Wetland Visit and Effective Management Report
Order ID 53003233773 Type Essay Writer Level Masters Style APA Sources/References 4 Perfect Number of Pages to Order 5-10 Pages Description/Paper Instructions
Wetland Visit and Effective Management Report
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OVERVIEW
Now that you have completed all course modules, you should be familiar with the basic
components of a wetland. Effective wetland management includes describing the important
characteristics of wetlands in order to evaluate wetland resources and function within the
landscape. This helps decision makers determine their value and role in a watershed as
well as assess associated risks in order to prioritize protection. In this field trip you are
tasked with visiting a wetland of your choice and writing a report. Read this document in
its entirety before making your field visit.
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OBJECTIVES
Be able to describe important characteristics of a wetland in context using
appropriate terminology
Demonstrate an understanding of key wetland indicators in the field
Interpret the factors potentially involved in protecting said wetland and offer some
insight in determining possible conservation concerns
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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
You must visit a wetland; this can be any wetland are as long as you physically attend the
site. No virtual sites will be accepted unless you have an SDS accommodation or are
located in an area without wetlands. Some suggestions on or near campus include
Riverfront Park at USF and Lettuce Lake Park. However, any wetland will suffice, including
those directly on campus or near where you live, so long as you pick just one. While you are
there you will take detailed notes including pictures about the wetland vegetation, soils,
water, and human impacts. You will then write a report following the outline provided.
The report must be organized into sections labelled with headings matching the outline.
Each section should consist of paragraphs describing your field observations, referencing
your images as appropriate. The outline describes the content you should include in each
section of your report.
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OUTLINE
Introduction: include a brief opening paragraph
Highlight the importance of wetlands and why they play a critical role within the
landscape
Description of Site: provide a general study area description
Where is it located, and what type of wetland is it? Also mention when (date and
time of day) you made your observations
Describe the geomorphology, climate, or other important factors
How much open water is there vs vegetation?
Take a “big picture” of the site and include it in this section of the report. Similar to
those pictures seen in the lecture slides; it should be possible to identify the type of
wetland based on this picture
Vegetation: identify and describe
Take pictures of and identify the plant species in your wetland. If you cannot
identify all species, provide a class (e.g., submergent, emergent) instead.
Which of these species are hydrophytes?
What wetland plant adaptations can you see?
Based on this information, does it meet wetland criteria for having an abundance of
hydrophytes? (Explain)
Water: note the major characteristics
Describe what you can about the hydrology of your site and state what indicators of
wetland hydrology you should be looking for
Which of these indicators are present? Take pictures of any visible signs of these
indicators (e.g. signs of intermittent flood areas)
Based on this, do you think it meets the criteria for wetland hydrology? (Explain)
Soils: note major characteristics
Describe what you can about the soil type and state what indicators of soil you
expect to find.
Which of these indicators are present? Take pictures of any visible signs of these
indicators. Note: You are not to disturb public sites in any way; use above ground
indicators.
Based on what you see, does the site meet the criteria of having hydric soils?
Conclusion: Wetland Policy and Management
To the best of your knowledge, is your wetland naturally occurring or part of a
restoration effort? Pictures of the surrounding area may be beneficial to include
here.
Based on the previous information, what do you think are some of the functions or
benefits your particular wetland provides? What is the value of this wetland?
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FORMAT GUIDELINES
Your paper should be a minimum of 10-12 pages double spaced with an appropriate font.
While you will not be penalized for going over 12 pages, I do not believe you can
thoroughly address every item specified in the handout to receive full credit in less than 10
pages.
Label pictures appropriately. For example, if you are required take a picture of a specific
species of vegetation, your picture should clearly distinguish which plant you are referring
to and label that plant. Do not provide a big picture of your vegetation and list all in the
picture. Aim for multiple images of plants, where possible.
An important skill to develop is clear communication of scientific concepts in writing.
While you will mostly be graded on content, there are certain expectations regarding the
overall clarity and format of your paper. You should use this paper as an opportunity to
practice clear scientific writing. A sample of scientific writing format is posted below.
Sample Paragraph using Scientific Writing Format
“Geographically isolated wetlands may be naturally formed or be the result of human
activities. Naturally occurring isolated wetlands are mainly represented by the following
types: prairie pothole wetlands, playas, Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin and Sandhills wetlands,
West Coast vernal pools, sinkhole wetlands, Carolina bays, interdunal and intradunal
wetlands, desert springs, terminal basins in the Great Basin, and kettlehole, bogs in
glaciated regions (Table 1). While most of these wetlands occur in depressions, some
naturally isolated types form on broad flats and even on slopes. The predominant wetland
types in many regions also include geographically isolated forms in closed basins.” – Tiner,
Ralph W. (2003) Geographically isolated wetlands of the United States. Wetlands,
23(3):494-516
Finally, make sure the work you turn in is your own and use citations when necessary.
Any standard format for citations is acceptable. These papers will be submitted on Canvas
and run through the TurnItIn.com system which will flag any instance of plagiarism.
Wetland Visit and Effective Management Report
RUBRIC
QUALITY OF RESPONSE NO RESPONSE POOR / UNSATISFACTORY SATISFACTORY GOOD EXCELLENT Content (worth a maximum of 50% of the total points) Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. 20 points out of 50: The essay illustrates poor understanding of the relevant material by failing to address or incorrectly addressing the relevant content; failing to identify or inaccurately explaining/defining key concepts/ideas; ignoring or incorrectly explaining key points/claims and the reasoning behind them; and/or incorrectly or inappropriately using terminology; and elements of the response are lacking. 30 points out of 50: The essay illustrates a rudimentary understanding of the relevant material by mentioning but not full explaining the relevant content; identifying some of the key concepts/ideas though failing to fully or accurately explain many of them; using terminology, though sometimes inaccurately or inappropriately; and/or incorporating some key claims/points but failing to explain the reasoning behind them or doing so inaccurately. Elements of the required response may also be lacking. 40 points out of 50: The essay illustrates solid understanding of the relevant material by correctly addressing most of the relevant content; identifying and explaining most of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology; explaining the reasoning behind most of the key points/claims; and/or where necessary or useful, substantiating some points with accurate examples. The answer is complete. 50 points: The essay illustrates exemplary understanding of the relevant material by thoroughly and correctly addressing the relevant content; identifying and explaining all of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology explaining the reasoning behind key points/claims and substantiating, as necessary/useful, points with several accurate and illuminating examples. No aspects of the required answer are missing. Use of Sources (worth a maximum of 20% of the total points). Zero points: Student failed to include citations and/or references. Or the student failed to submit a final paper. 5 out 20 points: Sources are seldom cited to support statements and/or format of citations are not recognizable as APA 6th Edition format. There are major errors in the formation of the references and citations. And/or there is a major reliance on highly questionable. The Student fails to provide an adequate synthesis of research collected for the paper. 10 out 20 points: References to scholarly sources are occasionally given; many statements seem unsubstantiated. Frequent errors in APA 6th Edition format, leaving the reader confused about the source of the information. There are significant errors of the formation in the references and citations. And/or there is a significant use of highly questionable sources. 15 out 20 points: Credible Scholarly sources are used effectively support claims and are, for the most part, clear and fairly represented. APA 6th Edition is used with only a few minor errors. There are minor errors in reference and/or citations. And/or there is some use of questionable sources. 20 points: Credible scholarly sources are used to give compelling evidence to support claims and are clearly and fairly represented. APA 6th Edition format is used accurately and consistently. The student uses above the maximum required references in the development of the assignment. Grammar (worth maximum of 20% of total points) Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. 5 points out of 20: The paper does not communicate ideas/points clearly due to inappropriate use of terminology and vague language; thoughts and sentences are disjointed or incomprehensible; organization lacking; and/or numerous grammatical, spelling/punctuation errors 10 points out 20: The paper is often unclear and difficult to follow due to some inappropriate terminology and/or vague language; ideas may be fragmented, wandering and/or repetitive; poor organization; and/or some grammatical, spelling, punctuation errors 15 points out of 20: The paper is mostly clear as a result of appropriate use of terminology and minimal vagueness; no tangents and no repetition; fairly good organization; almost perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage. 20 points: The paper is clear, concise, and a pleasure to read as a result of appropriate and precise use of terminology; total coherence of thoughts and presentation and logical organization; and the essay is error free. Structure of the Paper (worth 10% of total points) Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. 3 points out of 10: Student needs to develop better formatting skills. The paper omits significant structural elements required for and APA 6th edition paper. Formatting of the paper has major flaws. The paper does not conform to APA 6th edition requirements whatsoever. 5 points out of 10: Appearance of final paper demonstrates the student’s limited ability to format the paper. There are significant errors in formatting and/or the total omission of major components of an APA 6th edition paper. They can include the omission of the cover page, abstract, and page numbers. Additionally the page has major formatting issues with spacing or paragraph formation. Font size might not conform to size requirements. The student also significantly writes too large or too short of and paper 7 points out of 10: Research paper presents an above-average use of formatting skills. The paper has slight errors within the paper. This can include small errors or omissions with the cover page, abstract, page number, and headers. There could be also slight formatting issues with the document spacing or the font Additionally the paper might slightly exceed or undershoot the specific number of required written pages for the assignment. 10 points: Student provides a high-caliber, formatted paper. This includes an APA 6th edition cover page, abstract, page number, headers and is double spaced in 12’ Times Roman Font. Additionally, the paper conforms to the specific number of required written pages and neither goes over or under the specified length of the paper.
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