Canada
Presented by Lisa Nordin, B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development and Neil Fletcher, B.C. Wildlife Federation
The provincial Forest and Range Evaluation Program and the BC Wildlife Federation have created a health assessment that can be used to assess the functioning condition of wetlands. A healthy wetland performs many functions including sediment trapping, shoreline maintenance, wave energy dissipation, water filtration and storage, aquifer or stream recharge, support of biotic diversity, carbon cycling and storage, nutrient cycling and absorption, and primary productivity. All of which support healthy landscapes and communities. For a wetland to perform these functions effectively, it requires healthy vegetation, intact soils, specific hydrologic regimes, and an appropriate connectivity to the broader landscape. Assessing indicators related to these categories helps to determine where functioning condition may be impaired and what potential causal factors of impairment may be. This protocol was initially created to be used to assess the effectiveness of forest policy and practices in maintaining wetland function, but may also be applicable to other industries. This presentation will provide an overview of this tool and some of the key components for measuring wetland health.