Palustrine wetlands include all fresh water wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, emergents, mosses or lichens. It also includes wetlands lacking suchvegetation, but with all of the following characteristics: 1) area 20 acres, 2) maximum water depth 6.6 feet, and3) salinity 0.5%. (Abbr. )

Freshwater; "of the marshes"

A wetland classification that includes all nontidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, peristent emergents, emergent mosses or lichen, and all such wetlands that occur in tidal areas where salinities due to ocean-derived salts are less than 5 ppt.

The palustrine system was developed to group the vegetated wetlands traditionally called by such names as marsh, swamp, bog, fen, and prairie, which are found throughout the United States. It also includes the small, shallow, permanent, or intermittent water bodies often called ponds. Palustrine wetlands may be situated shoreward of lakes, river channels, or estuaries; on river floodplains; in isolated catchments; or on slopes. They may also occur as islands in lakes or rivers. The palustrine system includes all nontidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses or lichens, and all such wetlands that occur in tidal areas where salinity due to ocean-derived salts is below 0.5%. It also includes wetlands lacking such vegetation, but with all of the following four characteristics: (1) area less than 8 hectares (20 acres); (2) active wave-formed or bedrock shoreline features lacking; (3) water depth in the deepest part of basin less than 2 meters at low water; and (4) salinity due to ocean-derived salts less than 0.5%.

"Palustrine" comes from the Latin word "palus" or marsh. Wetlands within this category include inland marshes and swamps as well as bogs, fens, tundra and floodplains. Palustrine systems include any inland wetland which lacks flowing water, contains ocean derived salts in concentrations of less than .05%, and is nontidal.