Surface Water and Groundwater Interactions in Wetlands

Abstract

Wetland ecosystems are critical habitats for various types of wild lives and are important components of global ecosystem. However, with climate change and human activities, wetlands are facing with degradation. Surface water and groundwater (SW-GW) interactions play an essential role in matter and energy cycling in wetlands, and therefore affect the evolution and health of wetlands. But the role of groundwater in wetland ecosystems has been neglected or simplified. In this paper, we reviewed how surface water interacts with groundwater, and made a systematic summarization of the role of SW-GW interactions (such as maintaining water balance and biological diversity and removing pollution) in wetland ecological functions. We also reviewed the methods to investigate, simulate and quantify SW-GW interactions and related reactions. Finally, we illustrated how climate change and human activities affect SW-GW interactions and therefore affect wetland functions. We highlight the importance of groundwater in wetlands and the urgency to intensify the research in integrated multidisciplinary monitoring and simulation methods, dominant variables and thresholds and integrated water resources management of SW-GW interactions, and further aim to stimulate better protection and restoration of wetlands all over the world.

Keywords

wetland ecosystems / hyporheic zone / ecological functions / climate changes / human activities

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