Groundwater-dependent ecosystem

A groundwater-dependent ecosystem is an ecosystem whose structure or function relies on groundwater reaching plants, soils, or surface waters.

Groundwater discharge: The movement of groundwater from an aquifer to the land surface or a surface-water body. Discharge supplies springs, wetlands, and stream reaches where groundwater-dependent communities persist.
Environmental flow: The quantity, timing, and quality of water flows needed to sustain freshwater ecosystems and human well-being. Environmental-flow planning can include groundwater contributions to rivers and wetlands.
Groundwater depletion: A sustained decline in groundwater storage caused when withdrawals or natural losses exceed replenishment. Depletion can lower water tables and reduce the supply on which these ecosystems depend.
Groundwater–dependent ecosystem mapping: The identification and spatial delineation of ecosystems that rely on groundwater. Mapping remains difficult where dependence is seasonal, hidden, or poorly monitored.
Phreatophyte: A plant that obtains a substantial share of its water from the saturated zone or its capillary fringe. Phreatophytes show how vegetation can depend directly on groundwater below the root zone.
Groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystem: A terrestrial ecosystem whose vegetation or ecological processes rely on groundwater. This subtype includes woodlands and shrublands supported by groundwater beneath dry landscapes.
Land subsidence: The gradual sinking of the land surface, often caused by compaction after groundwater is withdrawn. Subsidence can alter drainage and damage habitats as aquifers are heavily pumped.
Stable isotope analysis: The use of naturally occurring isotope ratios to trace sources and transformations of water or other substances. Isotopes can help distinguish groundwater from rainfall or surface water in plant uptake.
Hyporheic zone: The sediment beneath and beside a stream where surface water and groundwater mix. Exchange in this zone links groundwater chemistry and flow to stream habitat.
Groundwater-dependent wetland: A wetland whose water regime is sustained wholly or partly by groundwater discharge. Groundwater discharge can maintain wetland water levels through dry seasons.

Linked from 11 pages