Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) assessment—A test of user consistency

Abstract

We describe the first test conducted to determine user consistency in the application of hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment models. Over a three-week period, two teams of individuals trained in the HGM methodology assessed 44 riverine wetlands on the Coastal Plain of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, USA. Results demonstrated a high degree of agreement between the two assessment teams for both Variable Subindices and Functional Capacity Index Scores, indicating that the assessment models were robust and results were repeatable. Analyses of the data demonstrated the importance of only using variables whose measurements are repeatable. When variable measurements are not repeatable, HGM functional capacity scores are detrimentally affected, especially functions that are modeled by only a few variables.