Calling All Wetland Scientists -
Seeking Information on the Growing Season
(Posted 3/6/09)
Wetland ecologist Ralph Tiner (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) is still compiling observations on start and finish of the "growing season" from across the country and your participation is invited. Growing season is used in wetland delineation to indicate the time
of year when inundation and soil saturation have a critical effect on plants.
Visible signs of the beginning of the growing season include bud break, greening up of vegetation (e.g., leaf or shoot emergence, leaf-out, and greening of evergreen leaves that were reddish in winter like cranberry, leatherleaf, and dewberries), first bloom,
and opening of catkins. Signs of the end of the growing season
include leaf drop in the fall and herbaceous plant die-back due to killing frost. Some plants flower (e.g., witch hazel asters, and
goldenrods) or produce spores (e.g., clubmosses) in late fall and these observations are also requested. Observations for both wetland
and upland plants are wanted.
To participate please send your observations to:
Ralph_Tiner@fws.gov. Please put "Growing Season Observations for _______ (specify
area)" in the email subject block and for each observation, list the species, the observed feature, the observation date, general
habitat (wetland or upland type), and site location (town, county, state). Your name and affiliation would also be appreciated for acknowledgment of contributors. This is planned as a multi-year investigation, so for regions where the growing season is
year-round or has already commenced, fall observations would be welcomed this year and observations of both spring and fall reported for future years.
A summary of the observations reported to date will be prepared
later this year.
Click here for the standard form for recording your observations.
Please use the scientific name of the plant (if possible following the nomenclature posted on the USDA plants database at: http://plants.usda.gov) If you can only identify the species to genus that will suffice, but full classification is preferred for obvious reasons. For herbs, early in the season, identification may not be recognizable, so simply report its emergence as unidentified herb. If you can later identify the plant that would be most useful; you can send a followup email.
When submitting a completed form, please send via email and put in the "Subject" block - "Growing Season Observations 2009 - _______" (identify state in blank). Of course, in future years you should change the date.
Click here for a wetland publications list that may be of interest.
Thanks for agreeing to participate in the study. We should have some interesting findings over the years.
Best Wishes,
Ralph Tiner
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The New England Hydric Soil Technical Committee requests your help
If, on your wetland delineation datasheets, you have ever referenced any of the following indicators from the Field Indicators for Identifying Hydric Soils in New England, Version 3, April 2004, please let me know.
VII. Depleted Below Dark Surface.
VIII. Dark Mineral Soils. A. B.
IX. Spodosols. A. B. C.
X. Sandy With Redox. A. B. C.
XI. Any Texture. A. B.
XII. Any Texture.
Thanks in advance. Ruth M. Ladd Chief,
Policy Analysis and Technical Support Branch
Regulatory Division
New England District Corps of Engineers
696 Virginia Road
Concord, MA 01742-2751 (978) 318-8818
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NHDES Shoreland Rules and Fetch Rules
The Final Proposals for the Shoreland Rules and the Fetch Rules (separate documents and rulemakings) were filed the last week of January with the Office of Legislative Services. These are separate rulemakings, but they can both be found on the wetlands website under “Proposed Rules”. Here is the link:
http://www.des.state.nh.us/RuleMaking/
NHDES expects that the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR) will hear both sets of rules on Friday February 15th at the Legislative Office Building.
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NHDES has distributed the Rulemaking Notice and the Rules (Initial Proposal) for the Vernal Pool Rules (including definitions). Click on the following links to view the rulemaking notice and proposed rules:
Vernal Pool Rulemaking Notice
Vernal Pool Rulemaking Definitions
Vernal Pool Rules - Proposed
Vernal Pool Definitions
If you have any questions for NHDES, contact Mary Ann Tilton at 271-2929 or Wetlands Rule Coordinator, Karla McManus.
NHANRS is interested in NHANRS Member comments on the proposed Vernal Pool Rules. Please provide comments to Tracy Tarr (NHANRS Representative to the Vernal Pool Work Group at ttenv@worldpath.net) or to Sherrie Davis (Chair of the NHANRS Legislative Committee at sdavis@nhsc.net)
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