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“Accidental” urban wetlands: ecosystem functions in unexpected places
Author(s) -
Palta Monica M,
Grimm Nancy B,
Groffman Peter M
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1002/fee.1494
Subject(s) - wetland , habitat , ecosystem , ecosystem services , environmental science , aquatic ecosystem , ecology , biodiversity , environmental resource management , environmental protection , biology
“Accidental” urban wetlands are formed not through deliberate restoration or management activity, but as a product of land use and water infrastructure decisions by municipalities. Often formed in abandoned industrial, residential, or low‐lying commercial areas, where overland flows from storms and municipal water use accumulate, these ecosystems support wetland soils and plant communities. Research that we have conducted in the northeastern and southwestern US suggests that accidental wetlands are capable of counteracting anthropogenic eutrophication, providing habitats for important ecological communities, fostering biodiversity, and mitigating heat. Because the factors contributing to their formation are ubiquitous, accidental wetland systems are likely pervasive in urban landscapes, accounting for a substantial portion of aquatic habitat extent and influencing nutrient and water cycles within cities. They also provide ecosystem services at a fraction of the cost associated with more traditional environmental management efforts.