Wetland restoration

Abstract

Wetland landscapes and wetland watersheds are both general, flexible terms that are often used interchangeably; however, the boundaries of landscapes are less discrete than those of watersheds, which have specific drainage areas. In expansive flat topography, as in Florida and the US Upper Midwestern prairie pothole region, it is difficult to locate watershed boundaries, so the term landscape is more appropriate. Elsewhere, wetland catchments are easily defined, and it is useful to refer to watersheds whenever emphasizing the inseparable interactions between the water that flows downslope and collects to form wetlands. Here, we consider watersheds to be parts of larger landscapes, which we also call regions to emphasize their large spatial scale. Most of our examples are drawn from the USA, where we have the greatest experience.