Conservation & Sustainability Flashcards

Which invasive plant species is commonly targeted for removal in Great Lakes coastal wetland restoration projects due to its displacement of native marsh vegetation?

Answer: Phragmites australis (common reed)

The non-native lineage of Phragmites australis forms dense monocultures that outcompete native species and reduce wetland biodiversity in Great Lakes coastal habitats.

Under NRCS policy, the 'Swampbuster' provision of the Farm Bill denies federal farm program benefits to producers who:

Answer: Convert wetlands to agricultural production after December 23, 1985

Swampbuster (Section 1221 of the Food Security Act) withholds USDA commodity and conservation program benefits from any producer who converts a wetland to cropland.

Which metric is most commonly used to assess the ecological success of a wetland mitigation or restoration project over time?

Answer: Achievement of performance standards for hydrology, vegetation, and soils compared to reference wetlands

Performance standards tied to hydrological indicators, native plant cover, and soil development—benchmarked against reference wetlands—are the standard tool for evaluating restoration success.

The concept of 'ecosystem resilience' in wetland conservation most directly refers to a wetland's ability to:

Answer: Absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change to retain essentially the same structure and function

Resilience describes an ecosystem's capacity to absorb stressors—such as drought, flood, or invasive species—while maintaining its core ecological functions and structure.

Which Section of the Clean Water Act authorizes the EPA to establish water quality standards that wetlands must meet to protect downstream waters?

Answer: Section 303

Section 303 requires states to set water quality standards, and wetlands that contribute to meeting or failing those standards are subject to Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements.

A delineator conducting a wetland assessment in a historically farmed area should be aware that 'prior converted cropland' (PC) is significant because:

Answer: PC areas are generally exempt from Section 404 jurisdiction if they were converted before December 23, 1985 and have been used for agriculture since

Prior converted cropland drained before the 1985 Swampbuster baseline date and continuously farmed is generally not considered a water of the U.S. and thus falls outside Section 404 jurisdiction.

Which best describes the role of 'adaptive management' in a long-term wetland conservation or restoration project?

Answer: Systematically monitoring outcomes and adjusting management actions based on what the data shows is working or not

Adaptive management uses monitoring data to evaluate whether restoration actions are achieving intended outcomes and makes evidence-based adjustments to improve project success.