Classification of wetland types

The term Classification of wetlands has had an added problem, with the commonly accepted definition that constitutes a wetland, constituting one of the greatest difficulties. There are a few definitions of wetland in the United States. In the 1970s the Ramsar Convention was the first attempt to establish an acceptable international definition of what constitutes a wetland.

Ramsar Classification Main article: Ramsar classification system for wetland types

The Ramsar classification on wetland types is designed to rapidly identify major types of wetland for the purposes of the Convention.

Wetlands fall into three main categories:

In addition they are divided by the type of water they are in (Freshwater / Saltwater / Brackish Water / Ionized Water) and can also be classified by other types of characteristics they have. U.S

Wetlands in the United States are classified according to the terminology of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the United States National Wetland Inventory (NWI).

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