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Watershed-Scale Wetland Functions Affect Downstream Systems
Citation:
Lane, C., G. Evenson, H. Golden, AND D. McLaughlin. Watershed-Scale Wetland Functions Affect Downstream Systems. 11th National Water Monitoring Conference, Denver, CO, March 25 - 29, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
Opening presentation at National Monitoring Conference session on wetlands and water quality/quantity
Description:
Wetland systems provide important biogeochemical, hydrological, and biological functions resulting in ecosystem services that may decrease nutrient loads and flooding while enhancing biodiversity. However, as wetland losses continue unabated there is an apparent disconnect between science and resource management and the need for a new perspective linking wetlands to society’s end-goals (e.g., water quality and quantity). Focusing here on biogeochemical and hydrological functions, the relative nitrogen assimilation and/or phosphorus sequestration rates for individual wetland systems can be well studied, yet quantifying the watershed-scale effect of wetlands on nutrient loading to receiving waters is challenging. Similarly, the hydrological characteristics of wetland systems can be quantified, but landscape complexity makes quantifying their additive, watershed-scale effects difficult. Our research in the Prairie Pothole Region using our modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model and work throughout North America has illuminated important aspects of the cumulative biogeochemical and hydrological effects of wetlands on downstream waters. With this approach, functional contributions from wetland complexes, both proximate and distal to surface waters, can be increasingly quantified and used for watershed-scale nutrient and hydrological management decisions. Further, wetlands provide an array of functions that vary based on wetland (e.g., size, position, morphology) and landscape attributes (e.g., physiography, soils), highlighting the importance of assessment tools that can inform decision-making for optimized watershed-scale functionality and specific management objectives.
