Wetland hydrology in an agricultural landscape: implications for biodiversity

Kath, Jarrod and Le Brocque, Andrew and Miller, Craig (2010) Wetland hydrology in an agricultural landscape: implications for biodiversity. In: BALWOIS 2010: Water Observation and Information System for Decision Support , 25-29 May 2010, Ohrid, Macedonia.

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Abstract

Intensification of agricultural practices, such as groundwater extraction, stream flow regulation and
vegetation clearing often leads to a reduction in both the number and hydrological diversity of wetlands in a landscape, reducing the amount of habitat available for many species. Remaining wetlands are often hydrologically homogenized and far less variable than under natural conditions and as consequence many species are no longer able to persist in the landscape over the long term.
However, many studies only observe wetland hydrology at relatively small spatial and temporal scales. Consequently, there is little knowledge about wetland hydrology at the broader landscape scale and how it may change under changing climatic conditions. To help address this knowledge gap we analyzed hydrological data from 251 wetlands across 3 regions over a 17 year period from 1987 to
2005 to examine temporal changes in wetland hydrology in an agricultural landscape. This research investigated changes in the hydrological nature of wetlands in an agricultural landscape between two time periods from 1987-2005 and 2000-2005 (dry climatic period) to examine how wetlands may
change through time, particularly under changing climatic conditions. In the recent time period, there was a significant change in the number of wetland hydrology groups represented in some of the landscapes. In the recent dryer period there was an increase in the number of frequently dry and wet wetlands and a reduction in the number of wetland representing the intermediate hydrological range. Changes in the number of wetland groups represented could have implications for biodiversity across
the landscape if climate change intensifies the patterns observed.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	No evidence of copyright restrictions.
Faculty / Department / School:	Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Biological and Physical Sciences
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2010 23:51
Last Modified:	03 Jul 2013 00:04
Uncontrolled Keywords:	wetlands; agriculture; landscape ecology; climate change
Fields of Research :	06 Biological Sciences > 0602 Ecology > 060204 Freshwater Ecology 05 Environmental Sciences > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences > 0799 Other Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences > 079901 Agricultural Hydrology (Drainage, Flooding, Irrigation, Quality, etc.)
Socio-Economic Objective:	D Environment > 96 Environment > 9612 Rehabilitation of Degraded Environments > 961204 Rehabilitation of Degraded Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/8860

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