Hydrology and Physiography of Groundwater and Wetland Habitats - Freshwater Ecology: Concepts and Environmental Applications - page 61

Examples of Expected Ecosystem Functions of Wetlands Based on Hydrodynamic Characterization a

TABLE 4.5

Geomorpological Important quantitative Functions that can relate Significance of function or

Primary water source Climate aspects attributes to ecological properties maintenance of characteristic

Precipitation Humid Poor drainage Precipitation exceeds Soil constantly waterlogged, Low plant productivity related to

evapotranspiration during leading to peat formation anoxic sediment keeping plants

most of year so soils and sediment anoxia from soil sources of nutrients;

waterlogged plants rely on nutrients in

precipitation only

Surface flow from Mesic-humid Floods occur at least annually Frequency and height of floods Overbank flow creates influx Allows continued high

flooding river and position of wetland an of nutrients and moves production and high habitat

index of connectivity to river sediments (changes physical heterogeneity

structure)

Groundwater influx Mesic Groundwater springs and seeps Aquifer permanence; yield of Groundwater supplies nutrients High plant production; stable

often at bottom of slopes or springs and seeps dominates and flushes habitat; habitat plant community

stream margins; some hydrologic throughput often very stable

sediments must be permeable
to allow influx

a Based on Brinson et al. (1994).