| Biogeochemical processes in the soil and water column drive key ecosystem functions associated with wetland values (e.g. water quality improvement through denitrification, long-term nutrient storage in the organic matter, etc.). Process level measurements reflect the functionality of a wetland and potential impairment due to impacts; however, these measurements are often tedious and costly. Instead, it is possible to develop a relative measure of process rates and potential by evaluating components of biogeochemical cycles that are either end products or sources of material for a given process. In the case of many processes within the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) or sulfur (S) cycles, microbial communities mediate the rate and extent of these reactions in soil and the water column. As a result, biogeochemical indicators associated with these processes often respond rapidly to perturbations and are spatially restricted to the impact zone. These indicators will persist over moderate time scales and in the absence of standing water. |
