A Model of Natural and Man-Induced Changes in Open Freshwater Wetlands on the Massachusetts Coastal Plain

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Abstract
Natural succession and man-induced changes in open freshwater wetlands were measured over 20 yr using panchromatic aerial photographs. Over the period 1951-1971 nearly 1/2 of 3958.9 ha of these wetlands showed a change in vegetation class. Change in wetland vegetation class due to natural succession exceeded all man-induced changes. Agriculture, cranberry culture and highway construction were the leading man-induced causes of wetland change. Current public policy in the USA towards wetland protection and management treats wetlands as static entities. A partial model of wetland change is presented to suggest that wetlands should be managed as dynamic elements on the landscape.

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