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The Wetland Book pp 89–99Cite as

Connectivity of Wetlands

Abstract

Connectivity implies connection or movement of resources across the landscape. Wetlands are dynamic ecosystems imbedded within or at the edges of larger systems and thus wetlands are natural “connectors” between upland and aquatic systems. Although many ecological processes have been used to describe wetland connectivity, here the focus is the movement of water and animals within and among wetlands as these are known agents of connectivity. Prior to these examples, a brief discussion of how connectivity has been used in the legal protection of wetlands demonstrates why connectivity is important to the conservation of wetlands.

Keywords

  • Animal movements
  • Amphibians
  • Buffer zone
  • Hydrology
  • Metapopulations
  • Isolated wetlands
  • Water
  • Wildlife

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Rd., Unit 4087, 06269-4087, Storrs, CT, USA

    Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse

  2. School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    William E. Peterman

Authors
  1. Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse
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  2. William E. Peterman
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tracy A. G. Rittenhouse or William E. Peterman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    C. Max Finlayson

  2. International Water Security Network, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Mark Everard

  3. UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Prof. Kenneth Irvine

  4. RM Wetlands and Environment Ltd., Littleworth, Oxfordshire, UK

    Dr. Robert J. McInnes

  5. U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, USA

    Beth A. Middleton

  6. Aquatic Ecosystems Group, Department of Water Science and Engineering, UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Anne A. van Dam

  7. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    Nick C. Davidson

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Rittenhouse, T.A., Peterman, W.E. (2018). Connectivity of Wetlands. In: , et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_54

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