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7 Needs for Additional Research

(1) Landscape level studies are needed to determine the causal mechanisms for wildlife and water quality response to landscape configurations and features such as corridors. We need to know how forest treatments affect wildlife and plant communities and stream water quality in the various types of wetlands in landscapes predominated by: riverine forests, a mix of riverine and upland forests, a variety of wetland types (e.g., Coastal Plain where riverine, depression and flat classes occur together in close proximity), and a variety of landuses (agriculture, urban/rural, etc.). Information from this type of research should be integrated with research from site specific scales.

(2) Research is needed on the water quality enhancement functions of forested wetlands and the impacts of forest practices on those processes in different wetland classes.

(3) At present, three Federal agencies -the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Forest Service collect landscape-scale wetlands data. However, due to different data objectives and agency missions much of this data is incompatible for tracking status and trends of forested wetlands. A unified database of this information is needed.

(4) Cause and effect research is needed by hydrogeomorphic class, at the site specific and landscape scale on representative sites across Region.

(5) Long-term monitoring of restoration and mitigation is needed by hydrogeomorphic class at representative sites across the South.