STATE-OF-THE-SCIENCE REPORT Trends in Floristic Quality Assessment for Wetland Evaluation

Abstract

Over the past two decades, much has been written about the use of bioassessment tools to evaluate wetland condition. Interest in bioassessment has originated from a need to establish parameters for “biological integrity” in wetland ecosystems, whether for scientific research, natural areas assessment, inventory and monitoring, or in response to regulatory mandate. On the latter point, the need has been, in part, a reaction to Clean Water Act directives to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (33 U.S.C. §1251). For wetland scientists and managers, identifying a sampling focus for chemical or physical integrity (e.g., dissolved oxygen, temperature) has been a much more straightforward task than finding adequate methods for measuring biological integrity, an ambiguous concept that defies precise definition.