Wetland Hydrological Vulnerability and the Use of Classification Procedures: a Scottish Case Study

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 403 - 414
• Main Authors: Gilvear, D.J., McInnes, R.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1994; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; wetland classification, wetland hydrology, wetland management; United Kingdom; Scotland; Great Britain; Europe; British Isles, Scotland; wetland classification, wetland hydrology, wetland management; Case study; Hydrology; Human activity; Classification; Vulnerability; Environmental management; Wetland
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1006/jema.1994.1080

Wetland types can be related to the relative importance of the climatological, surface-water and groundwater variable found in the wetland water balance equation. Using this assumption a 12-fold hydrological classification that includes ombrotrophic, rheotrophic, minerotrophic and omnitrophic wetland types is proposed. Each wetland class can also be assigned a hydrological vulnerability to a number of man's activities and various types of water pollution. Using Scottish Natural Heritage data, compiled in relation to designation of Scottish Sites of Special Scientific Interest with a wetland component, the classification was tested to assess its usefulness as first stage in wetland hydrological vulnerability assessment. Despite limited site-specific data, each of 399 wetland were fairly confidently assigned to one of the 12 classes and thus a provisional assessment of its hydrological vulnerability could be made. It is believed that this classification may have universal application as a first stage in the generalized approach to wetland hydrological vulnerability assessment recently proposed by Lloyd et al. (1991; Journal of Environmental Management 37, 87-102), particularly if it can be linked to a simple lumped hydrological model to test the sensitivity of individual wetlands within any given class.