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<br />94 <br /> <br />Wetland Vegetation <br /> <br />Life-fop or physiognomy is the physical structure or growth habit of a <br />plant. Height, branching pattern and leaf shape are major features <br />contributing to form. The great diversity of plant lifE' form adaptE!d to <br />survive in wetlands provides an even greater diversity of micro and <br />~acrohabitat for resident and nonresident aquatic and terrestrial species. <br /> <br />L1fe-for"'s have been grouped into five general catE:gories that include <br />trees, shrubs, emergents, surface vegetation and submergents. Because there <br />are differences in wildlife value between plants which belong to thE! same <br />life-form, 18 sub-life-forms have been proposed (Figure 3a [, 11). Fc,r <br />example, sedl1:es (Carex ~.) and cattails (Ii])h~~.) offer very dIfferent <br />kinds of wildlife cover (shelter), ev~n though both are emergents. These <br />differences are recognized by dividing each of the life forms into subforms. <br />~erefore, subforms reflect not only differences in structure, but often <br />aifferences in ecology and stand dens! ty as well. Submergents are the sole <br />exception since they provide cover for only aquatic or amphibious species. <br /> <br />..... <br /> <br />........ <br /> <br />i . <br />I <br /> <br /> <br />____ \ .;. .-.] ~~"t <br />'~]l,<:I, "'-,;;~ <br /> <br />-- <br />- <br /> <br />- <br />- <br /> <br />- <br />- <br /> <br />'-' - <br />- '- - <br /> <br />..... J. s.w__ .J ....... _ nil ~ <br /> <br />Wetla,nd vegetation consists of plants tNLt require 1il1et soils to survive <br />(obligate wetland plant'.,) as well as plants, i,llcluding cE,rtain trees, that <br />gain a competitive advantage over others because they can tolerate, prolonged <br />wet 80U conditions and their competitors cannot. Wetland vegetation <br />communities and species populations are delimi,ted by hydrological and <br />physical characteristics of the environment. <br /> <br />Wetland Ecosyste.~ <br /> <br />In their'8i~pie~t form.wetlands"consht'of both, biotic: (l1ving;land <br />abiotic (nonlivindcomponents that are inseparably intei:reIated and that <br />interact with each other. Because all of the ..etland organiSm$ (i.e." the <br />community) within a given wetland area interact with the physical <br />environment (i.e., inorganic substances involved in material cycling; <br />organic compounds in the form of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, etc:. that <br />link the abiotic and biotic; and climate regime' ouch as the physical and <br />/ ' <br />I <br />i <br /> <br />,":~ <br /> <br />,. [ <br />iI <br />