National hydrologic connectivity classification links wetlands with stream water quality.
Scott G Leibowitz, Ryan A Hill, Irena F Creed, Jana E Compton, Heather E Golden, Marc H Weber, Mark C Rains, Chas E Jones, E Henry Lee, Jay R Christensen, Rebecca A Bellmore, Charles R Lane
Author Information
Scott G Leibowitz: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
Ryan A Hill: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
Irena F Creed: Department of Physical and Environmental Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ORCID
Jana E Compton: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
Heather E Golden: US EPA, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA. ORCID
Marc H Weber: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
Mark C Rains: School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. ORCID
Chas E Jones: ORISE Post-doctoral Participant, c/o US EPA, CPHEA, PESD, Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
E Henry Lee: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
Jay R Christensen: US EPA, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA. ORCID
Rebecca A Bellmore: National Research Council, c/o US EPA, CPHEA, PESD, Corvallis, OR, USA. ORCID
Charles R Lane: US EPA, CEMM, Ecosystem Processes Division, Athens, GA, USA. ORCID
Wetland hydrologic connections to downstream waters influence stream water quality. However, no systematic approach for characterizing this connectivity exists. Here using physical principles, we categorized conterminous US freshwater wetlands into four hydrologic connectivity classes based on stream contact and flowpath depth to the nearest stream: riparian, non-riparian shallow, non-riparian mid-depth and non-riparian deep. These classes were heterogeneously distributed over the conterminous United States; for example, riparian dominated the south-eastern and Gulf coasts, while non-riparian deep dominated the Upper Midwest and High Plains. Analysis of a national stream dataset indicated acidification and organic matter brownification increased with connectivity. Eutrophication and sedimentation decreased with wetland area but did not respond to connectivity. This classification advances our mechanistic understanding of wetland influences on water quality nationally and could be applied globally.
References
Sci Total Environ. 2018 Oct 15;639:1349-1359
[PMID: 29929300]
