North American analysis and synthesis on the connectivity of geographically isolated wetlands to downstream waters

Wetlands occur along gradients of hydrologic and ecological connectivity and isolation, even within wetland types (e.g., forested, emergent marshes) and functional classes (e.g., ephemeral systems, permanent systems, etc.). Within a given watershed, the relative positions of wetlands and open-waters along these gradients influence the type and magnitude of their chemical, physical, and biological effects on down-gradient waters. In addition, the ways in which wetlands connect to the broader hydrological landscape, and the effects of such connectivity on down-gradient waters, depends largely upon climate, geology, and relief, the heterogeneity of which expands with increasing scale. Developing an understanding of connectivity between [...]