Abstract or Summary
Wetland condition assessment data collected across a range of watersheds and landscapes are useful for evaluating wetland function, designing restoration projects, and setting realistic goals for improvements at both existing sites and during the creation of new wetlands to offset losses or degraded function at other locations.
Because it is often time and cost prohibitive to collect ecological condition assessment data at local reference sites as part of a restoration project, the Reference Wetland Database, developed by Riparia at Penn State, is being augmented specifically for New Jersey’s wetlands as part of a project funded by an EPA Region 2 Wetland Program Development Grant reviewed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Metrics specific to tidal wetlands were added to the database to provide ecologically relevant condition information to practitioners. Metrics and scores from extensive wetland monitoring and assessment efforts conducted within New Jersey, including the National Wetland Condition Assessment, Mid-Atlantic Coastal Wetland Assessment, Ecological Integrity Assessment, and other research were aggregated and summarized in the publicly accessible tool. The New Jersey Reference Wetland Tool displays information on physical, chemical and biological characteristics of wetlands across the state, and includes a summary statistics download feature.