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