46 



APPENDIX E 



Artificial Keys to the Systems and Classes 



Key to the Systems 



1. Water regime influenced by oceanic tides, and salinity due to ocean derived salts 0.5 °/oo or greater. 



2. Semi-enclosed by land, but with open, partly obstructed or sporadic access to the ocean. Halinity wide- 

 ranging because of evaporation or mixing of seawater with runoff from land ESTUARINE 



2. Little or no obstruction to open ocean present. Halinity usually euhaline; little mixing of water with runoff 



from land 3 



3. Emergents, trees, or shrubs present ESTUARINE 



3. Emergents, trees, or shrubs absent MARINE 



1. Water regime not influenced by oceanic tides, or if influenced by oceanic tides, salinity less than 0.5°/oo. 



4. Persistent emergents, trees, shrubs, or emergent mosses cover 30% or more of the area PALUSTRINE 



4. Persistent emergents, trees, shrubs, or emergent mosses cover less than 30 percent of substrate but non- 

 persistent emergents may be widespread during some seasons of year 5 



5. Situated in a channel; water, when present, usually flowing RIVERINE 



5. Situated in a basin, catchment, or on level or sloping ground; water usually not flowing 6 



6. Area 8 ha (20 acres) or greater LACUSTRINE 



6. Area less than 8 ha 7 



7. Wave-formed or bedrock shoreline feature present or water depth 



2 m (6.6 feet) or more LACUSTRINE 



7. No wave-formed or bedrock shoreline feature present and water less than 2 m deep . . . PALUSTRINE 



Key to the Classes 



1. During the growing season of most years, areal cover by vegetation is less than 30%. 

 2. Substrate a ridge or mound formed by colonization of sedentary invertebrates 



(corals, oysters, tube worms) REEF 



2. Substrate of rock or various sized sediments often occupied by invertebrates but not formed by colonization 



of sedentary invertebrates 3 



3. Water regime subtidal, permanently flooded, intermittently exposed, or semipermanently flooded. 



Substrate usually not soil 4 



4. Substrate of bedrock, boulders, or stones occurring singly or in combination covers 75% or more of 

 the area ROCK bottom 



4. Substrate of organic material, mud, sand, gravel, or cobbles with less than 75% areal cover of stones, 

 boulders, or bedrock UNCONSOLIDATED BOTTOM 



3. Water regime irregularly exposed, regularly flooded, irregularly flooded, seasonally flooded, temporarily 

 flooded, intermittently flooded, saturated, or artificially flooded. Substrate often a soil 5 



5. Contained within a channel that does not have permanent flowing water (i.e., intermittent subsystem 

 of Riverine System or intertidal subsystem of Estuarine and Marine Systems) STREAMBED 



5. Contained in a channel with perennial water or not contained in a channel 6 



6. Substrate of bedrock, boulders, or stones occurring singly or in combination covers 75% or more of 



the area ROCKY SHORE 



6. Substrate of organic material, mud, sand, gravel, or cobbles; with less than 75% of the cover 



consisting of stones, boulders, or bedrock UNCONSOLIDATED SHORE 



1. During the growing season of most years, percentage of area covered by vegetation 30% or greater. 



7. Vegetation composed of pioneering annuals or seedling perennials, often not hydrophytes, occurring only at 

 time of substrate exposure. 



8. Contained within a channel that does not have permanent flowing water STREAMBED (VEGETATED) 



8. Contained within a channel with permanent water, or not contained 



in a channel unconsolidated shore (vegetated) 



