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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): R. W. Tiner
Publication Date: 2003

While many wetlands form along floodplains of rivers, streams, lakes, and estuaries, others have developed in depressions far removed from such waters. Depressional wetlands completely surrounded by upland have traditionally been called 'isolated wetlands.' Isolated wetlands are not confined to basins, as some occur on broad flats and others form on slopes. The term 'geographically isolated wetlands' better describes these wetlands, since many are hydrologically connected to other wetlands and waterbodies through ground-water flows or by intermittent overflows (spillovers). Numerous types of geographically isolated wetlands occur throughout the United States. They may be naturally formed or the result of human action. Naturally formed types include prairie pothole wetlands, playas, Nebraska's Rainwater Basin and Sandhills wetlands, West Coast vernal pools, sinkhole wetlands, Carolina bays, interdunal and intradunal wetlands, desert springs, terminal basins in the Great Basin, and kettle-hole bogs in glaciated regions. Human-caused isolated types may be intentionally built, such as ponds designed for various purposes and wetlands built on mined lands, or they may be accidentially created (e.g., natural wetlands that were once connected to rivers and streams but are now isolated by roads, railroads, and other development or isolated by altered river hydrology). Many of the functions and benefits attributed to non-isolated wetlands are present in isolated wetlands. © 2003, The Society of Wetland Scientists. Abstract reproduced by permission.

Online Links
Citation: Tiner, R. W. 2003. Geographically isolated wetlands of the United States. Wetlands, v. 23, no. 3, p. 494-516. http://www.sws.org/wetlands.

Cataloging Information

Regions:
Alaska    California    Eastern    Great Basin    Hawaii    Northern Rockies    Northwest    Rocky Mountain    Southern    Southwest    National
Keywords:
  • agriculture
  • Ambystoma spp.
  • amphibians
  • Bacopa
  • bogs
  • Carex
  • coastal plain
  • community ecology
  • Coreopsis
  • cover type conversion
  • deserts
  • distribution
  • disturbance
  • Echinodorus
  • ecosystem dynamics
  • evergreens
  • fire dependent species
  • floods
  • Florida
  • Great Lakes
  • hydrology
  • Hypericum
  • invasive species
  • lakes
  • land use
  • landscape ecology
  • lichens
  • marshlands
  • mosses
  • native species (animals)
  • native species (plants)
  • Nebraska
  • North Carolina
  • north Florida
  • Nyssa sylvatica
  • peatlands
  • Pinus elliottii
  • plant communities
  • ponds
  • prairies
  • Pseudacris
  • Rana capito
  • rivers
  • roads
  • runoff
  • Sagittaria
  • salt marshes
  • sandhills
  • Scaphiopus
  • Schoenoplectus
  • shrubs
  • South Dakota
  • southern California
  • species diversity (animals)
  • species diversity (plants)
  • streams
  • Taxodium ascendens
  • Texas
  • threatened and endangered species (animals)
  • threatened and endangered species (plants)
  • vegetation surveys
  • vulnerable species or communities
  • water
  • waterfowl
  • watershed management
  • wetlands
  • wildlife habitat management
  • Xyris
Tall Timbers Record Number: 16683Location Status: In-fileCall Number: Fire FileAbstract Status: Okay, Fair use, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 41736

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.