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Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Manuals: An Annotated Bibliography (other wetland resources also included in the article) by Matthew Witten
This bibliography is a slightly modified version of one I prepared for USEPA Division of Wetlands. (A longer version will be published by the EPA later this year; it will also be available on the EPA Wetlands Website at www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands.) For each manual, I have tried to give an indication of the degree of scientific rigor, the methods covered, and the orientation (i.e., whether the manual is specific to a particular geographical region and/or wetland type). The first two manuals listed are broad in scope and cover a variety of different methods; the others are more specialized.
Miller, T., C. Bertolotto, J. Martin, and L, Storm. 1996. Monitoring Wetlands: AManual for Training Volunteers. Adopt a Beach, Seattle, WA. 106 pages plus appendices. For an A to Z manual on organizing volunteer teams to conduct an array of wetland field surveys, this is the book to have. Based on the methods used in the Oregon Wetlands Study and field-tested by Watershed Community Link, the manual includes step-by-step instructions on establishing baselines and transects; documenting land uses; assessing conditions in wetland buffer areas; and monitoring wetland hydrology, soils, vegetation, topography, birds, and amphibians. It also covers volunteer training and safety, and quality assurance. The style is sufficiently technical for field use, yet clear, concise, and easy to read. Features:
To obtain: Adopt a Beach, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Rm 305, Seattle, WA 98103; 206-632-1390. $15. (Note: To accompany the manual, Adopt a Beach has produced a set of six videos, intended for trainers. Though not professionally produced, the videos contain some useful information, particularly the demonstrations of specific techniques-such as building a staff gauge or establishing transect lines. The set may be purchased for $60, or rented for one month for $15 plus a $45 refundable deposit.)
Williams, C., K. Firehock, and J. Vincentz. 1996. Save Our Streams Handbook for Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability. Izaak Walton League of America, Gaithersburg, MD. 175 pages plus appendices. In contrast to the other manuals listed here, which are based on specific monitoring projects, the Save Our Streams handbook pulls together information and techniques from a variety of sources. Aimed primarily at the beginning wetland explorer and advocate, the book provides a good introduction to wetland issues and to the scope of monitoring approaches that are available. Once a group decides which techniques they plan to use, they will probably want to supplement the information in this handbook with other references and/or advice from local experts. (Note: A revised 2nd edition of the manual will be available in August 1998.) Features:
Orientation: National in scope To obtain: Izaak Walton League of America, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, MD 20878-2983; 800-284-4952. $35 + $5 shipping and handling. (Note: Save Our Streams is offering 2-day workshops based on the manual)
Pritchard, K. 1991. A Field Guide to Wetland Characterization and Wetland Plant Guide. Washington State University Cooperative Extension, King County, Seattle, WA. 95 pages. This small booklet is intended for "people who are curious about wetlands but have no formal training in field biology." Using the guide, the observer can determine whether or not an area is a wetland (and, if so, what type of wetland it is), and can gain some insight into the wetland's condition, including evidence of human impact. The guide goes step-by-step (in dichotomous key fashion) through the same observational and reasoning processes that a wetland ecologist goes through in characterizing a wetlands. Its approach is unique (characterization with no invasive or instrumental monitoring) and invaluable. Features:
Orientation: Methods are entirely observational; no sampling. Specific to Oregon and Washington To obtain: Washington State University Cooperative Extension, King County, attn: WSU Publications, 700 5th Ave., Suite 3700, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-3900. $4 (WA residents add 34˘ sales tax).
Marsh Monitoring Program. 1997. Instruction booklet for volunteers. Long Point Bird Observatory and Environment Canada. 40 pages. This instructional booklet was specifically written for volunteers in the Marsh Monitoring Program in the Great Lakes Basin. Addressed directly to the volunteer, it sets forth clearly and in detail the Marsh Monitoring Program's protocol for monitoring birds and amphibians. Features:
Orientation: Designed for Great Lakes Basin (although methods could be applied elsewhere); specific to freshwater marshes To obtain: Bird Studies Canada/Long Point Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario NOE 1MO; 519-586-3531. $15 (free to Marsh Monitoring Program volunteers).
Bryan, R., M. Dionne, R. Cook, J. Jones, and A. Goodspeed. 1997. Maine Citizens Guide, to Evaluating, Restoring, and Managing Tidal Marshes. Maine Audubon Society, Falmouth, Maine. 87 pages plus appendices. This guide sets forth a method (adapted from the New Hampshire Coastal Method by R.A. Cook et al., 1993) for assessing salt marshes for overall ecological health as well as important functions and values. Not intended for long-term scientific monitoring, the assessment method is geared toward collecting observational data that can be used to guide local planning efforts. Although the manual is quite technical and detailed, it is very methodical and includes clear definitions and explanations. The guide also includes sections on tidal marsh ecology, regulatory protection, using information from aerial photographs and maps, and marsh restoration and conservation. Features: Detailed instructions on mapping, including use of National Wetland Inventory maps Thorough appendices, including a brief summary of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wetland classification system (Cowardin system) Orientation: Tidal wetlands; Emphasis on Maine contacts and regulations, but otherwise applicable elsewhere. To obtain: Maine Audubon Society, P.O. Box 6009, Falmouth, ME 04105-6009; 207-781-6180 ext. 235. $13 (Maine residents add 60˘ sales tax)
Lipsky, A. 1996. Narragansett Bay Method: A Manual for Salt Marsh Evaluation. Save the Bay, Providence, RI. 22 pages. Like the Maine manual described above, this manual is based on the New Hampshire Coastal Method and outlines a partly paper, partly observational evaluation of salt marshes and adjacent uplands. The manual is short and informal (photocopied), and was designed for use by Rhode Island volunteers to help gauge the restoration potential of altered and degraded salt marshes in Narragansett Bay. Orientation: Tidal wetlands; somewhat specific to Rhode Island To obtain: Save the Bay, 434 Smith St., Providence, RI 02908-3770; 401-272-3540. Free.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1996. Wetland Walk Manual: A Guidebook for Citizen Participation (EPA 910/R-009). USEPA Region 10, Seattle, WA. 16 pages. This is a bare-bones guide for citizens to record some systematic visual observations of wetlands. While it is a good introduction to wetland observation for volunteers who do not have a lot of time to invest, a monitoring program that expects reliable and useful results would probably not base their training on this manual. Orientation: - Pacific Northwest focus To obtain: USEPA, Region 10, 1200 Sixth Ave. (ECO-081), Seattle, WA 98101-9797; 206/553-6686. Free.
Matthew Witten served as a NOAA Sea Grant Fellow for the EPA Wetlands Division ( 1997). He is currently a graduate fellow for the Division, and is based at the University of Vermont. He may be reached at 802-878-6753; mwitten@zoo.uvm.edu.
Other Wetland Resources
Wetland Resources from EPA
Wetland-related Websites
Restoration video "Wetland Restoration: Steps to Success," a 21 -minute video created by The Wetlands Conservancy in Portland, OR, contains specific techniques and suggestions for successful wetland restoration projects. The video covers site assessment, project planning, plant selection (especially the use of native plant species), when to plant, and animal-proofing of plants. Available through The Wetlands Conservancy at 503-691-1394. $20.
Publications
(Reprinted with permission from "The Volunteer Monitor", Spring 1998, Volume 10, No. 1) |
