ABSTRACT
Wetlands and aquatic ecosystems are sensitive to disturbances, from both natural and man-made activities. When the environment is adversely affected, the physical, chemical, and biological properties and processes may become stressed. To determine whether a biological community within wetland and aquatic systems has been negatively impacted, scientists are developing means to compare characteristics of impacted communities within wetlands to those of reference communities (those believed to be naturally or relatively undisturbed by anthropogenic sources). Many species depend on wetlands for successful completion of their life cycle and most require, or bene t from, nearby aquatic habitats. Changes in the structure and function of a wetland can impact the biota of the wetland, the surrounding uplands, and the nearby aquatic habitat. Monitoring of wetland ecosystems can provide information on environmental change, including changes in community structure and function, in both the wetland and upland watersheds.
