Wetlands最新文献

Wetlands provide many ecosystem services, such as mitigating pollution, attenuating flooding and drought extremes, and providing habitat for many species. However, studies quantifying potential wetland sequestration of heavy metals as an ecosystem service, particularly across large spatial extents, are sparse. We utilized data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Wetland Condition Assessment to estimate anthropogenic metal (Pb, Cu, Cr) storage in the upper 40 cm of wetland soils across the conterminous United States-never done before at this scale. Large amounts of anthropogenic Cu and Cr are stored in wetland soil across the conterminous United States, at 299.5 ± 73.2 (95% confidence interval) and 483.4 ± 132.1 thousand metric tons (MT), respectively. Anthropogenic Pb totaled 394.3 ± 265.2 thousand MT, which, for context, is roughly equivalent to 7% of lead-based gasoline additives used in the U.S. between 1927-1994. Between 15-22% of Cu, Cr, and Pb mass stored within the upper 40 cm of wetland soils across the conterminous United States is estimated to be anthropogenic. We also estimated wetland anthropogenic metal loading to normalize mass by area and compared across different wetland types and features. In most cases, estimated wetland redox state, tidal influence, wetland hydrologic regime, and geographical regions do not substantially impact estimates of anthropogenic metal loading. It is clear, though, that wetlands often contain substantive anthropogenic metals and that monitoring of hydrologic and/or geochemical changes in wetlands is important to discern whether any metals may mobilize and pose a hazard to ecosystems or human health.

There is an ongoing demand for region-specific soil organic carbon estimates to support sustainable land management and inform carbon credit programs. The Prairie Pothole Region is prominent agricultural area that extends through Canada and the United States, and features a significant number of wetlands commonly referred to as prairie potholes. The contribution of these wetlands to landscape-level soil organic carbon storage is complex and may not be consistent across the region as influenced by several environmental and management factors. This study reviews existing literature to identify the main factors that contribute to variability in soil organic carbon stocks in prairie pothole wetlands. Soil organic carbon stock data from 10 studies in the Prairie Pothole Region were summarized through a meta-analysis. Variable importance and regression analyses were used to assess which factors explain variability in soil organic carbon. Wetland class explained up to 26.6% of the variability in soil organic carbon. Other important factors included ecoregion as well as land management. There were significant differences in average wetland soil organic carbon stocks across the ecoregions. Data limitations restricted our ability to accurately estimate the stocks for wetland class and land management. The findings from this study highlighted the need for targeted studies in the Northern short grassland ecoregion as well as studies that consider wetland classes under various land uses. To advance wetland carbon research in the Prairie Pothole Region, recommendations were provided on landscape-level carbon modelling, soil carbon measurement and monitoring, and improved wetland classification systems.

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Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-025-01898-9.

Reestablishing native plant communities following invasive species management is a common restoration goal for wetland managers. Although passive recolonization is occasionally sufficient, often, active revegetation through seeding is required. However, the outcomes of seeding likely differ by site (due to varying environmental conditions) and the composition of the seed mix. We evaluated the effects of both passive recolonization and seeding treatments (varying density and diversity of natives) on wetland plant community cover and composition at two sites in the Great Salt Lake Watershed, USA, over two years. We found that passive recolonization was insufficient to increase native plant cover at one location and limit invasive species' cover at either location. Furthermore, different emergent wetland restoration sites, despite geographic proximity, had different plant community outcomes, likely due to distinct site environmental conditions. We also found that the effects of the seeding treatments appeared to be overwhelmed by water depth due to two extreme weather events (severe drought in year 1 and prolonged flooding in year 2). However, these events provided an opportunity to observe the recovery potential of the different functional groups and identify three species of restoration interest (Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus acutus, and Distichlis spicata) that were able to survive the extreme conditions during both growing seasons at one site. These findings underscore the importance of not relying on passive recolonization and instead using bet-hedging strategies (e.g., seeding diverse mixes with species with a range of hydrologic tolerances) to overcome hydrologic extremes, conditions likely to become more common with climate change and ever-increasing upstream water diversions.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-025-01935-7.

Constructed water quality wetlands, designed to accept tile drainage and surface runoff, are a promising solution for reducing surface water nutrient loading from agricultural systems. In addition to their water quality benefits, these systems may also offset losses of migratory waterbird stopover sites resulting from historical and future agricultural drainage modernization. To assess this possibility, we developed spatially explicit habitat models informed with expert opinion to explore the: 1) potential of water quality wetlands to provide suitable stopover resources for waterbirds during spring migration; and 2) the extent these wetlands can offset likely losses of stopover resources due to drainage modernization. We focused our modeling on the Iowa portion of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America as it was a historically important area within this vital region for waterbirds, but it has experienced widespread subsurface drainage. Model results indicate that unmitigated drainage modernization is likely to have a large negative effect on spring migratory resources for dabbling ducks and shorebirds and minimal effect on diving ducks. Water quality wetland installations are likely to provide habitat for dabbling and diving ducks, but wetland installation is unlikely to completely offset habitat losses for dabbling ducks and shorebirds. Drainage modernization aside, our results indicate that water quality wetlands can address several environmental issues associated with agricultural expansion and intensification by improving water quality and providing wetland resources for waterbirds and other organisms. Field-scale research is needed to validate these results.

There are increasing global efforts and initiatives aiming to tackle climate change and mitigate its impacts via natural climate solutions (NCS). Wetlands have been considered effective NCS given their capacity to sequester and retain atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) while also providing a myriad of other ecosystem functions that can assist in mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, wetlands have a dual impact on climate, influencing the atmospheric concentrations of both CO₂ and methane (CH₄). The cooling effect associated with wetland CO₂ sequestration can be counterbalanced by the warming effect caused by CH₄ emissions from wetlands. The relative ability of wetlands to sequester CO₂ versus emit CH₄ is dependent on a suite of interacting physical, chemical, and biological factors, making it difficult to determine if/which wetlands are considered important NCS. The fact that wetlands are embedded in landscapes with surface and subsurface hydrological connections to other wetlands (i.e., wetlandscapes) that flow over and through geochemically active soils and sediments adds a new layer of complexity and poses further challenges to understanding wetland carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas fluxes at large spatial scales. Our review demonstrates how additional scientific advances are required to understand the driving mechanisms associated with wetland carbon cycling under different environmental conditions. It is vital to understand wetland functionality at both wetland and wetlandscape scales to effectively implement wetlands as NCS to maximize ecological, social, and economic benefits.

Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in the Puget lowlands of western Washington provide important biodiversity, ecological functions, and cultural resources. Historical and ongoing land uses have resulted in regional loss and degradation of these ecosystems. Effective conservation and management of peatland biodiversity and other ecological values requires an understanding of a peatland's landscape setting, hydrological processes, water chemistry, biotic patterns, and response to human stressors. This research identified the climate, watershed size, hydrologic regime, and land use characteristics influencing these peatlands. Shallow groundwater, vertical and lateral water movement, pore water chemistry, and vegetation composition were measured in two locations within each of the 17 study sites: the peatland center and lagg. Study sites had some ecological characteristics similar to ombrotrophic bogs in the Northern Hemisphere, but many sites lacked strong hydrological evidence of being solely rain-fed. Climate, watershed size, and adjacent land use were correlated with hydrological, chemical, and vegetation variability across study sites. Land use correlations with ecological changes were most prominent in laggs but some effects were observed in peatland centers. Preventing anthropogenically derived surface or groundwater inputs from entering the peatland basin is essential for protecting peatland biodiversity and ecological functions. This can be accomplished by establishing natural vegetated buffers around contributing water features, removing stormwater inputs, and maintaining peatland watersheds with as much natural land cover as possible.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-025-01927-7.

Wetlands, as vital components of urban ecological infrastructure, provide essential ecosystem services. However, they face increasing risks of degradation and loss due to their vulnerability, environmental changes, and human activities. Therefore, effective restoration efforts are urgently needed. This study adopts a novel approach by considering the urban–rural gradient and integrates land use data, ecological parameters, and anthropogenic factors in Hefei City. Through morphological spatial pattern analysis, principal component analysis, and affinity propagation, this study identifies and analyzes urban–rural gradients. Using the optimal parameter geographic detector, the drivers of wetland changes from 1990 to 2020 are quantitatively assessed across different urban–rural gradients in Hefei. The findings indicate the following. (1) A persistent reduction in wetland expanse throughout the study duration, diminishing from 1274.56 km² in 1990 to 1119.37 km² in 2020, constituting a decrement of 12.17%. (2) Based on geographic detector outcomes, disparate driving forces underpin wetland dynamics across urban–rural gradients, with urban locales predominantly influenced by organic carbon and the proportion of impervious surface factors. Meanwhile, in agricultural and semi-ecological villages, silt is the primary factor, while ecological villages are primarily modulated by both silt and gross domestic product factors. Additionally, synergistic interactions manifest heightened explanatory power. This study elucidates the mechanistic underpinnings of wetland dynamics along urban–rural gradients, providing pivotal insights for developing targeted wetland restoration and conservation policies pertinent to the urban–rural developmental trajectory in Hefei City. Concurrently, it offers relevant recommendations for the multifaceted stewardship and sustainable development of wetlands in Hefei City in the foreseeable future.

Temporary wetlands have mostly been disregarded in freshwater habitat regulation (with noticeable exceptions such as turloughs) leading to their global degradation despite their high value in terms of diverse ecosystem services. Wetland creation may be used to mitigate this habitat loss. In this review, we compiled information on the ecological features of temporary wetlands based on 45 scientific publications. We identified seven types of natural temporary wetlands to be emulated in wetland construction and their restoration in the Northern Hemisphere, with hydroperiod lengths ranging from less than one month in ephemeral ponds to multi-year floods. We highlight the biodiversity associated with various hydroperiods, and show that different organisms use different temporary wetland types. We give examples of how temporary wetland creation has been used for biodiversity enhancement and list characteristics of created temporary wetlands. Colonization of the newly created temporary wetlands by aquatic macroinvertebrates and amphibians was rapid, but species compositions differed from reference sites. Finally, we provide management recommendations for creating temporary wetlands to support high biodiversity. We highlight the importance of hydroperiod management, creating banks with gradual slopes, enhancing macrophyte vegetation and fish absence to promote biodiversity in created temporary wetlands. Monitoring and ongoing management practices are discussed as tools for ensuring management targets in the long term. For example, performing partial or full drawdowns at temporary wetlands with long multi-year hydroperiods are discussed. On the landscape level, we recommend planning a network of well-connected heterogeneous wetlands with different hydroperiods to enhance colonization and dispersal, and thereby biodiversity.

Stormwater ponds (SP) are increasingly used for water management along roads and in urban environments. How these infrastructures compare to natural wetlands in terms of biodiversity remains unclear, however. Studies to date have evaluated the subject in general terms, without considering the different zones in SP and wetlands (from aquatic, at the pond edge, to terrestrial, at the upper bank) or other local and regional factors. In this project, we aimed to compare the taxonomic diversity and composition of plant communities established in four different zones of SP with that in either roadside or remote natural wetlands. We also evaluated the effect of various local and regional factors on those communities. Our results show that, globally, the species composition of the lower, wetter zones was similar between SP and natural wetlands, especially roadside wetlands, while higher, drier zones showed significant differentiation. Factors explaining observed differences between SP and both roadside and remote natural wetlands were water level fluctuations, road proximity, slope, and age of the SP. Stormwater ponds also exhibited lower beta diversity than both types of wetlands. Nonetheless, our study suggests that with some modifications in their design, SP have the potential to harbour more wetland plant communities.

Anthropogenic climate change significantly impacts ecosystem health, biodiversity, and the life cycle and distribution of aquatic macrophytes. Mexican aquatic habitats for macrophytes are particularly vulnerable, with their degradation posing severe ecological risks for freshwater, wetland, and terrestrial ecosystems. This study analyzed the current and future distributions of Sagittaria latifolia and S. macrophylla, two crucial aquatic plant species in Mexico. Species distribution models (SDM) were used, incorporating bioclimatic and topographic variables, with projections for 2041–2060 and 2061–2080 using three Global Circulation Models. Niche overlap was also assessed. The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt emerged as a significant region for both species. We observed substantial variability among climate models. For S. latifolia, gains ranged from 1.708% (CNRM-CM6-1 model) to 74.806% (HadGEM3-GC31-LL model) for 2041–2060, while the highest loss was 44.11% (MPI-ESM1-2-HR model). Similarly, S. macrophylla showed gains up to 73.591% (MPI-ESM1-2-HR) and losses up to 19.734% (CNRM-CM6-1). These results highlight species-specific responses to future climate scenarios. Niche overlap analyses revealed that both species currently share up to 41% of their niches, with this overlap likely to continue in the future. This study provides insights into the potential impacts of climate change on species distributions, informing conservation and management strategies. Given S. latifolia’s native status and S. macrophylla’s endemic and threatened nature, understanding their distribution dynamics is crucial for conservation efforts. This research underscores the need to address climatic threats to ensure the survival of these key species and maintain the health of Mexican aquatic ecosystems.