Society of Wetland Scientists
Professional Certification Program
WE ARE THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN
CERTIFYING PROFESSIONAL WETLAND SCIENTISTS SINCE 1994

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Body Of Knowledge Survey

The Professional Certification Program (PCP) of the SWS is accredited by the Council of Engineering & Science Specialty Boards (CESB). CESB accreditation requires that the PCP create and maintain a Body of Knowledge (document) that outlines specific skills, knowledge, and abilities that a Professional Wetland Scientist should possess. The Body of Knowledge (BoK) must be solicited from all who are certified by the program and be updated every five years. The BoK is a living guidance document for knowledge and skill requirements to be used by the PCP Certification Review Panel in assessing an applicant's experience towards certification as a Professional Wetland Scientist.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Kind regards,
SWSPCP Board of Directors

Space is provided at the end of the survey for suggested new Knowledge Points.

Ratings are 1 being not important to 5 being most important.

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
General Science
1) Knowledge of statistics
2) Knowledge of general biology and ecology
3) Knowledge of general and organic chemistry
4) Knowledge of general physics
5) Knowledge of general calculus

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Landscape and Watershed
6) Knowledge of watershed dynamics
7) Ability to identify watershed boundaries
8) Knowledge of watershed hydrology and water resources planning
9) Ability to understand the concept of a floodplain, find a source for floodplain maps and understanding of relationship between waterways, wetlands and floodplains
10) Ability to identify climate induced stresses, including climate change (greater extremes and projected regional changes in precipitation and temperature) on the watershed and their impacts to wetlands, streams and water bodies
11) Knowledge of historic land use and land cover types

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Geology
12) Ability to identify geological and geomorphological features
13) Knowledge of geochemical affects on soils, wetland hydrology, and plant communities
14) Ability to recognize location of local bedrock depth
15) Knowledge of the nature and impacts of natural seismic events and processes
16) Knowledge of stratigraphy and soils and how they influence and are influenced by near-surface water movement
17) Knowledge of groundwater hydrology and how to locate water table(s)
18) Ability to identify physiographic region and geological formations using geological maps

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Soils
19) Knowledge of basic soil science (e.g., soil morphology and taxonomy)
20) Ability to describe a soil profile
21) Ability to use soil color charts
22) Knowledge of hydric soil indicator processes
23) Ability to identify hydric soil indicators according to national guidance such as, in the United States, USDA NRCS manuals, regional soil indicator handbooks, and Regional Supplements to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual.
24) Ability to use local soil surveys and/or locate and use soil survey data resources on the internet (e.g., Web Soil Survey)
25) Ability to classify soils according to national classifications such as in the United States the USDA classification.
26) Knowledge of the interactions between soils and surface water, and soils and groundwater (water movement within, through, and over soils)

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Hydrology
27) Knowledge of wetland hydrology processes
28) Ability to identify field indicators of wetland hydrology
29) Knowledge of groundwater hydrology concepts
30) Ability to install, maintain, and interpret water table monitoring devices and data
31) Ability to estimate streamflow, baseflow and water budgets to classify streams accordingly as perennial, ephemeral, intermittent.
32) Knowledge and ability to estimate seasonal high and normal pool elevations in coastal and freshwater wetland systems or a waterway
33) Ability to use techniques to investigate wetland hydrology and mitigation wetland design such as WETS Tables and Antecedent Precipitation Tool (APT), commonly used in the United States.
34) Ability to use water budget calculations/models, or other science-based industry approved models to investigate wetland hydrology and mitigation wetland design.
35) Knowledge of projected regional/local rates of relative sea level rise from climate change for coastal wetland investigations.

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Plants
36) Ability to identify plants to species level and determine their current wetland indicator status using approaches such as the USACE wetland plant lists used in the United States
37) Ability to identify and to differentiate plant community types
38) Ability to measure plant species dominance
39) Ability to develop and execute an efficient plan for monitoring components of natural or created wetland systems in accordance with regulatory requirements or for establishing changes in wetlands/uplands/transition zones
40) Ability to identify wetland plant morphological adaptations
41) Ability to determine dominant or contributing influencing factors on species occurrence (e.g., wetland hydrology vs. salinity)
42) Knowledge of metabolic and adaptive physiological changes caused by prolonged soil saturation and inundation

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Fish and Wildlife
43) General knowledge of plant and animal kingdoms, and the ability to place organisms in proper taxonomic groups
44) Ability to identify fish and wildlife species, both terrestrial and those adapted to wetlands during some portion of their life history
45) Knowledge of fisheries biology
46) Ability to identify freshwater aquatic macroinvertebrates
47) Knowledge of and ability to formulate means to measure population dynamics

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Protected and Invasive Species
48) Knowledge of current National/State/Provincial/Territorial regulations related to protected species
49) Ability to obtain information related to the natural history of protected species and their habitat
50) Ability to identify invasive species and general knowledge of their means of invasion and methods to manage
51) Knowledge of management and control of protected and invasive species

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Ecology and Function
52) Knowledge of wetland ecology principles
53) Knowledge of the role of wetlands in nutrient cycling
54) Knowledge of biogeochemical processes in wetlands including carbon sequestration
55) Knowledge of the role of wetlands in wildlife habitat

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Classification and Assessment
56) Knowledge of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Wetland Classification
57) Knowledge of wetland functional assessment methods
58) Ability to use and interpret output from wetland assessment methods
59) Ability to determine wetland functions and values using approaches such as the Highways Wetland Methodology (FHWM) used in the United States
60) Knowledge of Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) wetland classification & functional assessment
61) Knowledge of approaches to assess the replacement of wetland function such as the Evaluation of Planned Wetlands (EPW) used in the United States
62) Ability to use Wetland Evaluation Technique (WET) or equivalent methodologies to assess wetland functions
63) Knowledge of Cowardin, et al or other accepted wetland classification systems
64) Knowledge of local/regional wetland assessment methods or rating systems
65) Ability to undertake a wetland ecosystem service/benefit assessments such as the Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services technique
66) Ability to undertake a wetland benefits economic evaluation

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Mapping/Imaging/Remote Sensing
67) Ability to identify the physical boundaries of a watershed on topographic maps and in the field
68) Ability to use topographic maps and soils maps to identify potential wetland areas
69) Ability to find and use wetland maps, and other relevant State/Provincial/Territorial/National mapping datasets such as in the United States USFWS and EPA resources
70) Ability to identify and classify wetlands using aerial photographs
71) Ability to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to gather ecologically related information for purposes of identifying or managing wetland and watershed systems
72) Ability to interpret remote sensing images/data (other than aerial photos, e.g., LiDAR)
73) Ability to use historic and current aerial photographs to detect changes in wetland, stream or water body signatures or land use practices
74) Knowledge of the discipline of Geomatics* in recognizing wetlands as an integral part of most global landscapes
* (an umbrella term coined in the 1980s) is the science/discipline that deals with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information. It encompasses the fields of surveying, mapping, remote sensing (LiDAR or HDS Scanning), photogrammetry, hydrography, global positioning systems (GPS), and geographic information systems (GIS).

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Delineation
75) Ability to identify and delineate a wetland using national, federal, and, if applicable, State/Provincial and local methodologies
76) Ability to define basic wetland delineation criteria, field indicators and methodology for delineation
77) Demonstrate knowledge of national wetland delineation guidance and manuals, such as, in the United States, USACE manuals and regional supplements, Automated Wetland Determination Data Regional Forms, and relevant guidance
78) Demonstrate experience in field wetland delineation.

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Regulatory
79) Knowledge of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the obligations of Contracting Parties
80) Knowledge of national, state, provincial and local wetland regulations relevant to your jurisdictional area
81) Specific to the United States - Ability to differentiate between a jurisdictional and a non-jurisdictional wetland and wetland (Army Corps of Engineers/Environmental Protection Agency Section 404) other non-wetland Waters of the US (USACE/EPA Section 10) under current regulations and guidance
82) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of terms related to USACE jurisdiction, like Navigable waters, Traditional Navigable Waters, contiguous, adjacency, isolated, connected, normal circumstances, atypical situations, water dependency, fill, dredge, activities, structures, sufficient nexus, etc.
83) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of USACE Regulatory Guidance Letters (RGLS)
84) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of the different Nationwide Permits (NWPs) versus Individual Permit
85) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of the Clean Water Act and the regulatory responsibilities of Federal agencies and State/Provincial/Territorial/National agencies under it
86) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of National Environmental Policy Act
87) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of Endangered Species Act and the Cultural Resources Act, as well as other Acts and how they impact the Section 404 regulatory process
88) Specific to the United States - Knowledge of other Federal/State/Provincial/tribal regulations that influence jurisdiction of wetlands and waters of the U.S.

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Environmental Impact Assessment
89) Knowledge of national Environmental Impact Assessment regulation, for example in the USA knowledge of NEPA and its relationship to the Section 404 Program
90) Ability to identify human activities that impact wetlands and waterways
91) Ability to describe alternatives to impacts or how to minimize impacts to wetlands
92) Ability to name examples of water dependent projects.
93) Ability to design and conduct a monitoring protocol
94) Ability to prepare an Environmental Assessment document
95) Ability to prepare the Natural and Water resources sections of an Environmental Impact Statement

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Wetland Compensatory Mitigation Restoration, Creation and Enhancement
96) Knowledge of National, Federal, State/Provincial/Territorial and local government guidance regarding aquatic resource mitigation and compensation
97) Ability to describe alternatives to impacts or how to minimize impacts to wetlands
98) Knowledge of compensatory mitigation design and construction techniques
99) Ability to develop and interpret a conceptual engineering and ecological design
100) Ability to set up a multiple year monitoring plan for a mitigation site
101) Ability to read and use an engineering plan
102) Ability to generate a sketch of a cross section and plan view to express a wetland mitigation design grading plan
103) Knowledge of the professional skills required for wetland and stream mitigation design
104) Ability to use and interpret data from monitoring tables
105) Ability to interpret data from a graph
106) Ability to develop a scope of work/plan for data gathering to develop a mitigation design
107) Use of water budget calculations in wetland creation/enhancement/restoration design.
108) Knowledge of current assessment/issues/problems in wetland mitigation design.
109) Knowledge of climate change (greater extremes and projected regional changes in precipitation and temperature) in wetland mitigation design.

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Stream Assessment and Restoration
110) Knowledge of Stream Channel Assessment methodologies
111) Knowledge of Stream Classification Systems
112) Knowledge of the components necessary for a stable but Natural Stream Design
113) Knowledge of stream classification approaches/methods.
114) Knowledge of streamflow modeling methodologies
115) Knowledge of stormwater and erosion control best management practices (BMPs)

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Wetland Education
116) Ability to develop educational materials to inform the public about basic wetland science principles, wetland values, regulations as well as impact avoidance and minimization
117) Ability to develop basic curriculum to inform individuals in other disciplines regarding important points which should be considered in planning for projects around wetlands, resources, values, impacts, regulations and mitigation.
118) Ability to undertake stakeholder consultation in relation to a wetland project
119) Ability to undertake a stakeholder conflict resolution process in relation to a wetland project
120) Ability to undertake community engagement in relation to a wetland project

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Professional Ethics
121) Knowledge of Current Ethics Issues in Wetland Science
122) Knowledge of the SWSPCP's Code of Ethics
123) Knowledge of the importance of adhering to SWSPCP's Code of Ethics
124) Knowledge of what to do when someone violates SWSPCP's Code of Ethics

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Publications/Products
125) Experience in writing scientific papers for publication
126) Experience in writing/preparing technical reports and papers
127) Experience in presenting an oral presentation on Knowledge Points of wetland science and management
128) Knowledge of the scientific method and how to present data for publication
129) Ability to compile and organize a bibliography for scientific review
130) Knowledge of the peer review process
131) Knowledge of the current high quality technical journals and especially the Wetlands Journal
132) Membership in and active participation in professional societies and associations
133) Active participation in Continuing Professional Development courses, seminars, webinars, workshops, and conferences for currency in Professional Wetland Sciences.
134) Experience in researching scientific publications related to wetland science

Knowledge Points	1	2	3	4	5
Wetland Law
135) Knowledge of how to provide Expert witness in legal proceedings
136) Knowledge of recent legal decisions affecting wetlands/water regulations
If you have a suggestion for new Topics or Knowledge Points please enter them here. Please include both the Knowledge Point and the Topic that it would belong in.

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