A review on hydrobiogeochemical modelling in freshwater wetlands: Insights into model characteristics and applicability

Abstract

The anthropogenic activities along with climate change have adversely exploited the freshwater wetland ecosystems. The environmental health of wetlands may be analysed with the application of mathematical models considering its hydrodynamics, water quality, and ecology characteristics. However, it is observed that the models have a lesser range of applications on freshwater wetlands than that of lakes and rivers in dealing with major problems, such as eutrophication and urbanization. This may be associated with the complexity of the system, data scarcity and absence of information regarding boundary conditions. Hence, the aim of this study is to highlight certain aspects of various mathematical models applied to freshwater wetlands including their different features, limitations, parameters considered, accessibility, and area of application. From the detailed analysis of their inherent features and application strategies, a decision making framework is also developed to aid the modellers and provide a holistic support in the selection of the most suitable models.