ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW METHODOLOGIES

The majority of types of aquatic ecosystems listed in this table are defined according to the Ramsar Convention definition of a wetland and classification system for wetland type. In addition, several more generic or alternative ecosystem types are listed for completeness, e.g. floodplain wetland. Several ecosystems are defined in terms of whether they are perennial/have permanent water or are temporary systems, with water for only part of the year or for some years. All natural marine/coastal and inland wetlands, and only select human-made wetlands from the full Ramsar list are included here. Each aquatic ecosystem may posses some or all of the subcomponents listed in the accompanying Components' Table (Table 2). In the future, every EFM in this database will have a reference to ecosystem type(s) and/or ecosystem component.

Under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1971), wetlands are defined as follows: Article 1.1: “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.” and Article 2.1: “may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six metres at low tide lying within the wetlands.” The Ramsar classification system represents a series of coded categories of wetland which is intended to provide only a broad framework to assist in the rapid identification of the main wetland habitats at a particular site. Codes are provided for each marine/coastal, inland and artificial wetland type (A-Zk(c)), as given in the table description field. The complete list of wetlands may be found on the Ramsar website http://www.ramsar.org/key_ris_types.htm

Table 1. Ecosystem Types

Back to Ecosystem Components list

Ecosystem Types	Description
Alpine wetlands	Includes alpine meadows, temporary waters from snowmelt. Ramsar inland wetland type (Va).
Coastal brackish/saline lagoons	Brackish to saline lagoons with at least one relatively narrow connection to the sea. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (J). Assumed to include perennially/temporarily open and alkaline systems.
Coastal freshwater lagoons	Includes freshwater delta lagoons. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (K).
Coral reefs	Component of nearshore coastal environment. Influenced by freshwater inputs to the sea. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (C).
Endorheic pans	Wetland within South African wetlands classification system. Not a Ramsar inland wetland type.
Estuarine waters	Permanent water of estuaries and estuarine systems of deltas. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (F). Includes generic term, estuary.
Floodplain wetlands	Generic term used to refer to one/more wetland types (e.g. seasonally inundated grassland with wet meadows. It may include examples from the R, Ss, Ts, W, Xf, Xp, or other wetland types. It is not an inland wetland Ramsar type.
Forested peatlands	Peatswamp forests. Ramsar inland wetland type (Xp).
Freshwater springs/oases	Ramsar inland wetland type (Y).
Freshwater tree-dominated wetlands	Includes freshwater swamp forests, seasonally flooded forests, wooded swamps on inorganic soils. Ramsar inland wetland type (Xf).
Geothermal wetlands	Ramsar inland wetland type (Zg).
Inland subterranean hydrological systems	Inland subterranean hydrological systems, including karst systems, all aquifer types, underground rivers, extended hyporheic zone of rivers. Ramsar inland wetland type (Zk(b)).
Intertidal forested wetlands	Includes mangrove swamps, nipah swamps, tidal freshwater swamp forests. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (I).
Intertidal marshes	Includes tidal freshwater/brackish/salt marshes, salt meadows, saltings, raised salt marshes. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (H).
Intertidal mud/sand/salt flats	Component of coastal wetland environment. Unlikely to be a relevant Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (G).
Marine subtidal aquatic beds	Includes kelp beds, seagrass beds, tropical marine meadows. Influenced by freshwater inputs to the sea. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (B).
Marine/coastal subterranean hydrological systems	Marine & coastal karst and other subterranean hydrological systems. Unlikely to be a relevant Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (Zk(a)).
Nearshore coastal environment	Generic. Nearshore coastal environment including one/more marine/coastal wetlands. Not a Ramsar wetland type.
Non-forested peatlands	Includes shrub or open bogs, swamps, fens. Ramsar inland wetland type (U). In contrast with forested peatlands.
Non-permanent rivers	Includes seasonal/intermittenet/irregular or ephemeral rivers, streams and creeks (i.e. temporary and do not flow year-round). Ramsar inland wetland type (N).
Permanent freshwater lakes	Over 8 ha, includes large oxbow lakes. Ramsar inland wetland type (O).
Permanent freshwater marshes/pools	Ponds (below 8 ha), marshes/swamps on organic soils; with emergent vegetation waterlogged for at least most of growing season. Ramsar inland wetland type (Tp).
Permanent inland deltas	Permanent inland deltas. Ramsar inland wetland type (L).
Permanent non-freshwater lakes	Perennial saline/brackish/alkaline (i.e. non-freshwater) lakes. Ramsar inland wetland type (Q).
Permanent non-freshwater marshes/pools	Perennial saline/brackish/alkaline marshes and pools. Ramsar inland wetland type (Sp).
Permanent rivers	Includes perennial rivers/streams/creeks (with year-round flow) and waterfalls. Ramsar inland wetland type (M).
Permanent shallow marine waters	Nearshore coastal environment. Typically less than 6 m deep at low tide, includes sea bays, straits. Influenced by freshwater inputs to the sea. Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (A).
Ponds	Ramsar human-made wetland type (2). Typically created by impoundment and storage of water, usually below 8 ha, e.g. small tanks, farm dams.
Rocky marine shores	Includes rocky offshore islands, sea cliffs. Unlikely to be a relevant Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (D).
Sand/shingle/pebble shores	Includes dune systems, humid dune slacks, sand bars, spits, sandy islets. Unlikely to be a relevant Ramsar marine/coastal wetland type (E).
Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lakes	Non-perennial lakes, including floodplain lakes. Over 8 ha in size. Ramsar inland wetland type (P).
Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools	Seasonal or intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soils; includes sedge marshes, seasonally flooded meadows, sloughs, potholes. Ramsar inland wetland type (Ts).
Seasonal/intermittent non-freshwater lakes and flats	Non-permanent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes and flats. Ramsar inland wetland type (R).
Seasonal/intermittent non-freshwater marshes/pools	Non-perennial saline/brackish/alkaline marshes and pools. Ramsar inland wetland type (Ss).
Shrub-dominated wetlands	Shrub swamps, shrub-dominated freshwater marshes, shrub carr, alder thicket on inorganic soils. Ramsar inland wetland type (W).
Tundra wetlands	Includes tundra pools, temporary waters from snowmelt. Ramsar inland wetland type (Vt).
Water storage areas	Ramsar human-made wetland type (6). Typically created by impoundment and storage of river water, usually over 8 ha, e.g. large reservoir.