Wetlands
ENVS590
Spring 2015
T 6-9 PM
Instructor: Dr. Carol Thompson
Office.- 139D Science, ext 9739
Text: Wetlands, Mitsch and Gosselink, 5thedition (used $60-80, rent $45-50)
This is the standard in the field and a good reference to own if going into environmental or natural resources.
There will be other readings on BB or online
Other books that could be useful and are good references
Wetland Soils – Richardson and Vepraskas
Wetland Indicators - Tiner
Student Learning Outcomes
Knowledge outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will:
- understand the scientific, social, and legal aspects of wetlands
- understand the principles of wetland delineation
- recognize the different types of freshwater and estuarine wetland systems that exist
- understand options for restoration and management
Skill outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will:
- be able to recognize wetlands in the field
- be able to research complex wetland topics in a timely fashion
- understand the complex relationship between wetland law and wetland science
Value outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will:
- be able to appreciate the value of wetlands and their benefits to society
Grading:
Tests (3)300 pts
Paper (1)150 pts
Field trips 100 pts
You are responsible for the material in the book so read it. It would be helpful if you have it read before class. I may not get to cover everything in the book, so you need to be ready to ask about what you don't understand.
Papers:
Graduate – 10 pages and class presentation-20-25 min, topic to be agreed upon, 150 pts. Prior to the presentation you will list one article or internet source for the class to read that reflects your topic
Possible paper topics:
Paper topics must be chosen by the end of the third week and must be approved. Others are possible besides what is in the list
- Restoration methods for coastal wetlands with examples
- Treatment wetlands for a single contaminant or group of contaminants (AMD, phosphorus, animal waste)
- Everglades restoration efforts - plans, progress
- Restoration of mined peatlands with examples
- A comparison of assessment methods
- Prairie pothole restoration methods, successes, problems
- Forested wetland restoration methods, evaluation
- Mangrove wetlands – fx, threats
- Hurricanes and wetlands
- Urban wetlands – problems, successes with examples
- Invasive species (specific) control
- Recovery/disturbance of coastal wetlands following huuricanes
This is a research paper and should be referenced and written accordingly. Use indented paragraphs, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 11 pt. font. None of the references can be from the web, unless they are from a government publication or other complete on-line article. I have the Wetlands journal for the last 14 years or so. I also have a fair number of articles on some topics. Society of Wetland Scientists has a searchable database on-line of their abstracts. There are over 1800 references in the text.
Referencing should follow standard Wetlands journal style. Refer to their publications.
A useful discussion of content and methodology in research papers can be found at and The paper will be graded on organization, content, grammar and spelling, and appropriate use of references. It will be returned within 2 weeks; the final version is due with the presentations. Turn in the original and final versions together.
Field Trips
You cannot get an understanding of wetlands by staying inside. We have several field trips to help gain understanding. You will need waders unless you like to be wet. I may have your size-I may not. We will see what is needed at the first class.
Single day field trips: Proctor, East Texas
3 day weekend trip to look at coastal and inland wetlands, East Texas
Leave Friday –East Texas, stay at Big Thicket Research Station, Saratoga
Visit coastal and inland wetlands
Trip reports: You will take notes at each place we visit. Your notes should include all pertinent data – soils, chemistry, vegetation etc that we look at and any other larger topics we discuss. Your final report will consist of your field notebook (which will be graded) as well as a summarized report on the wetlands we visited. Classify them, vegetation? discuss similarities, differences. There will be a separate sheet detailing what is to be included.
Class Topics
This is a list of proposed topics and a speculative order.
WEEK / TOPIC / Text 5th ed1/12 / Introduction, Culture, Definitions,
North American and World wetlands / Chp 1, 2, 3
1/19 / Classification, Inventory, Wetland Loss / Chp 13
1/26 / Losses, Values, Delineation concepts / Chp 14, 16
2/9 / Hydrology / Chp 4
2/16 / TEST 1
2/23 / Biogeochemistry, Carbon, Climate Change / Chp 6, 17
3/1 / Soils(Paper due) / Chp 5
3/8 / Spring Break
3/15 / Biological adaptations (Alan Nelson) / Chp 7
3/19 / Field Trip – Proctor or Baylor
3/22 / Peatlands, Freshwater marshes / Chp 12,10
3/25 or 26 / Field trip to East Texas bog, managed wetland
3/29 / Coastal wetlands, Riparian / Chp 8,9, 11
4/5 / TEST 2 (only covers material through 3/22)
4/12 / Laws, Protection / Chp 15
4/19 / Student Presentations (revised paper due)
4/22-24 / Sat-Mon, Coast field trip (Field report due 4/27)
4/26 / Delineation, Functional assessment, Restoration, Treatment wetlands / Chp 18-19
5/3 /
FINAL 6:30-9:00 PM
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
I. It is the policy of Tarleton State University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws. If you are a student with a disability seeking accommodations for this course, please contact the Center for Access and Academic Testing, at 254.968.9400 . The office is located in Math 201. More information can be found at in the University Catalog.
II. Academic Honesty: Tarleton State University expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials.
III. Computer Usage Policy: Use of the computer resources at Tarleton State University is a privilege, not a right. When using these resources, individuals agree to abide by the applicable rules, regulations, and policies of the University, as well as federal, state and local laws. The University reserves the right to limit, restrict or deny access to its technology resources, as well as to take disciplinary and/or legal action against anyone in violation of these regulations or applicable law.