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Wetland Systems & Designations
Wetland Systems & Designations
The EPA classification scheme recognizes five wetland systems:
Palustrine systems
Palustrine systems
Wetlands dominated by vegetation: trees, shrubs, persistent emergents & mosses
Also includes wetlands that occur in tidal areas where salinity is below 0.5 ppt (parts per thousand)
Subgroups including bogs, fens, marshes, swamps, and ponds
Depressions dominated by Sphagnum peat, with acidic waters, and low minerals content
Fens
Fens
Peat-forming wetlands, with alkaline waters, and high mineral content
Wetland dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants
Wetlands dominated by trees and shrubs
Above: Marsh habitat with grasses; Below: Bog with carnivorous plants
Lacustrine systems
Lacustrine systems
Deeper water habitats in a depression or dammed rivers, larger than 20 acres
This includes permanently flooded lakes, reservoirs, and intermittent lakes
Lacks permanent vegetation, but can contain submerged and floating plants
Riverine systems
Riverine systems
Flowing water habitats contained within a channel
Rivers, streams, and creeks are common examples
Moving water erodes riverbanks, and sand will sometimes form forming bars or islands
If the channel becomes blocked by debris, the river may change its course leaving an oxbow lake
Estuarine systems
Estuarine systems
Tidal wetlands in which ocean water is diluted by freshwater river runoff
Estuaries, mangrove swamps, and salt-marshes are common examples
Salinity is greater than 0.5 ppt, but lower than ocean water (30-35 ppt)
Low-energy environments buffered by salt-tolerant emergent plants (e.g. mangroves)
Marine systems
Marine systems
Open ocean overlying the continental shelf and its associated high-energy coastline
Reefs and ocean beaches are common examples
Located in tidal areas exposed to waves and currents of the open ocean
Salinities exceed 30 ppt in marine habitats
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Satellites reveal tropical wetland flooding did not cause methane surge (Phys.org 8Jul2025)
└Xiong et al. (2025) Limited evidence that tropical inundation and precipitation powered the 2020–2022 methane surge
Some studies might not paint full picture of how plants respond to climate change (Phys.org 23Jun2025)
└Dobson et al. (2025) A Global Meta‐Analysis of Passive Experimental Warming Effects on Plant Traits and Community Properties
Modeling study finds early signs of widespread coastal marsh decline (Phys.org 23Jun2025)
└Runion et al. (2025) Early warning signs of salt marsh drowning indicated by widespread vulnerability from declining belowground plant biomass
How marine microalgae cause buoyant microplastics to sink (Phys.org 23Jun2025)
└Lim et al. (2025) Impact of Heterosigma akashiwo on the environmental behavior of microplastics: Aggregation, sinking, and resuspension dynamics
Marine snow provides new clues about the export of carbon to the deep sea (Phys.org 19Jun2025)
└Kramer et al. (2025) Sinking particles exporting diatoms and Hacrobia predict the magnitude of oceanic POC flux
Peatlands across the Arctic are expanding as the climate warms, research shows (Phys.org 19Jun2025)
└Crichton et al. (2025) Satellite data indicates recent Arctic peatland expansion with warming
Wetland restoration is seen as sunk cost—but new research shows why it should be considered an investment (The Conversation 17Jun2025)
Permanently frozen palsa mires could be lost by the end of the century (Phys.org 5Jun2025)
└Leppiniemi (2025) Palsa mires of the Northern Hemisphere: environmental characteristics, degradation, and morpho-ecological state
Wetland habitat conservation can help waterbird communities to adjust to climate warming (Phys.org 4Jun2025)
└Jonas et al. (2025) Interactions between climate warming and management actions determining bird community change in protected areas
Mangroves show surprising resilience to storms in a changing climate (Phys.org 30May2025)
└Reed et al. (2025) Resilience to Hurricanes Is High in Mangrove Blue Carbon Forests
Protecting seagrasses could prevent billions of dollars in damages (Phys.org 14May2025)
└Krause et al. (2025) Global seagrass carbon stock variability and emissions from seagrass loss
Global map reveals seagrass meadows under threat—even inside protected areas (Phys.org 23Apr2025)
└Jones et al. (2025) Mapping global threats to seagrass meadows reveals opportunities for conservation
Seagrasses filter human pathogens in marine waters (Phys.org 9Aug2024)
└Dawkins et al. (2024) Seagrass ecosystems as green urban infrastructure to mediate human pathogens in seafood
Climate change alters the hidden microbial food web in peatlands, study shows (Phys.org 18Mar2024)
└Kilner et al. (2024) Temperature and CO2 interactively drive shifts in the compositional and functional structure of peatland protist communities
Vital seagrasses in gulf of Mexico are retreating amid rapid sea level rise (Phys.org 27Feb2024)
└Capistrant-Fossa & Dunton (2024) Rapid sea level rise causes loss of seagrass meadows
Re-Wetting Peatlands Could Help Sop Up Massive Atmospheric Carbon (22Sep2023 ScienceBlog)
Small, isolated wetlands are pollution-catching powerhouses (Phys.org 2Feb2023)
"Biggest plant on Earth": Seagrass colony off Western Australia coast (31May2022, The Guardian)
The Grass Is Greener in Virginia (Hakai Magazine Jan 2021): the return of eel-grass has made water clearer and increased biodiversity
Seagrass Loss Causes Shift in Fish Populations (Cal Poly News 9Jul2021)
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