A national-scale vegetation multimetric index (VMMI) as an indicator of wetland condition across the conterminous United States.

ABSTRACT: In 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency and its partners conducted the first National Wetland Condition Assessment at the continental-scale of the conterminous United States. A probability design for site selection was used to allow an unbiased assessment of wetland condition. We developed a vegetation multimetric index (VMMI) as a parsimonious biological indicator of ecological condition applicable to diverse wetland types at national and regional scales. Vegetation data (species presence and cover) were collected from 1138 sites that represented seven broad estuarine intertidal and inland wetland types. Using field collected data and plant species trait information, we developed 405 candidate metrics with potential for distinguishing least disturbed (reference) from most disturbe

SUBMITTER: Magee TK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6586711 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature