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The landscape function and hydrologic connectivity of peatlands: A conceptual framework
Citation:
Leibowitz, S. The landscape function and hydrologic connectivity of peatlands: A conceptual framework. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 11 - 15, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This invited presentation addresses the factors that influence the effect of peatlands on downstream waters. While the internal ecology of peatlands (e.g., bogs and fens) have been studied a great deal, this presentation considers their landscape function with respect to downstream waters. The presentation describes a conceptual model for how wetlands affect these waters in general, and then includes considerations specifically with respect to peatlands. The work is of interest and could be applied to anybody interested in the landscape function of peatlands and in connectivity with respect to downstream waters.
Description:
Wetlands exist within landscapes that contain other wetlands and ecosystems. As such, wetlands not only have their own internal functions, but they also contribute to the functioning of the larger landscape. This landscape function of wetlands depends on their internal functions, which affect fluxes of energy and biotic and abiotic materials, as well as their connectivity to other wetlands and ecosystems. As with any other wetland, this is also true for peatlands. Here I present a conceptual framework for the landscape function of wetlands, and for understanding their hydrological, chemical, and biological connectivity to other ecosystems. I review five general functions (source, sink, lag, transformation, and refuge) that affect the fluxes of energy and materials through wetlands. I then structurally define connectivity as the degree to which components of a system are connected and interact through various transport mechanisms. After considering landscape function and connectivity in general, I then specifically focus on how wetlands connect hydrologically and contribute to rivers and other downstream aquatic systems. I describe how these contributions are dynamic and change over various time scales. I also discuss how connectivity occurs over a dynamic gradient, from connected to isolated. This is illustrated by considering both riparian and non-riparian (or geographically isolated) wetlands. I then specifically consider peatlands and how they fit into this general framework, which serves to describe the landscape function of peat wetlands. Finally, I review a recent national hydrologic connectivity classification and discuss how this may apply to peatlands.