Instructor: Dr. S. Isiorho, Office: SB 236, Phone: 481 6254, (TR 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. SB 209 )

E-mail: isiorho@ipfw.edu.Do not use my regular email for any class related discussions.
 NOTE: Use WebCT Blackboard Assignment section.

Wetlands are important to society as they provide sanctuary for wildlife and water resources for streams and aquifers and act to mitigate the severity of flooding. With myriad definitions, it becomes difficult to say what is a wetland. Three criteria; hydrology, hydric soil, and hydrophytes are necessary to define an area as a wetland.

The course is designed to give students the basic understanding of wetlands from a hydrologic point of view. The demise of wetland and replacement wetlands are of concern as understanding their relationship to groundwater is still difficult and the link to everyday living is even more remote for many people. Hydrology is the most important factor in the establishment and persistence of wetlands. Students will learn to assess wetland through the understanding of water and solute sources, pathways, and process. The effect of human activities on wetlands' hydrology will be examined through lecture, laboratory, and field experiments/measurements.

Laboratories/field exercises are essential to the course. Students should develop skills in assessing and measuring the structure and function of wetland hydrology; visit several local wetlands (natural and created), and examine the unique flora and fauna of these systems.

Class Project: Students will work in teams to evaluate the wetland along the 'stream' near Walb. The class project will examine the relationship between surface water and groundwater. The class will also do sediment analysis and examination of the flora and fauna of the area.

Field Trips: There will be a minimum of two and a maximum of five field trips during this course and all students are encouraged to go on all trips. The class will visit wetlands and other areas of interest in NE Indiana (Fox Island, Mackay Farm, Fen). Field trips will be on Thursdays during class time except for the special trip to the Dunes and the 'county' trip.

[An optional saturday field trip to Allen County planned for March 28, 2009 (To leave Campus at 9:00 a.m. and return at about 2 p.m.). This trip will depend on the weather condition] Will encourage all to go on this trip. Let me know if you cannot go on this trip by March 5, 2009. ]

*A special trip to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will take place Saturday April 18, 2009
(Plan to arrive on campus by 7 am, as we leave for the Dunes at 7:30 am prompt, to return around 6 pm. Dress appropriately for the trip) A one page (double space) report of the trip will be required April 21, by 4 :00 pm. THIS TRIP IS NOT OPTIONAL.

Term Research Project: Students will be required to conduct research on a topic related to this course. The student may choose any suitable topic, but must get the Instructor's approval before starting on the project.

I strongly encourage students to choose a research topic before Spring Break (March 9-13, 2009). Students should consult with the instructor weekly concerning their projects and students should submit rough drafts before the final copy is turned in. Submit all reports through WebCT Blackboard assignment section.

Objectives:
Provide students with a basic understanding of the geological foundations of wetland issues (rock type, geomorphic settings, and hydrology)

Provide an understanding of wetland environmental issues at local, regional, and global scales (natural resources and anthopogenic effects).

Improve student's skills in analyzing data pertaining to wetland environmental issues and in drawing informed conclusions regarding issues (critically evaluate scientific data that relates to environmental isues).                

Discuss and debate wetland environmental issues that are relevant to the state of Indiana.

Websites, Articles and Handouts

Use the WebCT Blackboard discussion section for discussing topics related to the class. Read the discussion board regularly for any news or updates.
Check the syllabus regularly (for new links ) as it is a living document.

Reading assignments reports (10% of course grade)
Two exams worth 20% (10% per exam) of the course grade.
Lab sessions/reports 10% of course grade.
Field trip reports (15% of course grade)
Individual term research paper/project, a minimum of ten typed (double space) pages (35% of course grade)
[You must use this format for your research report].
A 15-minute presentation of your research project to the class using power points is worth 10% of course grade (April 22, 27 & 29).
Read this article "Who is Listening" to help when thinking about your presentation.

(Grading scale > 89% = A; 80-89 % = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D).
I do not curve...what you get is what you get.... please do not ask for extra credit

"If you have a disability and need assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most needs. Contact the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (Walb, room 113, telephone number 481-6658), as soon as possible to work out the details. Once the Director has provided you with a letter attesting to your needs for modification, bring the letter to me. For more information, please visit the web site for SSD at http://www.ipfw.edu/ssd/ "

Weeks 1 & 2 (Jan. 13...22 ...video on Jan 15?)
Introduction: Introduction to Geology

Minerals, rocks, and maps

Glacial Geology NE Indiana and Allen County (2 articles)

Weeks 3 - 5 (Jan 27 & 29, Jan 30 & Feb.3, 5, 10 & 12)

Hydrology- Water cycle, surface water and ground water (2 articles)

American Wetlands Our vital link between land and water

Wetlands  -- Definition (IDEM) and types of wetlands EPA definitiion

Wetland Types: Marshes, Swamps, Bogs, Fens

Wetland environment--
        Water quality standard for wetlands (EPA)
        Indiana water standard (working)

Definitions, identifications, delineation, indicators (soil), and classification
Slide presentation (Hydric Soil)

There will be 2 to 4 Field trips and all students are encouraged to go on all trips.

Exam 1      Available .... (Due March 3 before class)...send your answers through WebCT Blackboard assignment section.

Weeks 6 - 8 (Feb 17  through March 5)

Management---- Values, Management and protection, creation and restoration, classification and inventory. Field trip

Constructed wetland Univ. of South Alabama.

Isolated wetlands Builders take advantage of the 2001 Supreme Court ruling (USAToday Dec 2002)

Week 9 SPRING BREAK (MARCH 9-13)

Week 10 (March 17 & 19) Last week of formal class

US Wetland Satus (pdf format) from Mid 1970's to mid 1980's

Wetland mapping and Photointerpretation  (map of Allen County)

Use of remote sensing in mapping Monitoring wetland using Landsat TM

Campus (Mackay farm) Field trip

Corps-EPA Issue ... National  Wetlands Mitigation  Action Plan (in pdf format) December 27, 2002

  Exam # 2  will be available at noon March 5, 2009.
     Your answers are due Noon March 31, 2009 through WebCT Blackboard assignment dropbox.

Weeks 11 - 13 (March 24, through April 23)  Work on your rojects

The trip to the Dunes will be on a Saturday April 18, 2009 (Leave campus 7:30 a.m. and return ~6p.m.).
NO MAKE UP AND NO EXCUSES FOR THE DUNES TRIP.

Work on your individual Projects....Need to give me weekly feedback on your research project

Project Report in electronic format, Due April 21, by 4:00 p.m.

Weeks 14 & 15 (April 17, 19 & 24, 26)
Presentation of Project Results (April 23, 28, & 30)  You dress up during your presentation as if in a professional conference.
 

Questions/Answers/Suggestions... send me email through WebCT Blackboard

Reading Assignments
Reading assignment is an intergral part of this course.
Read and summarize articles 1& 2 and any other five articles one (double space) page report
and send your report (summary) through WebCT Blackboard assignment section by 6:00 p.m.
of  the due date. In addition to the seven articles, choose any other three peer reviewed articles.
The three articles you select should be related to your proposed research project (provide e-copy).

You will need Acrobat reader to read the articles because they are in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Download a free acrobat reader if you do not have it in your system.

In your report (summary), include the main points in the articles, how, where, why and if you agree with their
conclusion(s), in other words, include your opinion as a seperate paragraph
(your grade will weigh heavily on your opinion).

YOU SHOULD HAVE A TOTAL OF TEN ARTICLES

1.     Characteristics of Fine-Grained Soils & Glacial Deposits in NE Indiana (PDF) by Tony Fleming, Field Note, 1996.
                                                                                                                                            Due January 20, 2009

2.    Origin and Hydrogeologic significance of wetlands in the interlobate region of northwestern Allen County, Indiana
        (PDF)  by Tony Fleming in Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science Due January 27, 2009
 
3.     Valuing Urban Wetlands: A Property Price Approach by Mahan et al. Due Feb. 5, 2009

4.     Dimensionals of Environmental Engineering by Dresp-Langley  Feb 12, 2009

5.     Modelmg Processes in Subsurface flow Constructed Wetlands: A Review by Langergraber .  Due Feb. 19, 2009

6.    Characterizing Hydrology and the importance of ground-water discharge in natural and constructed wetlands(PDF)
        by Hunt et. al, 1999. Due February 26, 2009

7.    Evaluating performance of constructed wetland treatment system.... by Murray-Gulde et al. Due March 5, 2009

8.    Facies mmodel of a semiarid freshwater wetland, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania by Liurkus & Ashley Due March 19, 2009

9.     The role of wetlands in the hydrologic cycle by  (PDF) by A. Bullock , & M. Acreman. Due March 26, 2009

10.    Causes of hot-spot wetland loss in the Mississippi delta plain. By Morton R. A et al. Due April 2, 2009

  Remember to have your own three peer reviewed article review reports to me no later than April 7, 2009

Labs/Field trips:

Labs/Field Work...not necessary in this order
1. Map reading...cross sections (topography of IPFW campus)
2. Rocks and Minerals
3. Soil... sieve & analysis
4. Well field....water levels and water chemistry
5. Flow measurements/Flood excercise?
6. Inventory of campus or county environmental issues (problems)
7. Campus field trip
8. County field trip (Saturday ...March 28)
9. Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore Trip (Saturday ... April 18, 2009)
10. Make up lab...?

A one-page typed lab/field report is due 24 hours after each lab/field trip....to be submitted through Blackboard.

Video report.

Optional Saturday field trip to Allen County planned for March 28, 2009
(To leave Campus at 9:00 a.m. and return at about 2 p.m.).
This trip will depend on the weather condition] Will encourage all to go on this trip.
Let me know if you cannot go on this trip by March 5, 2009.

*A special trip to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will take place Saturday April 18, 2009
(Plan to arrive on campus by 7 am, as we leave for the Dunes at 7:30 am prompt, to return around 6 pm.
Dress appropriately for the trip).
A one page (double space) report of the trip will be required April 21, by 4 :00 pm.
THIS TRIP IS NOT OPTIONAL.

Wetland Class Notes

Something to read (health and water)

EPA wetlands site

Monitoring wetland using Landsat TM

To identify Hydric soils

Wetlands & drainage USDA

  Water type and Plant Species

 Wetland Science Institute

  Restoration

Assessment

Clean Water act: Definition of "Waters of the United States"

Watch where you're putting the snow CBS News Feb. 20, 2003

Check here as New Materials or links will be added during the semester
The Hydrologic Cycle
USGS Surface runoff (This will be useful in the is course)

Students turn swamp (wetland) into a class room

Some pictures of the earth from Astronauts...lots of pictures

Hydric Soils slides
Wetland Classifcation slides
Salt and wetlands March 18, 2005

Short videos Space, Time, and Big Ideas

New link  USDA, April 2007

Teaching Students the act of presentation GSA ppt2007

New Materials will be added below this :)

Updated January 12, 2009