Hydrology

Abstract

Hydrologic processes are the main determinants of the type of wetland located on a site. Precipitation, groundwater, or flooding interact with soil properties and geomorphic setting to yield a complex matrix of conditions that control groundwater flux, water storage and discharge, water chemistry, biotic produvtivity, biodiversity, and biogeochemical cycling. Hydroperiod affects many aboitic factors that in turn determine plant and animal species composition, biodiversity, primary and secondary productivity, accumulation of organic matter, and nutrient cycling. Because the hydrologic regime has a major influence on wetland functioning, understanding how hydrologic changes influence ecosystem processes is essential, especially in light of the pressures placed on remaining wetlands by society's demands for water resources and by potential global changes in climate.

Parent Publication

• The Coosawhatchie Bottomland Ecosystem Study: A Report on the Development of a Reference Wetland

Citation

Eisenbies, Mark H.; Hughes, W. Brian. 2000. Hydrology. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-38. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. p. 10-13.