Additional Online Resources for Wetland Environments
James S. Aber Emporia State University
The following selected listing of online wetland sites demonstrates that a great body of high-quality information is available via the World Wide Web. All aspects of wetlands are represented. Sites include academic, governmental, commercial, recreational, and conservation aspects of fresh and saline wetland environments around the world.
United States Wetland Links
National water summary on wetland resources. U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Supply Paper 2425.
Society of Wetland Scientists--see educational resources. Links to educational webpages including government agencies, university courses, case histories, etc. Good place for students to initiate online searches for wetland resources (mostly U.S.).
America's wetlands from the Wetlands Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Introductory overview of wetland conditions, human interaction, protection, etc.
Wetland Science Institute of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA). See WLI. The mission of WLI is to "develop, adapt, and disseminate science and technology needed to protect and restore wetlands."
Fen Conservation Network--FCN, from Lehigh Earth Observatory in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy. Descriptions of fens under conservation management in several eastern and northern states.
Wetlands and agriculture, a publication of the Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (1998). Available in PDF format (which requires Acrobat Reader software to view).
Playa Lakes Joint Venture--PLJV. A six-state consortium of governmental and private partners to conserve playa lakes and related wetlands in the Great Plains and High Plains region.
KAWS--Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, organized in 1996 to promote "the protection, enhancement, and establishment of wetlands and riparian areas in Kansas."
Kansas Water Office, the state's water planning agency that works in cooperation with other state agencies and the public to "best achieve the proper utilization and control of water resources of the state."
KSNHI--Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory, from the Kansas Biological Survey.
Water words dictionary, from the Nevada Division of Water Planning. A comprehensive dictionary of technical water, water quality, environmental, and water-related terms. Also includes metric conversions, hydraulic units of measure, etc. Available in PDF format (which requires Acrobat Reader software to view). Good source for terminology and units of measurement.
Florida wetlands from the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection. Webpages on resource permitting, restoration, GIS databases, mangroves, etc.
Sunkhaze peatland complex and geologic setting for Maine peat deposits. From Explore Maine, Maine Geological Survey.
Sustaining riparian landscapes, from the Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service--see riparian landscapes.
National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office--see migtigation action plan.
Izaak Walton League of America, Clean Water programs--see IWLA.
Wetland Breaking News: listing of many stories and articles about wetlands, from the Association of State Wetland Managers organization--see ASWM.
International Wetland Links
Ramsar Convention on wetlands of international importance. An intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Wetlands International--a leading global non-profit organization dedicated solely to the crucial work of wetland conservation and sustainable management.
Ducks Unlimited--one of the leading non-governmental organizations for wetland and waterfowl conservation. DU claims to be the world's largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation group. Its efforts are well known in protection and restoration of waterfowl habitat, primarily in the U.S. and Canada as well as elsewhere.
Map of ecological regions, covering the United States plus large portions of Canada and Mexico, by the Nature Conservancy.
Canadian landscapes from the Geological Survey of Canada. A photographic catalog of Canadian landscapes, containing many excellent views of wetlands, including both ground and aerial photographs.
Canadian wetlands, from the National Atlas of Canada. Good introductory overview of Canadian wetlands. Well designed with good illustrations.
Wetland classification, from Devonian Botanic Garden, Alberta, Canada. Good overview of wetland classification with an emphasis on peatlands of North America.
Tropical wetlands, from Environment Australia. Well-designed webpages overviewing the tropical wetlands of Queensland, Australia.
