Abstract
Biomass production and, chemical cycling were evaluated in a man-made wetland created using geothermal water in southcentral Idaho. The wetland system consisted of a 0.25 ha area divided into two ponds. The upper pond contained submerged species (Egeria, pondweeds and coontail); the lower pond was planted with emergents (cattail, bulrush, and common reed). Biomass production from emergent plants in a two-year-old system compared favorably with production values reported in the literature for natural wetlands. Chemical cycling of potassium (K) was evaluated through the lower pond system. Uptake of several other constituents (F and Na) of the geothermal water by the emergent plants was observed. However, there was little difference in elemental concentrations of the system’s influent and effluent, probably due to evapotranspiration of water which effectively concentrates elements in the remaining water.
Twenty-one species of diatoms were identified in the geothermal wetland, and numerous species of insects were observed. The human-made wetland also created substantial habitat for wildlife. This type of system could be used as an alternative to injection of spent geothermal fluids from small-scale projects. Results of this study indicate that a wetland system can be developed to produce substantial quantities of biomass in a cold desert environment.
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Breckenridge, R.P., Wheeler, L.R. & Ginsburg, J.F. Biomass production and chemical cycling in a man made geothermal wetland. Wetlands 3, 26–43 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160729
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160729