Wetland Techniques

Wetlands serve many important functions and provide numerous ecological services such as clean water, wildlife habitat, nutrient reduction, and flood control. Wetland science is a relatively young discipline but is a rapidly growing field due to an enhanced understanding of the importance of wetlands and the numerous laws and policies that have been developed to protect these areas. This growth is demonstrated by the creation and growth of the Society of Wetland Scientists which was formed in 1980 and now has a membership of 3,500 people. It is also illustrated by the existence of 2 journals (Wetlands and Wetlands Ecology and Management) devoted entirely to wetlands. This rapid growth has led to the publication of a number of wetland books. These books are generally focused on specific wetland types, wetland ecology, or wetland creation/restoration. However, we know of no practical, comprehensive techniques book centered on wetlands. A practical wetland techniques book written for wetland researchers, students, and managers, covering the many sub-disciplines within this broad field, is sorely needed and would be a seminal contribution to the field. A techniques book is designed to provide an overview of the various methods that have been used or developed by researchers and practitioners to study, monitor, manage, or create wetlands. These methods are usually in the peer-reviewed or gray literature or less commonly are not published anywhere, but practical on-the-ground examples of their use exists. We see such a book as filling a major niche and being commonly cited in just about any publication dealing with wetlands and used by myriad professionals dealing with wetlands.