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Title:	Risk Assessment as an Environmental Management Tool: Considerations for Freshwater Wetlands
Author(s):	Lemly, A. Dennis
Date:	1997
Source:	Environmental Management Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 343-358 o 1997 Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 16 p.
Description:	This paper presents a foundation for improving the risk assessment process for freshwater wetlands. Integrating wetland science, i.e., use of an ecosystem-based approach, is the key concept. Each biotic and abiotic wetland component should be identified and its contribution to ecosystem functions and societal values determined when deciding whether a stressor poses an unreasonable risk to the sustainability of a particular wetland. Understanding the major external and internal factors that regulate the operational conditions of wetlands is critical to risk characterization, Determining the linkages between these factors, and how they influence the way stressors affect wetlands, is the basis for an ecosystem approach. Adequate consideration of wetland ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, and soils can greatly reduce the level of uncertainty associated with risk assessment and lead to more effective risk management. In order to formulate effective solutions, wetland problems must be considered at watershed, landscape, and ecosystem scales. Application of an ecosystem approach can be greatly facilitated if wetland scientists and risk assessors work together to develop a common understanding of the principles of both disciplines.
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