Created stormwater wetlands as wetland compensation and a floristic quality approach to wetland condition assessment in central Alberta

• Author / Creator

  Forrest, Andrew SM

• In Alberta, almost all created wetlands accepted as compensation have been naturalized stormwater management facilities. Our investigation of 32 created and natural wetlands in central Alberta determined that created wetlands have steeper shoreline slopes, largely as a result of their primary function as stormwater retention ponds. This resulted in distinctly different vegetation zonation, with the steeper slopes of created wetlands resulting in fewer, narrower wetland vegetation zones. This was reflected in reduced species richness and abundance of wetland songbirds at created wetlands. This study also discusses the development of a Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) approach, a standardized, quantitative approach to measuring wetland condition, for Alberta’s Parkland and Boreal natural regions. I present plant survey data from the 32 wetlands as validation of the effectiveness of this approach. This study provides information on current wetland compensation practices and a potential wetland assessment tool; both topics that are directly relevant to the implementation of wetland compensation policies in Alberta.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Floristic quality assessment
  • Stormwater wetland
  • Created wetland
  • Wetland birds
  • Wetland vegetation
  • Compensation
  • Slope

• Graduation date

  Fall 2010

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3SP99

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.