Data Collection Menu

• Stream Flow
• Wetlands
• Estuaries
• Noxious Weeds
• Macroinvertebrates
• Water Quality

Making a Wildlife List

The diversity of habitat types found within wetlands makes them attractive to more species of wildlife than any other ecosystem type.

Use the NatureMapping Wildlife Data Collection form and instructions to create a wildlife list.

Making a Plant List

One way to compare the diversity of plant life in a wetland to other areas is to do a single comparison of the number of species found.

1. Cut a piece of rope 8 feet long.
2. Tie or clamp the ends together to make a circle.
3. Pick up a rock and throw it anywhere in the wetland, away from any trails.
4. Lay the rope around the rock with the rock in the middle.
5. Take the rock out and count the different types of plants you find there.

You don't have to identify the plants, just note the number of different species. Do this in 3 more locations throughout the wetland.

Calculate the average number of different plants found within the rope. Take rope and do the same tests in other natural surroundings and near the trails.

You will be assessing the plant diversity of the wetland. You may want to learn about the plant species near and on the trails. Many grasses and weeds usually do not occur in wetlands, but can take hold and can spread throughout the wetland.

Determining Your Wetland's Watershed

In Washington State, the federal agencies use the Hydrological Unit Codes (HUC's), and the state agencies use Washington Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA's) to define watersheds. The HUC's are larger watersheds that encompass the Pacific Northwest. The WRIA's are HUC's broken down into smaller units, just in Washington State.

Local communities may divide these watersheds into smaller watersheds. However, we will refer to WRIA's for our standard.