Global ecosystem typology

Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.

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F3.2 Constructed lacustrine wetlands

Biome: F3. Artificial wetlands biome

Contributors:
(texts)

Small farm dams, wastewater ponds and mine pits generally form lake-like environments, common in humid and semi-arid climates world-wide. Nutrient inputs vary greatly depending on purpose and surrounding land uses. They are often warm and shallow, and biological productivity and diversity vary widely depending on the cover and state of fringing vegetation, with the most diverse examples rivalling equivalent natural wetlands. Aquatic plants, plankton, algae and waterbugs may dominate in the shallows, supporting amphibians, turtles, fish, and waterbirds.

Key Features

Small, shallow open waterbodies with high or low productivity depending on nutrient subsidies and complexity of littoral zones and benthos Relatively simple trophic networks with algae, macrophytes, zooplankton, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians.

Overview of distribution

Scattered across all regions of the world.

Profile versions

  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): JL Nel; RT Kingsford; LJ Jackson; DA Keith
  • v2.0 (2020-06-01): JL Nel; RT Kingsford; B Robson; M Kelly-Quinn; LJ Jackson; R Harper; DA Keith
  • v2.01 ():
  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): JL Nel; RT Kingsford; B Robson; M Kelly-Quinn; LJ Jackson; R Harper; DA Keith Full profile available at official site

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Downing JA, Prairie YT, Cole JJ, Duarte CM, Tranvik LJ, Striegl RG, McDowell WH, Kortelainen P, Caraco NF, Melack JM, Middelburg JJ (2006) The global abundance and size distribution of lakes, ponds, and impoundments Limnology and Oceanography 51: 2388-2397 DOI:10.4319/lo.2006.51.5.2388

  • Kloskowski J, Green AJ, Polak M, Bustamante J, Krogulec J (2009) Complementary use of natural and artificial wetlands by waterbirds wintering in Doñana, south‐west Spain Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 19: 815-826 DOI:10.1002/aqc.1027

  • Chester ET, Robson BJ (2013) Anthropogenic refuges for freshwater biodiversity: Their ecological characteristics and management Biological Conservation 166: 64 – 75 DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.06.016

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of F3.2 Constructed lacustrine wetlands. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

Information about the current valid indicative map for this functional group is shown below.

F3.2.WM.nwx_v1.0

Datasets

  • HydroLAKES-1.0
  • EarthStat-Crops

Map references

  • Messager, M.L., Lehner, B., Grill, G., Nedeva, I., Schmitt, O. (2016) Estimating the volume and age of water stored in global lakes using a geo-statistical approach Nature Communications 13603 DOI:10.1038/ncomms13603

  • Ramankutty, N., A.T. Evan, C. Monfreda, and J.A. Foley (2008) Farming the planet: 1. Geographic distribution of global agricultural lands in the year 2000 Global Biogeochemical Cycles 22, GB1003 DOI:10.1029/2007GB002952

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