DATA SHEET: WETLAND OBSERVATIONS
DATA SHEET: WETLAND OBSERVATIONS
Name_________________________________________________Date______________ Use your powers of observation to complete the following questions and tables. 1. Dr aw an over head vi ew of t he ar ea, i ndi cat i ng t r ees, shr ubs, gr asses, emer gent veget at i on, open wat er , st andi ng wat er , wat er ways, et c. Label or make a key f or your sket ch.
2. Obser ve t he hydr ol ogy, or pr esence of wat er , at t he si t e. I s s t andi ng wat er pr esent ? Yes No I f yes, ask your t eacher f or a y ar dst i ck and compl et e t he f ol l owi ng quest i ons: i s t her e st andi ng ever ywher e? Yes No i s t he dept h of t he wat er uni f or m OR var i abl e ? how deep i s t he st andi ng wat er ? ________ f eet mi ni mum ________ f eet maxi mum
3. Obser ve t he veget at i on at t he si t e. a. ) Li st t he di f f er ent t ypes of veget at i on i n t he t abl e bel ow. I f you do not know t he r eal name of t he pl ant , si mpl y make up an oper at i onal name f or i t t hat wi l l hel p you i dent i f y i t and di st i ngui sh i t f r om ot her pl ant s. Plant Name
Sketch of Plant
Plant Tissue: Woody OR Nonwoody (**Star if Sedge)
Estimated Presence: Domi nant ( D) The most common t ype( s) or vegat at i on. Common ( C) numer ous i ndi vi dual s pr esent but not as many as t he domi nant t ypes of pl ant s, OR Rar e ( R) ver y f ew pr esent .
Distribution: Even, Cl umped, OR Random
Plants of this type commonly found: wi t h ot her pl ant s of t he same speci es OR mi xed wi t h ot her pl ant speci es ( speci f y whi ch speci es)
Typical Hydrology of plant location:
Other Observations
Plant Name
Sketch of Plant
Plant Tissue: Woody OR Nonwoody (**Star if Sedge)
Estimated Presence: Domi nant ( D) The most common t ype( s) or vegat at i on. Common ( C) numer ous i ndi vi dual s pr esent but not as many as t he domi nant t ypes of pl ant s, OR Rar e ( R) ver y f ew pr esent .
Distribution: Even, Cl umped, OR Random
Plants of this type commonly found: wi t h ot her pl ant s of t he same speci es OR mi xed wi t h ot her pl ant speci es ( speci f y whi ch speci es)
Typical Hydrology of plant location:
Other Observations
4.
a.) Ask your teacher for an auger and a plastic tray. Also ask your teacher where you should take your soil samples. b.) Label this location on your diagram on page 1 and go to the assigned location. Use the auger to extract two 12inch long soil samples. c.) Carefully and without disrupting the soil samples, place one sample in your plastic tray and bring the other sample to your teacher and remind him/her of where you got the sample. Then ask the teacher for a ruler and a color chart. d.) Use the ruler to measure 2 inches from the surface end of the soil sample. e.) Remove a small section of the sample from that depth and make observations to fill in the chart below. f.) Repeat e.) above for 4 inches, 6 inches, and 12 inches from the surface end of the soil sample, and the maximum depth of the soil sample. Be sure to measure and record exactly what the maximum depth is.
Depth from Soil Surface 2 Inches
4 Inches
6 Inches
General Observations/ patterns/ features / insects
Color #
Soil Particles
Soil Moisture
Soil Texture
(Use the color chart)
(organic matter, sand, minerals, clay, silt, pebbles, etc.)
(Dry moist wet very wet dripping)
(crumbles, sticks, together, sticks to fingers, claylike, oozes)
12 Inches
Maximum Depth = _____inches Soi l number s 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, and 16 ( and 2 somet i mes) ar e t ypi cal l y wet l and soi l s. g. ) Based on your obser vat i ons above, woul d you descr i be your soi l sampl e as hydr i c wet l and soi l ? Why or why not ? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 5. Li st t he t hr ee mai n condi t i ons t hat ar e us ed t o i dent i f y an ar ea as a wet l and. a. ) __________________________________________________________________ b. ) __________________________________________________________________ c. ) __________________________________________________________________ 6. Based on your answer t o Quest i on 5 and your obser vat i ons above, woul d you des c r i be t hi s si t e as a wet l and? Why or why not ? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 7. I f you woul d descr i be t hi s s i t e as a wet l and, a. ) what speci f i c t ype of wet l and i s i t ? A mar sh, swamp, bog, f en ot her ? Why? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ b. ) what ar e t he boundar i es of t he wet l and? ( upl and and/ or wat er way) Label t hem on your di agr am on page 1. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ c. ) how c an you t el l wher e t he wet l and ends and t he upl and begi ns? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ d. ) l i st any evi dence t hat t hi s wet l and has been al t er ed by humans or nat ur e. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 8. I f you woul d not descr i be t hi s si t e as a wet l and, r ecor d any evi dence t hat t hi s ar ea was once a wet l and and has been di st ur bed by human act i vi t y or nat ur e. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________
Name_________________________________________________Date______________ Use your powers of observation to complete the following questions and tables. 1. Dr aw an over head vi ew of t he ar ea, i ndi cat i ng t r ees, shr ubs, gr asses, emer gent veget at i on, open wat er , st andi ng wat er , wat er ways, et c. Label or make a key f or your sket ch.
2. Obser ve t he hydr ol ogy, or pr esence of wat er , at t he si t e. I s s t andi ng wat er pr esent ? Yes No I f yes, ask your t eacher f or a y ar dst i ck and compl et e t he f ol l owi ng quest i ons: i s t her e st andi ng ever ywher e? Yes No i s t he dept h of t he wat er uni f or m OR var i abl e ? how deep i s t he st andi ng wat er ? ________ f eet mi ni mum ________ f eet maxi mum
3. Obser ve t he veget at i on at t he si t e. a. ) Li st t he di f f er ent t ypes of veget at i on i n t he t abl e bel ow. I f you do not know t he r eal name of t he pl ant , si mpl y make up an oper at i onal name f or i t t hat wi l l hel p you i dent i f y i t and di st i ngui sh i t f r om ot her pl ant s. Plant Name
Sketch of Plant
Plant Tissue: Woody OR Nonwoody (**Star if Sedge)
Estimated Presence: Domi nant ( D) The most common t ype( s) or vegat at i on. Common ( C) numer ous i ndi vi dual s pr esent but not as many as t he domi nant t ypes of pl ant s, OR Rar e ( R) ver y f ew pr esent .
Distribution: Even, Cl umped, OR Random
Plants of this type commonly found: wi t h ot her pl ant s of t he same speci es OR mi xed wi t h ot her pl ant speci es ( speci f y whi ch speci es)
Typical Hydrology of plant location:
Other Observations
Plant Name
Sketch of Plant
Plant Tissue: Woody OR Nonwoody (**Star if Sedge)
Estimated Presence: Domi nant ( D) The most common t ype( s) or vegat at i on. Common ( C) numer ous i ndi vi dual s pr esent but not as many as t he domi nant t ypes of pl ant s, OR Rar e ( R) ver y f ew pr esent .
Distribution: Even, Cl umped, OR Random
Plants of this type commonly found: wi t h ot her pl ant s of t he same speci es OR mi xed wi t h ot her pl ant speci es ( speci f y whi ch speci es)
Typical Hydrology of plant location:
Other Observations
4.
a.) Ask your teacher for an auger and a plastic tray. Also ask your teacher where you should take your soil samples. b.) Label this location on your diagram on page 1 and go to the assigned location. Use the auger to extract two 12inch long soil samples. c.) Carefully and without disrupting the soil samples, place one sample in your plastic tray and bring the other sample to your teacher and remind him/her of where you got the sample. Then ask the teacher for a ruler and a color chart. d.) Use the ruler to measure 2 inches from the surface end of the soil sample. e.) Remove a small section of the sample from that depth and make observations to fill in the chart below. f.) Repeat e.) above for 4 inches, 6 inches, and 12 inches from the surface end of the soil sample, and the maximum depth of the soil sample. Be sure to measure and record exactly what the maximum depth is.
Depth from Soil Surface 2 Inches
4 Inches
6 Inches
General Observations/ patterns/ features / insects
Color #
Soil Particles
Soil Moisture
Soil Texture
(Use the color chart)
(organic matter, sand, minerals, clay, silt, pebbles, etc.)
(Dry moist wet very wet dripping)
(crumbles, sticks, together, sticks to fingers, claylike, oozes)
12 Inches
Maximum Depth = _____inches Soi l number s 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, and 16 ( and 2 somet i mes) ar e t ypi cal l y wet l and soi l s. g. ) Based on your obser vat i ons above, woul d you descr i be your soi l sampl e as hydr i c wet l and soi l ? Why or why not ? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 5. Li st t he t hr ee mai n condi t i ons t hat ar e us ed t o i dent i f y an ar ea as a wet l and. a. ) __________________________________________________________________ b. ) __________________________________________________________________ c. ) __________________________________________________________________ 6. Based on your answer t o Quest i on 5 and your obser vat i ons above, woul d you des c r i be t hi s si t e as a wet l and? Why or why not ? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 7. I f you woul d descr i be t hi s s i t e as a wet l and, a. ) what speci f i c t ype of wet l and i s i t ? A mar sh, swamp, bog, f en ot her ? Why? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ b. ) what ar e t he boundar i es of t he wet l and? ( upl and and/ or wat er way) Label t hem on your di agr am on page 1. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ c. ) how c an you t el l wher e t he wet l and ends and t he upl and begi ns? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ d. ) l i st any evi dence t hat t hi s wet l and has been al t er ed by humans or nat ur e. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 8. I f you woul d not descr i be t hi s si t e as a wet l and, r ecor d any evi dence t hat t hi s ar ea was once a wet l and and has been di st ur bed by human act i vi t y or nat ur e. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________
