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Wetlands, 5th edition
Abstract
The single most important book on wetlands, newly expanded and updated
Wetlands is the definitive guide to this fragile ecosystem, providing the most comprehensive coverage and in-depth information available in print. Recently updated and expanded, this latest edition contains brand new information on Wetland Ecosystem Services and an updated discussion on Wetland, Carbon, and Climate Change and Wetland Creation and Restoration. Due to popular demand, the authors have brought back five streamlined chapters on wetland ecosystems that had been removed from previous editions, and provided more robust ancillary materials including an online color photo gallery, PowerPoint slides, and several video case studies.
As nature's kidneys, wetland ecosystems help the environment process toxins and excess fertilizers and maintain the relative health of our aquatic ecosystems. As the understanding of their importance grows, their management and ecology have gained increased attention and have become an area of professional specialization over the past two decades. This book gives readers a solid understanding of wetlands, how they work, what they do, and why the Earth can't live without them.
See http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118676823.html
... One of the major threats to wildlife and their habitats comes from the rapid loss of natural ecosystems through their transformation into crop fields and pastures for livestock (Donald, 2004). Agriculture not only affects terrestrial biomes but is also suggested to be one of the main drivers of the deterioration and loss of different types of aquatic systems (Mitsch & Gosselink, 2007;Dahl, 2011). ...
... In addition, agricultural practices also disrupt the most valuable ecosystem functions by compromising the goods and services that wetlands provide to society (e.g. attenuating flood flows, purifying water, contributing to carbon storage and providing important habitat for biodiversity; Mitsch & Gosselink, 2007). ...
In central Argentina, agro‐ecosystems constitute the dominant landscape, representing the replacement of extensive grassland areas by crops and pastures. Agriculture has caused the loss of extensive areas of Pampean inland wetlands through drainage and the construction of artificial aquatic habitats such as ditches and ponds. This study evaluated the availability and amphibian breeding use of 194 natural and artificial open water habitats and identified those attributes that affect amphibian diversity (richness, abundance and species occurrence). Interviews with farmers revealed that all artificial ditches, drainage channels and ponds were constructed directly or indirectly to support agricultural activities, and 61.5% of them were created at the expense of natural wetlands. The results from generalized linear mixed models) indicated a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in amphibian richness (14.2–35.7%) and abundance (35.3–86.6%) in artificial habitats compared with natural habitats. Overall, vegetation cover, average depth and edge slope emerged as the most important attributes affecting amphibian diversity in artificial open water habitats. Vegetation cover had a significant (P < 0.05) positive influence on species richness and abundance, whereas average depth and edge slope had the opposite effect. Given the substantial modification of inland wetlands in central Argentina, natural aquatic habitats should be considered top priorities for conservation, and law enforcement is urgently needed to control the drainage and levelling of lagoons, ponds and low‐lying areas. The appropriate design and planning of constructed wetlands, including shallow depth and slightly sloping edges, could greatly improve the ability of artificial wetlands to favour native amphibians in these altered landscapes. Artificial wetlands could offer complementary habitats to natural habitats for amphibians and aquatic wildlife if actions leading to sustainable management and territorial planning are applied.
... It is also an ecosystem rich in biodiversity and high productivity in nature. It not only has abundant resources, but also has enormous environmental regulation function and ecological benefit (Mitsch and Gosselink, 2015;Greeson and Clark, 1981;Richardson, 1985). Wetland ecosystem plays an important role in the purification of pollutants, and it usually be designed to improve water quality (Haberl et al., 2003, Kujala et al., 2019, Wagner et al., 2019. ...
... The reduction of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients, mainly includes two different kinds of environment, which are aerobic environment and anaerobic environment. Mitsch & Gosselink (2015) illustrated the processes of wetland biogeochemistry detailly, including many chemical transformations and chemical transport processes. Many transformations of nitrogen, sulfur, iron, manganese, carbon, phosphorus and other chemicals occur in wetlands as a result of the combination of both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in proximity. ...
... The process of sagging and volume loss that is observed in the centre of Shadow Vlei, and the swelling in the depression margin, is likely to be a consequence of processes related to coupled redoximorphic reactions involving Fe and Si in association with variation in pH related to Fe reduction and oxidation. In small wetlands, non-ooded and ooded soils exist in close proximity, with ooding leading to anaerobic conditions dominated by reduction reactions, while adjacent non-ooded soils are dominated by oxidation reactions (Mitsch and Gosselink, 2015). Such conditions are likely to exist in and adjacent to Shadow Vlei in response to alternating high and low water levels. ...
This paper investigates the origin and geomorphic evolution of Shadow Vlei, a depression wetland located approximately 30 km northwest of Port Elizabeth. The wetland is on sandstone on the African Erosion Surface. The depression wetland has a rim of high-lying ground surrounding a central depression. Fluctuations between wet and dry periods create both highly reducing conditions in soils during wet phases in the depression, and highly oxidising conditions in the depression margin. Under reducing conditions, iron(III) oxides that are insoluble, are reduced to soluble iron(II), which is transported to and trapped in the margins of the depression under oxidising conditions when the water table declines and iron(II) is oxidised to iron(III). There is also a moderate flux of silica from the surface in the centre of the depression to the margins, which is suggested to be associated with maximum alkalinity associated with iron(III) reduction, and decreased alkalinity in the margins associated with iron(II) oxidation. However, the main flux of silica is from the surface in the centre of the depression to depth of greater than 1.5m, again associated with variations in pH linked to iron-cycling. These reactions have thus caused a net volume loss in the centre of the depression, causing sagging, and a net volume gain at the margins of the depression, causing swelling. Wetland formation associated with alteration of landform morphology as a consequence of alternating redox conditions represents a novel mechanism that has not yet been described.
... Marshes systems can act as a sink of various compounds either through sedimentation or bioaccumulation. The Mesopotamian marshlands are known as sink for different compounds (Mitsch and Gosselink, 2007). There are several materials or energy that are introduced directly or indirectly to the aquatic environment as a result of various human activities, and that lead to harmful effects on human health and aquatic organisms, and also lead to the disruptive kinds of water activities. ...
... Coastal tidal wetlands, mainly composed of tidally-influenced halophytic and hydrophytic vegetation, tidal flats, and open water, are natural transitions between coastal ocean and terrestrial ecosystems (Mitsch and Gosselink, 2016). Coastal tidal wetlands provide a disproportionately larger value of ecosystem services relative to terrestrial environments, including biodiversity, water quality maintenance, habitat provision for a variety of wildlife and fish, flood control and storm surge mitigation, shoreline protection against coastal erosion, and maintain an exceptionally high carbon sequestration rate compared to other ecosystems (Chmura et al., 2003;Mitsch et al., 2015;Wang et al., 2019). ...
Coastal tidal wetlands are highly altered ecosystems exposed to substantial risk due to widespread and frequent land-use change coupled with sea-level rise, leading to disrupted hydrologic and ecologic functions and ultimately, significant reduction in climate resiliency. Knowing where and when the changes have occurred, and the nature of those changes, is important for coastal communities and natural resource management. Large-scale mapping of coastal tidal wetland changes is extremely difficult due to their inherent dynamic nature. To bridge this gap, we developed an automated algorithm for DEtection and Characterization of cOastal tiDal wEtlands change (DECODE) using dense Landsat time series. DECODE consists of three elements, including spectral break detection, land cover classification and change characterization. DECODE assembles all available Landsat observations and introduces a water level regressor for each pixel to flag the spectral breaks and estimate harmonic time-series models for the divided temporal segments. Each temporal segment is classified (e.g., vegetated wetlands, open water, and others – including unvegetated areas and uplands) based on the phenological characteristics and the synthetic surface reflectance values calculated from the harmonic model coefficients, as well as a generic rule-based classification system. This harmonic model-based approach has the advantage of not needing the acquisition of satellite images at optimal conditions (i.e., low tide status) to avoid underestimating coastal vegetation caused by the tidal fluctuation. At the same time, DECODE can also characterize different kinds of changes including land cover change and condition change (i.e., land cover modification without conversion). We used DECODE to track status of coastal tidal wetlands in the northeastern United States from 1986 to 2020. The overall accuracy of land cover classification and change detection is approximately 95.8% and 99.8%, respectively. The vegetated wetlands and open water were mapped with user's accuracy of 94.6% and 99.0%, and producer's accuracy of 98.1% and 93.5%, respectively. The cover change and condition change were mapped with user's accuracy of 68.0% and 80.0%, and producer's accuracy of 80.5% and 97.1%, respectively. Approximately 3283 km² of the coastal landscape within our study area in the northeastern United States changed at least once (12% of the study area), and condition changes were the dominant change type (84.3%). Vegetated coastal tidal wetland decreased consistently (~2.6 km² per year) in the past 35 years, largely due to conversion to open water in the context of sea-level rise.
... Georgia and South Carolina account for 33% of the salt marshes on the U.S. east coast (Wiegert and Freeman 1990). For example, the Mississippi River delta marshes make up 40% of the coastal marshes of the U.S. (Mitsch and Gosselink 2015). The Pacific coast (excluding Alaska) has only 3% of the nation's salt marshes, mostly (75%) in California (Michel and Rutherford 2013). ...
... It promotes the breakdown of soil aggregates, organic mineral complexes and exposes the deeper mineral layers to the biologically active surface layer, thereby increases the loss of SOC and elevates release of greenhouse gases [15,55,56]. Variability and abundance of soil C and N have exerted crucial effects on carbon and nitrogen cycles at regional and global scales [57]. It has been deduced that future carbon emissions would be dependent on large stores of organic carbon in spatially distributed anthropogenic reservoirs transported from terrestrial ecosystems [58]. ...
Soils of Indian Konkan region, part of ecologically sensitive Western Ghats have been subjected to anthropogenic activities of late. This has endangered the ecological security through conspicuous losses in topsoil quality. The rationale of the present study was to map the soil properties and create management zones for ensuring food and nutritional security. The study was conducted in South Goa district of the state of Goa located in Konkan region. A total of 258 geo-referenced soil samples were collected and analyzed for pH, EC, SOC, available N, P, K and DTPA extractable micronutrients viz., Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn. Soil pH was found to be in acidic range. A wide variability existed in SOC content ranging from 0.12–5.85%. EC was mostly neutral with mean value 0.08±0.37 dSm⁻¹, while available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) varied in range from 56.4–621.6 kg ha⁻¹, 0.5–49.7 kg ha⁻¹ and 31.5–786.2 kg ha⁻¹ with mean values 211.2±76.9, 8.4±8.2 and 202.3±137.6 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. A wide range was exhibited by cationic DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn with mean values, 0.22±0.30, 0.44±0.60, 7.78±5.98 and 7.86±5.86 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Soil pH exhibited significant positive correlation with EC, AP AK and Zn and negative correlation with Fe and Cu. SOC exhibited significantly correlated with AN, AP, AK, Zn and Fe. Geo-statistical analysis revealed J-Bessel as best fit semivariogram model for pH, AP and AK; Rational Quadratic for EC, SOC, Zn and Mn; Hole effect for AN; Stable for Cu and K-Bessel for Fe for their spatial mapping. Four principal components showed eigenvalues more than one and cumulative variability of 59.38%. Three distinct soil management zones showing significant variation in soil properties were identified and delineated for wider scale management of soils. Precision nutrient management based on spatial variation and their mapping would enable refined agricultural and environmental management practices in the region.
South Sudan and Ethiopia, despite possessing many wetlands – some even having international importance, there has been limited attempts to value the ecosystem and biodiversity services of the wetlands. However, such valuation exercises are vital to promote knowledge-based decision making and the proper management of the wetlands. The Lower Baro wetlands systems is one of the wetlands in the Nile Basin located in both countries and among the wetlands with limited availability of literature; let alone valuation studies. This study is, hence, aimed at filling this gap and applied the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD) to estimate the values of the ecosystem services since it was difficult to access the study area. The land use land cover map of the area was extracted using Remote Sensing and GIS tools. Considering 2020 as a base year, the annual economic value of the wetlands’ ecosystem services was estimated at above $660 million. More than half of these benefits emanate from the provisioning services while regulating and cultural services contribute about 22.5 percent each. The biodiversity services stood the least with less than half a percentage contribution. The findings reveal that the ESVD database is a good source of information for valuing wetlands in data scarce regions. Since the regulating and biodiversity services have a public good character, which may not be the immediate reasons for the conservation of the wetlands, actors from local to international levels should play their part in designing mechanisms for duly compensating local communities for these services.
Education in/through the environment makes up a fundamental component of environmental education,
which contributes to shaping ecocentric attitudes via the direct contact with nature. Wetlands have high
educational value due to the high variety of habitats, thus the high variety of provided stimuli. We present
an educational K7-9 activity relying on the experiential investigation of a wetland via the cooperative ‘jigsaw’
learning technique. Students shape five-member groups, in which each student holds two roles, one out each
of two categories (A and B). All ten roles are represented in every five-member group. In the beginning,
students wander on specific nature trails in the wetland according to their A roles, which aim to the
exploration of the environment through the senses and the development of a personal experience with
nature. These roles are colour watchers, picture and landscape watchers, sound and smell watchers,
photographers/sketchers and collectors/’nature museum’ makers. Next, students receive their B roles,
according to which they observe specific ecosystemic components of the wetland. These roles refer to
habitat watchers, water watchers, flora watchers, fauna watchers and human interventions watchers. After
returning to school students of the same roles exchange their opinions and material in groups. Then, the
initial groups are reshaped and each student shares their findings in their groups, who present a –completed
now- image of the wetland to the classroom, possibly triggering further discussion on relevant environmental
issues.
Quienes integramos la CEPA (Comisión de
Estudios de Problemáticas Ambientales)
hemos desarrollado un análisis sobre la
importancia de los humedales y los proyectos
de ley de presupuestos mínimos para su
protección que se presentaronen lasCámaras
de Diputados y Senadores de nuestro
país.
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