Abstract

BERLANGA-ROBLES, César Alejandro; RUIZ-LUNA, Arturo  and  LANZA ESPINO, Guadalupe de la. Classification system of the wetlands of Mexico. Invest. Geog [online]. 2008, n.66, pp.25-46. ISSN 2448-7279.

We propose a classification system for the wetlands of Mexico based on the comparative analysis of mainstream classification systems. The analysis included 18 worldwide classifications, but the discussion was focused on the United States and the Ramsar Convention systems, plus a geomorfologic approach (terrestrial forms) and hydrologic (water regime) criteria, adding the artificial wetlands from the Ramsar Convention. The system has a hierarchical structure with three domains (marine-coastal, continental and artificial), five systems (marine, estuarine, fluvial, lacustrine and palustrine), eight subsystems and 26 classes (17 natural and 9 artificial). From a landscape view, the classes correspond to aquatic facets integrated by a set of ecotopes, which can be defined with the descriptors and criteria found in the US and the geomorphologic systems.

Keywords : Wetlands; inventory; classification.

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