Abstract
Wetland loss in Ontario is proceeding at an unprecedented rate. Beginning in 1980 a quantitative system of wetland evaluation was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Canadian Wildlife Service working under a Canada/Ontario Steering Committee. Field testing of the working draft took place in 1982 and the First Edition was used in 1983. Improvements to the methodology resulted in a Second Edition which was released in the spring of 1984. (The evaluation system groups wetland values according to biological, social, hydrological and special features components. Based on score totals from the four components, all wetlands assessed are ranked in Classes from I (highest) to VII (lowest). Wetlands receiving Class I or II ranking are considered provincially significant; those scoring as Class III are regionally significant. These rankings are presently being used to support wetland guidelines with the long-range goal of wetland protection for significant wetlands.)
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Glooschenko, V. Development of an evaluation system for wetlands in Southern Ontario. Wetlands 3, 192–200 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160741
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160741