1. USING HYDROLOGY TO COMPARE A REGIONAL HYDROGEOMORPHIC (HGM) CLASSIFICATION ACROSS A LATITUDINAL GRADIENT OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS Charles Andrew Cole - Penn State University Chris Cirmo - SUNY, Cortland Denise Wardrop - Penn State University Robert P. Brooks - Penn State University Jessica Peterson – Penn State University

2. Riparian Depressions NY PA VA

3. 1997 HGM key for the Ridge and Valley A quick means of identifying HGM subclass A direct way into the assessment of function May or may not work anywhere else along the Appalachian Mountains Objective: Use hydrology to assess HGM key north and south along Appalachian Mountains

4. Hydrogeomorphology Depression Slope Floodplain Fringing Flats Impoundment

5. Reference Wetlands Group of natural wetlands w/in a region Pristine to disturbed Used to develop range of expected conditions Problems include: Lack of good data Hard to get good data Need landscape component Relationship between functions and values?

6. Riparian Depression Adjacent to streams Surface outlet with unidirectional flow No water from overbank flooding Soils saturated, rarely flooded Low energy systems PEM, PSS, PFO

7. Slope On topographic gradient Surface and groundwater Saturated, rarely inundated Low energy systems PEM, PSS, PFO

8. Headwater floodplain Adjacent to 1st, 2nd order streams Not much overbank flooding. Overland flow, groundwater Saturation. Often dry Low to high energy Frequently PFO, PSS

9. Hydrology RDS WL40s and Ecotones

10. Headwater floodplains Slopes Riparian depressions 1=PA 2=NY – AD 3=NY – Cat 4=VA

11. Median depth (cm) – headwater floodplain PANY-ANY-CVA (Kruskal Wallis H=5501.1, df=3, p<0.000)

12. Median depth (cm) – slope PANY-ANY-CVA (Kruskal Wallis H=20425.21, df = 3,P< 0.001)

13. Median depth (cm) – riparian depression PANY-ANY-C VA (Kruskal Wallis H=2688.20, df=3, p<0.001)

14. Headwater floodplain Slope Riparian depression

15. Wet and dry periods – by HGM subclass

16. And the reason is….

18. Credit: David Westphalen/Painet Inc.

19. New York wetlands were substantially impacted by beaver Hard to find any site that was not modified by a beaver Really altered the duration of wet periods (though not dry periods) Reduced fluctuations

20. We will need to revamp the HGM classification Works well south … other locations depend on beavers?