Wetlands protect downstream waters by filtering excess nitrogen (N) generated from agricultural and urban activities. Small ephemeral wetlands, also known as geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs), are hotspots of N retention but have received fewer legal protections due to their apparent isolation from jurisdictional waters. Here, we hypothesize that the isolation of the GIWs make them more efficient N filters, especially when considering transient hydrologic dynamics. We use a reduced complexity model with thirty years of remotely sensed monthly wetland inundation levels in 3,700 GIWs across eight wetlandscapes in the US to show how consideration of transient hydrologic dynamics can increase N retention estimates by up to 130%, with greater retention magnification for the smaller wetlands. This effect is more pronounced in semi-arid systems such as the prairies in North Dakota, where transient assumptions lead to 1.8 times more retention, compared to humid landscapes like the North Carolina Pocosins where transient assumptions only lead to 1.4 times more retention. Our results highlight how GIWs have an outsized role in retaining nutrients, and this service is enhanced due to their hydrologic disconnectivity which must be protected to maintain the integrity of downstream waters.
Related Resources
Temperature, Moisture and Freeze–thaw Controls on CO2 Production in Soil Incubations From Northern Peatlands
Resource Date:
December
2021
Ecohydrological Interactions in a Boreal Fen–swamp Complex, Alberta, Canada
Resource Date:
November
2021
Organization
The Essential Carbon Service Provided by Northern Peatlands
Resource Date:
November
2021
The Boreal-Arctic Wetland and Lake Dataset
Resource Date:
2021
Organization
Impacts of Seismic Line Restoration on CO2, CH4, and Biomass
Resource Date:
2021
Organization
Restoration of Boreal Peatland Impacted by an In-situ Oil Sands Well-pad 1: Vegetation Response
Resource Date:
July
2021
Was this helpful?
|