) ponds. (Laguncularia racemosa) and black mangrove (Aviecenniagerminans). Of these species, only The palustrine scrub/shrub category black mangroves are found along coastal encompasses all freshwater (containing less than Louisiana. The most extensive mangrove forests 0.5 parts per thousand ocean derived salts) are located along the southern tip of Florida. wetlands dominated by woody vegetation less than 20 feet in height. These habitats include formerly forested wetlands that have been 28 cleared, burned or otherwise impacted but are The palustrine aquatic bed category includes still wetland and are now experiencing regrowth. shallow freshwater (containing less than 0.5 parts Also within this category are shrub-dominated per thousand ocean-dcrived salts) wetlands bogs vegetated by species such as hollies (11ex vegetated by floating or submerged vegetation. spp.), bays, fetterbushes (Lyonla lucida and Typical of the plant species found within this Leucorhoe racemosa), buckwheat-tree (Cliftonia category are floating vascular plants such as monophylla) and titi (Qyrilla racemiflora); duckwe@d (Lemna spp.) and mosquito fern accreting river point bars, backwaters of ponds (Azolla caroliniana); and rooted vascular plants and reservoirs, beaver ponds and sand or gravel such as spatterdock (Nuphar spp.), water-lilies pits vegetated by buttonbush (Cephalanthus (Nymphaea spp.), pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.) occidentalis), wiilows or alders (Alnus serrulata); and hornworts (Ceratophyllum spp.). and mountain bogs dominated by rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum). Two palustrine nonvegetated (containing less than 30-percent coverage by vegetation) The palustrine emergent category includes all categories were evaluated. These are palustrine freshwater (containing less than 6.5 parts per unconsolidated shore, which includes periodicallv thousand ocean-derived salts) wetlands flooded fresh-,vater (less than 0.5 parts per dominated bv rooted erect soft-stemmed plants. thousand ocean-derived salts) beaches, bars and Most habitat@ in this category are freshwater flats as well as palustrine wetlands that may be marshes vegetated by plants @uch as cattail (Typba temporarily devoid of vegetation; and palustrine SPP.), arrowhead (S@gittaria spp.) and unconsolidated bottom, which includes all ponds pickerelwecd (Pontederia cordata). Also included and other permanently flooded open freshwater are wet prairies, wet meadows and pitcher plant bodies less than 20 acres in size. (Sarracenia spp.) bogs, each of which may be vegetated by a diverse assemblage of non-woody plant species. White Water Lilies PALUSTRINE AQUATIC BEDS NANCY VVEBBC 29 Deepwater Habitats Upland Categories Several categories of deepwatcr habitats were All areas not identified as wefland or deepwater included to encompass the entire aquatic habitat were placed in three upland categories. spectrum of which wetlands are a part. Among The categories agriculture, urban, and "other" these are: estuarine subtidal, which includes the were adapted from the descriptions provided by permanently submerged area of bays and sounds Anderson et al. (1976). "Other" includes where ocean-derived salts exceed 0.5 parts per Anderson's Level I classes of forest land, range thousand, where there is at least partial land and barren land, as well as lands that have obstruction from the open ocean, and there is been drained and cleared but not put to occasional dilution by freshwater runoff from the identifiable use. land; riverine, which includes all permanently flooded open freshwater (containing less than 0.5 parts per thousand ocean-derived salts) habitats found within a channel; and lacustrine,which includes all permanently flooded open freshwater (containing less than 0.5 parts per thousand ocean-derived salts) areas of lakes and reservoirs exceeding 20 acres. Soybeans AGKICULTURE POTASH & PHOSPHATE INSTITUTE & @, W.r- W10, 4-Z 30 Data Tables Estimates produced include acreages with Estimates for the mid-1970's, the mid-1980's associated standard errors. Many estimates are and change during the period were produced for Appendix B not considered reliable enough to recommend categories described in Appendix A. These their use for making decisions. An indication is estimates are summarized in Table I of given of the reliability of each estimated acreage Appendix B. Totals for columns are estimates of in the summary tables included in this appendix. total acreage by category for the mid-1980's. The standard error of each entry expressed as a Row totals (the extreme right column) are percentage of the entry (SE%) i@ below each estimates of total acreage by category for the estimate. Reliability can be stated generally as mid-1970's. Entries are interpreted @s in the 4c'we are 68 percent confident that the true value following examples (all from the ninth row or is within the interval constructed bv adding to column of Table 1): and subtracting from the entry the SE%/100 times the entry." For example, if an entry is one oe 4,842,400 acres classified as palustrine million acres and the SE% is 20, then we are 68 emergent in the mid-1970's were again percent confident that the true valuc is between classified palustrinc emergent in the mid- 800,000 and 1,200,000 acres. An equivalent 1980's. statement for 95 percent confidence can be made by adding and subtracting twice the amount to 208,700 acres are classified as palustrine and from the entry. Therefore, a large SE% emergent in the mid-1970's had changed to indicates low reliability, if any, in the estimate. agriculture by the mid-1980's. This discussion on reliability is meant to aid in 156,800 acres classified as palustrine interpretation of the study results. It was scrub/shrub in the mid-1970's had changed expected that only certain estimates would be to palustrine emergent by the mid-1980's. precise enough to be meaningful. However, all entries are included in the summary table for The estimate of palustrine emergent area in additivity and ease of comparison. the mid-1970's is 5,459,700 acres. ee The estimate of palustrine emergent area in the mid-1980's is 5,829,600 acres. eo The estimate of net change in palustrine Pitcher Plants emergent area in the mid-1970's and the PALUSTRINE EMERGENT mid-1980's is 369,900 acres. NORA MURDOCH N VM971 1. Al 4% .;A e V. V lot pop, 31 Southeast Wetlands, 1970's to 1980's TABLE I Area, in tkousands of acres, by surface area classification. C U R R E N T C L A S S I F I C A T 1 0 N S Sampling error, in percent, is given below estimate. 0 ff -\9 4"' %% 40 %z P TV %\* 0' jo, 4, 0 ------ < '-W MARINE INTERTIDAL .1 0 0 0 0.1:i 0 4@ 00 0 1.4 53.2 26.7 86.1 88.2 43.3 25.1 Cn UNCONSOLIDATED .61 0.4d -0 0 -0- -0--[-- - -3.3i; 0 651- 0- - 0-.1-'- -0.41 233.1 SHORE 78.81 14.2 GA 25.7 52A 94'91 81.1 76.31 13.8 26.7 - ---------- 0 0 AQUATI( BEDS 203.7 0 <01 0 0 0 011 0 0 0 0 210.6 92.1 25.0 96.5 24A 0 0.4!! 0 8.9 <0.1 0.9 45.5 0 03.4@, 13 4.7 3164.7 EMERGENT .4@@ 0 3087 1! @L 4.8@@ 79.81i 52.6 57.5 57.3 14.9 93.7 43.0 19,1 4.7 -4f 1.1 704.3 FORESTED & 0.31! 0 3.7 694.71@ 0 0 0. 3 03: 0 1.1, 0 003 52. 12.7 40.9 94.8 S(RUB/SHRUB 7 60.5 94.5 94,8: 57.3'@ 64.4 13.5 C-1 UNCONSOLIDATED -- --------- 07----<OJI@ 12.1-1 -2.0 0.1, --0.6, -0.1 -0.71 --<O.I, -0 1 .-2<0.1 -0.1@ 1.0, 17.9 SHORE 27.7 42.3 74.1 11.3 _90.0@ 72.4 1 76,8 84.6:1 41.5 20.8 -------- 824-.9 1.5 11.3i1 03 1-.6-1 01 0.2 1-.9 20.2 I.V! 7.0, 870.5 UNCONSOLIDATED 0 0 0,54, LL. d ?6.9: 57-2 42.5 361 38.3,L 33.1j 4,9 BOITOMS 0 29,8 16.7 38 1 311 ----------- ------- AQUATIC BEDS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.7 47.2 OJ 0.1 <0. 1 0 0.2 0.6, <0. 1 41 0.2 1 50.3 36.7 12.4 50.@ 98.1 74.8 74.6 74.1 111 COD 0- --O.f RA, 34 <0. 1 10.1 60.1' 208.7 13.3 88.6, 5459.7 EMERGENT 4W 4 1 N 63A 15J 33.3 7.1 21@4 2 .4 37.7 26,61, 163 27.2 63.3 6] FORESTED 0 <0.1 0 04 48.6 12.7 639.8" 32 53 8.2 719 .3, 0 13.3 49.01 8691 57 .3 997.8 35946.1 57.5 15.1 41.8 2&2 33.5 13.0 138 3.6. 1 Il 24.2 17.7 3.5 S(RUB/SHRUB <01i 0 0.1@ 0 0.1 111 13@ 156.81 278.6, 3616.81 10.11 27.8 111.6 14.0 271.8 4500.7 101A 65.1 63,0 15.8 29,0 14.8 14.5; 9.6 75.8 62.3 31.6 38.1 405 9.2 6. D1 ---,<6 I! -<6 988 -2.51 -- 6 ESTUARINE 5@ 14.51: 9.1 02; 01@ &I <D.1, 0.4@@ 1.2 9909.0 SUBTIDAL 723 26.5 6.1 41 96.91 903 1 2.2 55.3 2.2 R 7 -Y -0 0i@ 0 7.4 15.1 0 158 8.8 6.41.3 0 2.8 1637.0 IVERINE 0,7 &1, 15.3; 56.5 38.5 36.6 30.5 10.9 99.1 62.1 60.1 10.7 0'.4" 0.31 -8 4-J 0 LACUSTRINE I 1 0.2 2*91 0.1 3960.4, 18.01 0.11@ 3.7 4071.0 96.7 63.0 96.0 64.81 63 2 70'! 95.1 13.6 93.5 70.3 1 784 13.3 0 0 0 0.3, 1,2 79.7 1.1 57.9@i 26 11.41, 0 6.01 681; 822 44.8:306.9@@ 897.1 63677.9 AGRICULTURE j 98.2 40 46.7 25.1 55.7 33.3. 45.7 28.3 3.2 15.91 21.2 3.1 0 -0.1, --O-j 1.7! 0 0.3 1.2 6649.4 i 0.4 665S.8 URBAN 0 0 01@ 25 <01 0.2' 0.1 02 831 77.0,1 27.61 39A 93.4 97.8 91J 91.3 1?4.8 6.6 99's 8.6 OTHER --0.4 a 0.4, 01 5,-61 2-38.8 0,.5 -- 10-.9@@ 5.1 -- 33 -1.2@@ 12.1 92,81-3291.1L74S..6[ 153465.6J5L7874.5 75.1 44.1 59.0:1 70.1 34.5 36,21 53.7 38.4 36.6' i 12.7' 12.1 2.0 1.9 65. 30.1 49.7 -J@ 64.2!-- - 204.4 3105.1@: 704.41 20.5 1249.4 681 5829.611 32845.4i' 4554] 9935.C 1640.3 4269.9' 86770.3, 7792.0 155744.8, 315036.3 TOTAL SURFACE AREA --@2.@! . i;l i 25.2 13.1 24.9 4.8 13.5; 18.6 15.6, 12.5, 6.4 3.6; 8.2 2.2 10.a 128 1.2 8.0 2.0 0 CHANGE _O.B] 16.6@@ 6.2 -596@ 0. 1:@ 2.6 370.9@ 184 369.9' -3100.7 53.4 26.91L 3.3 198.9 3092.4 1136.2 -2129] 0 224.4 46.3 101'a i 20.9 1314.3, 83.6 502 30.8 AD 8.4 299.5 33.9 596.8 0@3 15.6 10.2 26.1 32 Southeast Wetlands, 1970's to 1980's TABLE 2 Area, in tkousands of acres, by selected surface area groups. C U R R E N T C L A S S I IF I C A T 1 0 N S I Sampling error, in percent, &P is given 6elow estimate. Al _01 141VP 1 & *e az4 4e S@p0 I np Ak, 4 10 N*_ q A*,- "VI �111 1014@ < 101 Y - 0 '00 41 4% A0 10091 401 401- MARINE INTERTIOAL 49.1 41 1.4 1-.4 0 O.@ 0 -0 1-141' 53.2 26.7 39.5 08.7 77.3 77.3 88.2 43.3 25J z Lu NONVEGETATED 0.1 434.5 -4.7 0 0 0 3.9@: 0 0.1 0.4 443.7 23 78.8 14.2 26,3,@ 26.1 81.1 76.3 13.9 Uj IZ 46.6 3.7 3.8 5.8 3869.0 w VEGETATED 1.6 3.7 3793ff 0.4 10.4, 10.8 LLJ 40.1 26.4 46 47.0 52.2' 50.9 14.6 85.8 40.0 19.6 4.6 ESTUARINE WETLANDS 1.7 4235,9 0.4:1 10.4 10.8 503; 3.7 3.9 6.2 4312.7 38.7 41 47.0 52.2 A9 13.6 65.8. 39.11 19.1' 43 w NONVEGETATED 0 0 <0.1 <0.1 890.0, 15.0 4.2 20.2 1.1 8.2, 938.7 LL_ 4.7 14.6 34.31 36.2, 37.0 30.7 4.7 C02 VE69ATED 0.2 41 0.1 0.1 117.4 42985.4; 170.611 1190.0 84.6 1358.2 45906.5 C013 CL 100.5 64.4 62.5 ?.6 12 19.9 10.9 20.2 17.4 3.2 PA[USTRINE 0.2 4 1 GA 0.1 44007.8 174.81 1210.2 85.7 1366.4 46845.2 WETLANDS iou 5u s6._6-, 3.1 1" 10 1.' 20.0, _17.3 3.1 _j ALLWETLANDS 48307.9 225.7 1213.9 89.6 1374.0@ 51211.1 154 10.7 @?.2 2.9 DEEPWATER HABITATS 0.5 14.8@ 9.4 24.2 1.7 125.7 127.4, 152.1 15437.4 19.3 0.5 7.71 15617.0 72.3 26.0 25.3 20.5 42.7 45.9 45.3 38.0- 3.8 37.3 43.8 44.3 3 B WETLANDS AND 64123.1 123321 90.1 1381.7 66828.1 DEEPWATER HABITATS 2.3 10.8 19.1 IN 2.3 AGRI(U[TURE 0 0 0.3 0.3 82ff 71.9 153.9 154.2 74.9 229@1 82244.8 306.9 897.1 83677.9 98.2 93.2 285 21.0 19.7 19,2 26.5 15.6 3.2 IS.9 21.2 11 CM URBAN 0 0.1 0 0.1 2.2 0.5 2.7 2.& 2.0 4.8 1.2 6649.4 0.4. 6655.8 83.7 83.7 25.7 40.6 23.0 22.5 783 34.5 94,8 8.6 99.5 8.6 OTHER 0.9 0.4 0.6; 1.0 244.9 19.3 264.2 266.1 106.1 372.2 3291.1 745.6 153465.6 157874.5 0 75.1 44.1 44.0 33.7 68.4 27.2 63.4 63.0 56.7 47.9 12.7 12.1 2.0 1.9 TOTAL SURFA(E AREA 52.4 453.5 3809.5 4263.0, 1338.6 -43229.1 44567.7 48883.1 15846.164729.2 86770.3 7792.0,155744.8 315036.3 212 13.6 4.6 4.3 14,6 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.8 2.3 12 8.0 2.0 0 (HANGE -0.8 9.8 -59.5 4@1 399.9 -2677.5 -2277.5 -2328.0- 229.1 -2098.9 3092.4 1136.2 -2129.7 0 224.4 39.8 21.1 26.3 42.6 10.4 14.8 14.5 43.9 16.1 15.6 30.2 26.1 lole PHOTO CREDITS, BACK COVER: Bobcat: Larry R. Ditto@ White-toiled deer: George Gentrf Alligator: AX Polmisono Florida panther: Wendell Metzen"' River offer: Larry R. Ditto@ Great egret: Nancy WebP Fulvous whistling-du(ks: Milton Friend to ........ ..... ....... . . Ntl . . . . . . . . . . . . i ab ki 3 6668 00003 504-0