Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) assessment - A test of user consistency

We describe the first test conducted to determine user consistency in the a pplication of hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment models. Over a th ree-week period, two teams of individuals trained in the HGM methodology as sessed 44 riverine wetlands on the Coastal Plain of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, USA. Results demonstrated a high degree of agreement between the two assessment teams for both Variable Subindices and Functional Capacity Index Scores, indicating that the assessment models were robust and results were repeatable. Analyses of the data demonstrated the importance of only using variables whose measurements are repeatable. When variable measuremen ts are not repeatable, HGM functional capacity scores are detrimentally aff ected, especially functions that are modeled by only a few variables.