Age: High School
Setting: Indoors/outdoors
Objective: Students will learn to identify wetland plants and characteristics of hydrophytic vegetation
common the ND wetlands, as well become familiar with methods of data collection for
vegetation such as quadrats and transects while identifying wetland zones.
Materials brought by students/teacher:
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Waders if students have their own
Field journals: required for recording notes and data collected while using quadrats/transects
Pen/pencils
calculator
Appropriate clothing: jacket, hats, gloves, OLD Shoes—preferably rubber boots in spring and fall
o Unless there are extreme weather conditions, all field trips will go as scheduled
Materials provided by Prairie Waters:
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Waders
2-stakes or flags with wire
Transect tape that measures at least 15 meters
Quadrat frame (.5m x .2m, 0.1 m2)
Floating ball with string tied to it, at least 7 meters in length
Wetland vegetation and wetland zones handouts
Lesson 1: Fall – Wetland Vegetation Activity
Objective: At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
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Define what hydrophytic vegetation is and list some adaptations they possess
List, define, and identify wetland zones
List, define, and identify types of hydrophytic vegetation
Make and record observations at a wetland
Identify at least 5 wetland plants
Math Connection
1. Be able to explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative sampling
2. Explain what quadrats and trasects are and why they are used
3. Calculate Density of hyrdrophytic vegetation, make inferences from this data
Location: Stoney Slough Waterfowl Production Area
Background:
Wetlands have three main characteristics: water, hydric (water saturated, anaerobic) soil,
hydrophytic (water tolerant) plants. The process of deciding where a wetland starts and ends is
known as delineation. Soil, plants, and water characteristics are the defining wetland indicators.
Delineation focuses on hydric (saturated) soils, hydrophytic (water tolerant) plants, and a specific
hydrologic (water) regime. Each characteristic can be used to define where a wetland begins and
ends, are where wetland zones occur.
Hydrophytic plants - herbaceous (non-woody) plants, shrubs, and trees are commonly referred to as
“water loving” plants or hydrophytes. These plants are specially adapted to withstand the stressful
conditions characteristic of wetlands: periodic or permanent inundation or saturation with water,
fluctuating water levels, and little available oxygen.
Hydrophytes have adapted to wet, anaerobic conditions in a number of ways:
1) Many have special air spaces called aerenchyma in their roots and stems that allow oxygen to
diffuse from the aerated portions of the plant to its roots. Some wetland plants are so well
adapted that they require no diffusion of oxygen from surrounding soils to their roots.
2) Some plants, especially woody plants, pump oxygen from their leaves (a product of
photosynthesis) to their roots situated in saturated soils. This process enables the root cells to
respire and carry on necessary nutrient exchange reactions with the surrounding soils. This
adaptation frequently results in the formation of oxidized rhizospheres (rust-colored root channels)
in the upper soil layer.
3) Many trees found in wetlands develop shallow root systems, swollen trunks, or roots that grow
from the trunk above the soil surface.
4) Hydrophytes living in saline environments develop structural barriers to prevent or control the
entry of salts at the root surface and have organs specialized to excrete salts through glands
embedded in the leaf.
Types of Wetland Plants
There are many wetland plants and trees that most people are familiar with including cattails,
bulrushes, cordgrass, sphagnum moss, sedges, rushes, arrowheads, and willows. A powerpoint is
available with pictures and descriptions of wetland plants that can be utilized in the field for
identification.
Wetland plants can be categorized by their location in water:
Emergent plants are rooted in the sediment but have stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits above the
water surface. Common types include arrowhead, rushes, and cattail.
Floating plants may be either free-floating or rooted in the soil. They have leaves on the water
surface and carry flowers or fruits just above the surface. Common species include the water lily,
sago pondweed, and duckweed.
Submergent plants grow completely beneath the surface, including spiny naiad and coontail.
Vegetation Sampling Using the Quadrat Method
A quadrat is a frame that is laid down to mark out a specific area of the community to be sampled
and obtain quantitative data. Within the quadrat frame, the occurrence of plants is recorded using
an appropriate measure of abundance. Quadrats may be square, rectangular or circular and they
may be of any appropriate size. The quadrat method can be used in virtually any vegetation type to
quantify the plant community. However, some vegetation types are best sampled using other
techniques (e.g., a point‐frame for grasslands, or point‐quarter method for forests).
Because a single quadrat cannot be expected to sample a community adequately, repeated quadrat
samples are taken. Typically, the community is divided up into sub‐areas dependent on topography,
aspect, other physical features – and apparent floristic differences – and these are sampled
separately; within sub‐areas, quadrats are located randomly. This type of sampling approach
ensures a representative sample of the different physical and floristic features of the community.
This type of sampling is called stratified random sampling. Once collected, the sample data from all
quadrats are added together and are considered to constitute an adequate sample of the
community.
When sampling vegetation using quadrats, different measures of abundance can be quantified to
assess the influence or “importance” of each species in that quadrat. For example:
Counts – a simple tally of the number of individuals of a species
Cover – the percent (%) area of the quadrat occupied by a plant species.
Density – estimated by quantifying the number of individuals of a species per unit area.
Frequency – the proportion of quadrats sampled in which the species is represented.
The shape of a quadrat can be square, rectangular or circular. Each one has advantages and
disadvantages. Circular quadrats have the least edge to interior ratio and so have the least bias.
They are also easy to define in the field. However, this shape may not be advantageous in dense
plant communities. Square and rectangular quadrats are sometimes easier to define, since tape
measures can be strung through dense vegetation stands. Rectangular quadrats are considered a
good compromise because they have a lower perimeter to interior area than a square and also can
capture more linear distance along the ground. This distance property can more effectively capture
environmental variation than square quadrats. Using too few quadrats will result in an incomplete
or inaccurate representation of all the species. Using too many will be a waste of time and effort.
Vegetation Sampling Using the Transect Method
Line transects are used when you wish to illustrate a particular gradient or linear pattern along
which communities of plants and, or animals change. They provide a good way of being able to
clearly visualize the changes taking place along the line. Depending on how detailed the line transect
is, they can usually be accomplished fairly quickly.
Line transects do not produce as much information on the relative densities of individual species as
a belt transect would do. A line transect tells you what is there, but gives limited information on
how much of it is present. If detailed density information is required a quadrat can be added to the
transect, as will be carried out in the field activity for the fall field trip.
In Summary – Hydrophytic vegetation is one indicator of a wetland and can be used to identify where a
wetland basin lies. This is important because delineation of a wetland establishes the existence
(location) and physical limits (size) of a wetland for the purposes of federal, state, and local regulations.
Wetland delineation is also an element of a “jurisdictional determination.” This process identifies which
water bodies within a project's boundaries meet the definition of "waters of the United States." Locally
this becomes important for producers/farmers, water boards, water commissions, the State Health
Department, and government agencies located within the state that must carry out federal regulations.
More information on this will be covered during the winter field trip.
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The wetland we will study is Stoney Slough National Wildlife Production Area. It is 880 acres
that are part of the national wildlife refuge system, consisting of both permanent and temporary
wetlands, located approximately 13 miles south and 4 miles west of Valley City, ND.
Prior to your visit
 Please give the “Wetlands Assessment” to the students prior to introducing this lesson.
This is for Prairie Waters to determine the effectiveness of this program. We will have the
students take the same assessment after completing the program in the spring.
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Review background information – use the information provided in the lesson plan, or other
information found on-line or in field guides to introduce yourself and the classroom to wetland
vegetation and adapations.
Lesson Plan—word document containing background information, pre-trip preparation, and a
tentative field day schedule.
Wetland Vegetation Power Point
Map of Stoney Slough Wildlife Production Area
Wetland Vegetation Activity Datasheet
Definding Wetland Zones sheet
Vocabulary
Field Journal
Prior to taking students outdoors, visit with them about limiting disturbance to the wetland habitat,
which is a home for many different kinds of animals and plants. Make sure they understand that
they should not destroy the habitat or injure/kill any insects or other animals in the area.
Visit with the students about appropriate attire for the wetland. This includes old clothes, old shoes,
waders or rubber boots if they have them, and rain gear if needed.
Divide students into groups of 3 or 4
LESSON:
1. Position yourself on wetland edge (where the wetland water meets the soil/substrate). Stand
facing perpendicular to the wetland edge (facing the water/center of wetland). With one hand
grasping the end of the string attached to the ball, throw the ball out into the wetland. The
point where the floating ball lands will be the starting point of your transect. Place stake or flag
with wire at the point where the floating ball landed to mark this point.
2. Position yourself on the wetland edge again. Stand with your back facing the open water of the
wetland, perpendicular to the wetland edge. With one hand grasping the end of the string
attached to the ball, throw the ball out into the vegetation. Place another stake or flag with
wire where the ball landed. This point will be the line of sight to line up your 10m transect.
3. Using the transect tape, start your tape (0m) at the point/stake in the water. Run the
transection tape through the water towards the shoreline, using the stake on shore as your line
of sight. The end of the transect will be the 10m mark on the tape.
4. Place the quadrat at the zero mark on either side of the transect tape. The side of the quadrat
with no border will touch the transect tape.
5. Begin counting stems present of each type of plant/species only within the quadrat. Record
these numbers on the wetland veg. activity data form. Identify the plants you can. If plants are
not known, take notes of its characteristics and label each unknown plant with a different letter
(ex. UNK A, UNK B, UNK C). Refer to plants examples on shore and wetland vegetation handout
to help with identification, or simply ask an instructor for help with identification. Also estimate
percent cover for each species within each quadrat. This is a qualitative observation, do your
best. Record all data on the wetland vegetation activity datasheet.
6. After the quadrat is completed at 0m, move to 2m and place quadrat on opposite side of tape
that the 0m quad. was on and repeat process for every 2m along the 10m transect line (6
quadrats altogether), always alternating sides of the tape that the quadrat is placed.
7.
After transects/data collection are finished, complete the columns “dom. sp. in quadrat/veg.
type” and “wetland zone” for each quadrat on the wetland vegetation activity sheet. For “veg.
type,” identify if the dominant species is emergent, floating, submergent, or upland sp. Use the
“Defining Wetland Zones” chart to help identify what wetland zone the quadrats were located
in.
8. Use the data you recorded on the Wetland Vegetation Activity datasheet to calculate the
following in your field journal:
***Note***
Number of quadrats – 6
Area of quadrat (each) – 0.5m x 0.2m = 0.1m2
Area sampled for each transect – 6 quadrats x 0.1m2 Area of ea. Quad. = 0.6m2
A.
Calculate Total Density of all species.
Formula: Total Density = total # of indiv. / Area sampled
___plants/m2=_____________/________m2
B.
Calculate Total Density for the most dominant species.
Formula: Total Density = total # of indiv. Of most dom. Sp / Area sampled
___plants/m2=_____________/________m2
C.
Calculate the Frequency of the most dominant species.
Formula: # of quadrats the dom. Sp occurred in
_______________________________ = ________ =
Total # of quadrats observed
%