Abstract
Frequency, duration, depth, and timing of flooding are major influences on the structure and functional dynamics of wetland ecosystems. In the present study, ground-water and surface-water dynamics were continuously measured on four long-term study sites in the Great Dismal Swamp. The hydrologic patterns were examined in relation to previously measured processes. Conclusions drawn from these comparisons include (1) increased winter and spring flooding results in greater aboveground production but less belowground production, (2) higher leaf litter decay rates correspond with longer duration of flooding in wet years and with longer duration of saturation of the upper soil layers in dry years, and (3) the relationship between flooding and decay of leaf litter and roots is complicated by the strong influence of the chemical and structural nature of the litter. Erroneous interpretations of hydrologic relationships may result from observations of surface flooding dynamics alone. In the Great Dismal Swamp, a significant reversal occurs in the order of sites ranked on the basis of the amount of flooding aboveground versus the duration of saturation below the soil surface.
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Day, F.P., West, S.K. & Tupacz, E.G. The influence of ground-water dynamics in a periodically flooded ecosystem, the Great Dismal Swamp. Wetlands 8, 1–13 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160805
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160805