Toolbox for hydrological ecosystem services in wetlands (WetKit Hydro-ES)
KEY POINTS- Hydrological impact
- Ecosystem services such as retention of nutrients, storage of carbon and improving biological diversity
- Drawbacks caused by wetland construction such as loss of agricultural land and evasion of greenhouse gasses.
Project overview
Participants
More related research
Global goals
- 15. Life on land
Short summary
The overall project goal was to develop a toolbox to promote the creation of new wetlands and to evaluate the functionality of existing wetlands in agricultural areas.
The project included measurements of nutrients, carbon and greenhouse gases at 40 constructed wetlands. It also included stakeholder engagement and production of a film.
Results
Final Report: Våtmarkers hydrologiska ekosystemtjänster och multifunktion: WetKit Hydro-ES: Wetland toolkit for hydrological ecosystem services (in Swedish with English summary)
The film Wetlands - a part of our nature (Youtube)
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s conference "Rätt våtmark på rätt plats"
Research Questions
- How do constructed wetlands in the agricultural landscape affect hydrological processes locally and within the watershed?
- How can different wetland functions be best optimized?
- Which factors can and cannot be influenced by management, and how do these factors, in turn, affect how the wetland functions—both hydrologically and in terms of various ecosystem services?
- How are constructed wetlands in the agricultural landscape perceived by different stakeholders?
The project focuses on three different dimensions of constructed wetlands in the agricultural landscape. The first is their hydrological impact—that is, their ability to reduce flooding and mitigate drought, as well as contribute to wetter soils, groundwater recharge, and cooling through evaporation. The second is the delivery of other ecosystem services, e.g., nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, and promotion of biodiversity. The third dimension addresses possible drawbacks associated with agricultural wetlands, such as the loss of productive land and greenhouse gas emissions.