26 



is transitional between the Acadian and Carolinian 

 Provinces. The biota is primarily temperate, but has some 

 boreal representatives. The Labrador Current occasionally 

 extends down to Cape Hatteras and winter temperatures 

 may approach 4°C. The tidal range is moderate. 



• Carolinian Province is situated along the South Atlan- 

 tic Coast from Cape Hatteras to Cape Kennedy. It con- 

 tains extensive marshes and well developed barrier 

 islands. Waters are turbid and productive. The biota is 

 temperate but has seasonal tropical elements. The Gulf 

 Stream is the primary influence, and winter temperatures 

 reach a minimum of 10°C; summer temperatures are 

 tropical (in excess of 20°C). The tidal range is small to 

 moderate. 



• West Indian Province extends from Cape Kennedy to 

 Cedar Key, Florida, and also includes the southern Gulf 

 of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Central America, and 

 the Caribbean Islands. The shoreland is usually low-lying 

 limestone with calcareous sands and marls, except for 

 volcanic islands. The biota is tropical and includes reef cor- 

 als and mangroves. Minimum winter temperatures are 

 about 20°C and the tidal range is small. 



• Louisianian Province extends along the northern 

 coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Cedar Key to Port Aran- 

 sas, Texas. The characteristics of the province are similar 

 to those of the Carolinian, reflecting the past submergence 

 of the Florida Peninsula. The biota is primarily temper- 

 ate and the tidal range is small. 



• Californian Province extends along the Pacific Coast 

 from Mexico northward to Cape Mendocino. The shore- 

 land is strongly influenced by coastal mountains and the 

 coasts are rocky. Freshwater runoff is limited. In the 

 southern part volcanic sands are present; marshes and 

 swamps are scarce throughout the province. The climate 

 is Mediterranean and is influenced by the California Cur- 

 rent. The biota is temperate, and includes well developed 

 offshore kelp beds. The tidal range is moderate. 



•Columbian Province extends along the northern Pacific 

 Coast from Cape Mendocino to Vancouver Island. Moun- 

 tainous shorelands with rocky foreshores are prevalent. 

 Estuaries are strongly influenced by freshwater runoff. 

 The biota is primarily temperate with some boreal com- 

 ponents, and there are extensive algal communities. The 

 province is influenced by both the Aleutian and Califor- 

 nia Currents. The tidal range is moderate to large. 



• Fjord Province extends along the Pacific Coast from 

 Vancouver Island to the southern tip of the Aleutian 

 Islands. Precipitous mountains, deep estuaries (some with 

 glaciers), and a heavily indented shoreline subject to winter 

 icing are typical of the coast. The biota is boreal to sub- 

 Arctic. The province is influenced by the Aleutian and 

 Japanese Currents, and the tidal range is large. 



'Pacific Insular Province surrounds all the Hawaiian 

 Islands. The coasts have precipitous mountains and wave 

 action is stronger than in most of the other provinces. The 



biota is largely endemic and composed of tropical and sub- 

 tropical forms. The tidal range is small. 



Use of Bailey's sections for the Riverine, Lacustrine, 

 and Palustrine Systems and the Provinces defined above 

 for the Marine and Estuarine Systems provides a regional 

 locator for any wetland in the United States. 



USE OF THE CLASSIFICATION 

 SYSTEM 



This System was designed for use over an extremely 

 wide geographic area and for use by individuals and organ- 

 izations with varied interests and objectives. The classi- 

 fication employs 5 System names, 8 Subsystem names, 

 11 Class names, 28 Subclass names, and an unspecified 

 number of Dominance Types. It is, of necessity, a com- 

 plex System when viewed in its entirety, but use of the 

 System for a specific purpose at a local site should be sim- 

 ple and straightforward. Artificial keys to the Systems 

 and Classes (Appendix E) are furnished to aid the user 

 of the classification, but reference to detailed definitions 

 in the text is also required. The purpose of this section 

 is to illustrate how the System should be used and some 

 of the potential pitfalls that could lead to its misuse. 



Before attempting to apply the System, the user should 

 consider four important points: 



(1) Information about the area to be classified must be 

 available before the System can be applied. This informa- 

 tion may be in the form of historical data, aerial photo- 

 graphs, brief on-site inspection, or detailed and intensive 

 studies. The System is designed for use at varying degrees 

 of detail. There are few areas for which sufficient infor- 

 mation is available to allow the most detailed application 

 of the System. If the level of detail provided by the data 

 is not sufficient for the needs of the user, additional data 

 gathering is mandatory. 



(2) Below the level of Class, the System is open-ended 

 and incomplete. We give only examples of the vast number 

 of Dominance Types that occur. The user may identify 

 additional Dominance Types and determine where these 

 fit into the classification hierarchy. It is also probable that 

 as the System is used the need for additional Subclasses 

 will become apparent. 



(3) One of the main purposes of the new classification 

 is to ensure uniformity throughout the United States. It 

 is important that the user pay particular attention to the 

 definitions in the classification. Any attempt at modifica- 

 tion of these definitions will lead to lack of uniformity in 

 application. 



(4) One of the principal uses of the classification system 

 will be the inventory and mapping of wetlands and deep- 

 water habitats. A classification used in the mapping is 

 scale-specific, both for the minimum size of units mapped 



