“Accidental” urban wetlands: ecosystem functions in unexpected places

摘要: “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 in abandoned industrial, residential, low-lying commercial areas, where overland flows from storms municipal accumulate, these ecosystems support wetland soils plant communities. Research that we have conducted the northeastern southwestern US suggests accidental capable counteracting anthropogenic eutrophication, providing habitats for important ecological communities, fostering biodiversity, mitigating heat. Because factors contributing to their formation ubiquitous, systems likely pervasive landscapes, accounting substantial portion aquatic habitat extent influencing nutrient cycles within cities. They also provide ecosystem services at fraction cost associated with more traditional environmental efforts.