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Riparia

Highlights

  • New name for wetlands center
    As of July , 2009, Riparia is the new name for the Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center. Riparia is a center where science informs policy and practice in wetlands ecology, landscape hydrology, and watershed management. The center celebrated its 15 year anniversary in 2009. Center director Rob Brooks says of the name change, “This evolution in name and emphasis better reflects the integrated approach we take to understanding all waters, and brings in a more diverse group of faculty, staff and students in the natural sciences and social sciences.”
  • Mid-Atlantic States Regional Wetlands Assessment begins!
    Riparia and Virginia Institute of Marine Science are conducting this first-ever assessment of the condition of freshwater wetlands in the region. In the first of a two-year field effort, teams from each institution are sampling randomly-selected wetlands in all ecoregions of the Mid-Atlantic during summer 2008. A reliable index of wetland condition will be produced for the region in preparation for a national wetlands assessment in this USEPA sponsored project. Updates will be provided on the Mid-Atlantic Wetlands Working Group (MAWWG) web site: www.mawwg.psu.edu
  • Reference wetlands prove to be valuable.
    In 1993, Riparia began establishing a set of reference wetlands across Pennsylvania. Numbering over 200 sites, representing multiple hydrogeomorphic types and spanning from high to low ecological integrity, these wetlands are demonstrating their utility and value. Riparia, through a PA Department of Environmental Protection contract, is using these sites in developing design and performance guidelines to enhance the quality of mitigation projects. In addition, these sites have been essential for developing assessment tools to determine where wetlands occur, their condition, and their restoration potential. The reference wetlands have formed the basis for numerous undergraduate, graduate, staff, and faculty research projects during the past 15 years. Read more »