Wetland Ecology and Biogeochemistry Under Natural and Human Disturbance

Wetland ecosystems, normally located in the transition zone between the upland terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems, provide many important ecosystem services. Ecosystem functions in wetlands are tightly coupled to the hydrology and are continuously affected by climate change and human disturbances. Wetlands now store ~30% of the global soil carbon (C), of which 90% are located in northern wetlands, and are the largest natural methane emitters. C accumulation is primarily due to the lower decomposition rate under the persistent anoxic soil conditions, which in turn promotes the production and release of methane.

The combination of warmer climate and an altered precipitation regime results in changes in wetland ecology and C cycling via changes in the hydrology and vegetation composition. Further, northern wetlands have been experiencing a greater rate of climate change than other wetlands. On top of this, wetlands have been experiencing significant human disturbances that can change the role of the hydrology in controlling the biogeochemical processes in wetlands. Thus, detailed knowledge is needed to understand how wetland ecosystems respond to climate change and/or human disturbances, and how they function in the global C cycling and global climate system.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate the latest world-wide multidisciplinary research on addressing this urgent issue of wetland ecology and biogeochemistry, in particular in northern wetlands. We seek high-quality contributions from, and not limited to, wetland ecosystem ecologists, wetland biologists, wetland hydrologists, physical geographers, biogeoscientists, soil scientists, micrometeorologists, earth system scientists, wetland ecological engineers, and wetland conservationists. This Research Topic will make a significant contribution to our better understanding of C cycling and greenhouse gas emissions from northern wetlands, wetland hydrology, ecosystem ecology and biogeochemical dynamics of northern wetlands, and help make a better management policy on maintaining the healthy ecosystem function of northern wetlands.

Potential topics include, but are not limited, to the following:

· Carbon cycling, other elemental cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in wetlands under climate change and human disturbances;
· Hydrological responses of wetlands to climate change and human disturbances;
· Biological and ecological responses of wetlands to climate change and human disturbances;
· Ecohydrological responses, such as the interactions of vegetation and hydrology in wetlands, to climate change and human disturbances;
· Restoration of wetlands to mitigating the impacts from human disturbances;
· Interactions of hydrology in wetlands and wetlands biogeochemistry under climate change and human disturbances; and
· Responses of microbial communities and functions in wetlands under climate change and human disturbances.

We welcome the submissions of original research or review articles ranging from local scale to global scale based on either laboratory experiments, field observation and measurements and mechanistic modeling.

Authors are welcome to contact our lead Topic Editor, Prof Jianghua Wu, for questions.

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Cover Image taken by Topic Editor Jianghua Wu