Headwater Wetland Functioning

Although small in area, riparian wetlands provide a disproportionate share of valuable ecosystem functions to the larger landscape. These systems act as sinks for and transformers of inorganic nutrients, and as sources of organic material to aquatic systems. In light of the pressures on these systems from surrounding land use, assessments must be performed in order to elucidate the current functioning of riparian wetlands. In this study we are aiming to investigate the relationships between wetland condition, as described by condition assessments developed in Pennsylvania (Level 2 Rapid Assessment Protocol) and Ohio (ORAM), and key ecosystem services such as flood storage, carbon sequestration, and nitrogen cycling.