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Biology

Last Modified: 01/28/2008

Ecology

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat documentEarly Successional Habitat
Adobe Acrobat documentRiparian Systems
Adobe Acrobat documentNative Pollinators

Xerces Society Publications

Plants

Publications and References

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat documentNative Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping - Coastal Plain Region (611 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentNative Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping - Chesapeake Bay Watershed (5.31 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentNative Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping - Mountain (478 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentNative Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping - Piedmont (678 KB)

Wetlands

Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual

The 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual (COE 87M) and associated guidance documents are the authorized documents for conducting jurisdictional wetland determinations under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. NRCS is required to use the COE 87M when conducting wetland determinations for the purposes of the Food Security Act (FSA) on non-agricultural lands and agricultural lands with undisturbed native vegetation. The vegetation and hydrology wetland indicators contained within the COE 87M are also used by NRCS for conducting wetland determinations on agricultural land for the purposes of the FSA.

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat documentCorps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (COE-M87) (1.4 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentImplementation of the 1987 Corps Wetland Delineation Manual (11 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentQuestions and Answers on 1987 Manual (25 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentClarification and Interpretation of the 1987 Manual (17 KB)

Wetland Determination Tools

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat documentRoutine Wetland Determination Guidance (MD-NRCS) (32 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentRoutine Wetland Determination Form (MD-NRCS Revision) (111 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentField Indicators of Hydric Soils, version 6.0 (2.6 MB)
Adobe Acrobat documentRegion 1 List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands (1988) (187 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentField Indicators of Hydric Soils for LRR T (Eastern Shore) (58 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentCommon Plants Important to Wetland Determinations on the Maryland Eastern Shore (220 KB)

NFSAM Wetland Mapping Conventions for Maryland

Wetland Delineation Tools (NRCS Wetland Science)

Prevalence Index

Using the point-intercept sampling method, the Prevalence Index can be used to determine whether an area has a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation. An index of less than 3.0 demonstrates a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation. The Prevalence Index is often used as part of a comprehensive wetland determination. More information can be found in Part IV of the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat documentPrevalence Index Worksheet (46 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentPrevalence Index Example (124 KB)

Publications and References

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat documentNontidal Wetlands Functions and Values (1.7 MB)

Wildlife

Tools

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Adobe Acrobat document Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Worksheets (118 KB)
Adobe Acrobat document Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Instructions (93 KB)
Adobe Acrobat documentMaryland USDA Programs Supporting Threatened, Endangered, and Declining Species (51 KB)

Publications and References
Aquatic Species

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Adobe Acrobat documentNative Freshwater Mussels

Birds

The following documents require Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat documentGrassland Birds Leaflet
Adobe Acrobat documentNorthern Bobwhite Leaflet
Adobe Acrobat documentRuby-Throated Hummingbird Leaflet
Adobe Acrobat documentShorebirds Leaflet
Adobe Acrobat documentWild Turkey Leaflet

Habitat Management
Insects

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Adobe Acrobat documentButterflies Leaflet

Mammals

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Adobe Acrobat documentBats Leaflet
Adobe Acrobat document Muskrat (380 KB)

Reptiles and Amphibians

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Adobe Acrobat documentAmphibians and Reptiles Leaflet

National NRCS Wildlife Leaflets and Technical Notes

Contact

Steve Strano
State Biologist
Email: steve.strano@md.usda.gov
Phone: 443-482-2928