The Habitat Continuum Sample Clauses

The Habitat Continuum. Habitat degradation in the Lake Erie basin is due to a number of stressors, acting in concert. Even if the most critical stressor were alleviated, complete recovery would not occur. Remediation will likely require improvement in a number of areas. Table 4.10 summarizes our understanding of the relationship between stressors, habitat impairment, and impacts to populations of benthos, fish and wildlife. Stressors are listed vertically by category (altered hydrology, changing land use, and other) and the major habitat types assessed in the Lake Erie basin are listed horizontally. Habitat definitions are outlined in Table 4.11. Where X is used, the applicable stressor affects all fish, benthos and wildlife. Where a stressor only affects the habitat of fish, benthos, or wildlife the letter F, B or W was used instead of X. Where there is nothing in a cell, it means that the particular stressor does not significantly affect that particular habitat in the Lake Erie basin. In addition to integrating this information, the table is designed to provide a preliminary tool for developing an action agenda. The 18 habitat types listed in Table 4.11 form a continuum of changing physical, chemical and biological structure along gradients of water/moisture, light penetration, and substrate type. In sheltered aquatic areas, habitat progresses from open water to submerged macrophytes, floating macrophytes, emergent macrophytes and then wet meadow and shrub swamp or mesic prairie as water depth and flooding decrease and light becomes more available. In exposed aquatic areas, the nearshore habitats progress from sand or cobble substrates below water to beaches, interdunal wetlands in the sheltered hollows behind the beach or foredunes, and sand dunes. These two suites of nearshore habitats absorb the wave energy during storm events, protecting the upland regions from the more severe flooding and erosion events that are present today in comparison with historical conditions. Degradation of the beach and wetland complexes has decreased their ability to absorb the force of storms and is considered a cause of impairment of the dunes, wet xxxxxxx, xxxxx prairie and forests. On land, the dunes and mesic prairie give way to mesic forest. In the uplands, swamp forest, marshes, bogs, fens and vernal ponds develop in depressions and S e c t i o n 4 S e c t i o n 4 kettles. A similar progression of habitats radiates out from the larger open water and xxxxx areas and sheltered regions of tr...