More information is needed to assess the impact of urbanization on wetland function.
This project analyzed the effects of urbanization on wetlands in the Anacostia Watershed at a broad scale. Click image above for full resolution view This study investigated landscape metrics in sub-watersheds, representing different levels of urbanization within the Anacostia Watershed. The objective of this research was to demonstrate how increasing urbanization affects habitat patches within the landscape. Urban landscapes are expected to have a smaller percent of watershed area as wetland habitats and these habitats are expected to be more fragmented. Although loss of habitat and fragmentation are closely related, they are not identical.