Open AccessWetlands in Central Europe: Soil Organisms, Soil Ecological Processes and Trace Gas Emissions
Author(s) -
Martikainen Pertti J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2003eo010008
Subject(s) - wetland , environmental science , peat , boreal , ecosystem , threatened species , ecology , temperate climate , habitat , mire , biota , land use , agricultural land , agroforestry , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental protection , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering
Wetlands—land areas where the water table is close to the surface—are of great environmental and economic importance. Distributed throughout the world's northern, temperate, and tropical regions, natural wetlands provide a habitat for many species, and, as water‐saturated ecosystems, they act as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide. The world's wetlands are threatened by their use for various economic purposes, particularly when they are converted to agricultural land. There are great differences in the intensity of wetland land use in various regions of the world. In some northern regions, a substantial proportion of the wetlands have been drained for forestry and agricultural purposes. However, in general, most of the wide peatlands in boreal regions remain undisturbed. Extensive wetlands were once found in central Europe, but now most of these areas have been converted for agricultural use. Drainage of wetlands is generally a necessary step for agricultural use, but this changes the soil biota, biological processes, and the environmental function of the wetlands.