#2 Wetland functions and services

Function

The inherent processes and benefits to nature and diversity 

• (EX: water cycling, birds migrating)

Ecosystem services

The benefits humans derive from nature

• (EX: humans going out to harvest ducks)

What are Wetland functions and services based on?

• Different attributes of wetlands:

  • Physical and hydrological

  • Chemical

    • *anaerobic conditions

  • Biotic communities

What do Physical and hydrological attributes affect in wetlands?

Geomorphology and vegetation

What are some of the Physical and hydrological examples that wetlands help with?

• Flood and storm mitigation

• Groundwater recharge

• Sediment trapping

• Carbon sequestration

What does the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs model framework for valuation do?

• Maps the value of good and services from nature

• Can be used (at intermediate stages) to understand ecosystem quality

• Suite of model platforms 

• Open Source (Stanford University)

How do Flash Floods happen?

• Geographically low lying area

• Heavy rains/thunderstorms drop large amount of water in a short period

• Groundwater saturated by rain or snowmelt

• Excess water runs over surface

What is the importance of wetlands in regard to flash floods?

• Upstream wetlands intercept and absorb surface runoff 

  • Minimize peak flow in river

• Downstream wetlands also capture overflow and store water

• Mitigation of wetlands can help

  • The water gets released slowly and not as a flash flood

What is the Ecosystem service wetlands play in regard to flash floods?

• Minimize property damage 

• Protect human life and wildlife

What is the importance of storm impact mitigation/how do storms happen?

• Helps provide a natural barrier

• How they happen

  • High winds force large quantities of seawater onto land

What is the importance of wetlands in regard to storms/what is the Ecosystem service?

• provide a physical barrier 

  • Salt marshes and mangroves

• Reduce wind and water velocity 

• Trap debris 

Ecosystem service

• Minimize property damage 

• Protect human life and wildlife

What is key in storm/flash flood control?

• Storms: plants are key

• Flash floods: Geomorphology

How does Sediment trapping and erosion control work?

• Dense vegetation reduces water velocity 

• Suspended sediments fall out of water column and are deposited

What is the Importance of wetlands in regard to Sediment trapping and erosion control?

• Presence of wetlands at point of discharge into ocean river mouths/ estuaries provides a barrier to sediment loss

  • Provides a lot of structure to help trap the sediment

  • We created levy’s to help with this

• Build and maintain shorelines

What are 2 of the ecosystem services wetlands have in regard to Sediment trapping and erosion control?

• Coastal protection 

• Mitigates for sea level rise, tsunamis, changes in elevation due to earthquakes

What is Groundwater recharge?

• One of the biggest functions that wetlands do 

• How this happens

  • Surface water percolates through soils into the aquifer

  • Soils must be permeable, so not all wetlands perform this function

What is the Importance of wetlands in regard to Groundwater recharge?

• Floodplain and depressional wetlands store water during storms and floods

• Release water slowly

What is the Ecosystem service wetlands play in regard to Groundwater recharge?

Maintain a supply of freshwater for drinking and irrigation

How do relationships to groundwater affect hydrology and water chemistry?

• Some wetlands receive groundwater

  • Not all wetlands are rechargeable

How does Carbon sequestration work?

• Carbon stored as biomass 

  • Things partially decompose-> carbon is stuck in the soil

• When plant dies in waterlogged soils anaerobic conditions prevent breakdown

What is the Importance of wetlands in regard to Carbon sequestration?

• Dense wetland vegetation due to high productivity 

• Hydrology creates biogeochemical conditions necessary to prevent aerobic decomposition

What is the Ecosystem service wetlands play in regard to Carbon sequestration?

• Greenhouse gas reduction

• Carbon sequestration

What are other chemical functions do wetlands have?

• Chemical transformations 

  • Microbial interactions in the soil

    • transforms nutrients into unusable forms

• Pollution interception

What do the chemical attributes affect in wetlands?

Presence of vegetation and hydrology

How do wetlands take part in Pollution interception?

• Vegetation takes up nutrients and stores it in biomass

  • Chemical transformations carried out by soil microbes

• Good at sucking out pollutants in the ecosystem 

  • EX: nutrients (more like the excess of nutrients -> causes algae blooms)

What is the Importance of wetlands in regard to Pollution interception?

• vegetation absorbs nutrients and chemicals

• High root surface area

• Anaerobic and aerobic conditions in water occur with hydrology or water level fluctuation

What is one ecosystem service that wetlands have in regard to Pollution interception?

Clean water

What are some other functions wetlands have for wildlife?

• Nurseries

• Habitats for residents

• Migration habitat

What do the Wildlife attributes affect in wetlands?

• Presence of vegetation

• Hydroperiod

• Geomorphometry

• Biochemistry

How are wetlands habitats for animals?

• Vegetation and water provide habitat for key life history stages

• Fish nurseries

• Avian nesting sites

• Herp juvenile rearing sites

• Source of food to wildlife

What are the Importance of wetlands in regard to wildlife habitat?

• Highly productive wetland vegetation provides food and protection 

• Water supports aquatic species

What are some of the ecosystem services wetlands have in regard to wildlife habitat?

• Food

• Spiritual

• Aesthetic

• Recreation