A Federal Agency Perspective on the Quantification of Wetland Soil Properties and Functions: the Need for Data Driven Rapid Assessment Approaches.

Federal statutes and regulations require the quantification of wetland properties and functions. As a result of monetary and time constraints, recent approaches to wetland evaluations focus on the development and implementation of rapid assessment methods (RAMs). We synthesize data from two studies examining: 1) the application of RAM soil data to the development of restoration trajectories and 2) the validation of RAM scores using soil biogeochemical measures. Results demonstrate that RAM soil parameters (O and A horizon thickness) provide statistically significant predictors of wetland restoration trajectory (r=0.85-0.89; p<0.001). Additionally, RAM assessments of soil biogeochemical functions (e.g., nutrient cycling, export of organic carbon) show significant relationships with soil measures including soil C, microbial biomass carbon, total organic carbon, and wetland hydrology (p<0.002).  Study results indicate that the collection of soil parameters plays an important role in assessment of wetland resources and the validation of RAMs evaluating wetland properties and functions.