Welcome to ISU Biomass, led by the Heaton Lab at Iowa State University. Together with our partners, we work to integrate perennial crops into the annual crop landscape to improve economic, environmental, and social outcomes. One of our focus areas is the production and ecophysiology of giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus).
When discussing Iowa's water quality issues, the conversation often turns to the subject of wetlands. What are wetlands and why are they important to water quality? Wetlands are characterized by many attributes, including hydrology, water chemistry, soils, and surrounding topography. So the term "wetland" is flexible, and you may have referred to wetlands as a swamp, marsh, bog, pothole, bottomland, slough, fen, seep, wet meadow, or oxbow.
