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Abstract
This document provides an overview of historical range of variation concepts and explores their application to wetland and riparian ecosystems in the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region (Region 2), which includes National Forests and National Grasslands occurring in the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota. For each of five ecosystem types - riparian areas, fens, wet meadows, salt flats, and marshes - we review key structural and functional characteristics including geomorphic setting, principal ecological drivers, classification, and dominant vegetation. In addition, we discuss anthropogenic factors known to influence the abundance or condition of each main wetland type.
Keywords
wetlands,
wet meadows,
fens,
salt flats,
riparian,
marshes,
Colorado,
Wyoming,
South Dakota,
Kansas,
Nebraska
Citation
Gage, Edward; Cooper, David J. 2013. Historical range of variation assessment for wetland and riparian ecosystems, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-286WWW. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 239 p.
