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
Vegetation Diversity in Mountain Peatlands
Resource Date:
2021
Organization
Restoration Approach Influences Carbon Exchange at In-Situ Oil Sands Exploration Sites in East-Central Alberta
Resource Date:
April
2021
Evaluating the Hydrological Response of a Boreal Fen Following the Removal of a Temporary Access Road
Resource Date:
January
2021
Organization
The Role of Hummocks in Re-establishing Black Spruce Forest Following Permafrost Thaw
Resource Date:
December
2020
The Biophysical Climate Mitigation Potential of Boreal Peatlands During the Growing Season
Resource Date:
October
2020
Organization
Roads Impact Tree and Shrub Productivity in Adjacent Boreal Peatlands
Resource Date:
May
2020
Organization
Was this helpful?
|