The methods and results presented here are applicable to fens in many mountain regions of the world particularly in regions where the peat is underlain by coarse textured mineral sediment. Fens support high biodiversity and are a top conservation priority in many regions (Lunt et al., 2010 and Schumann and Joosten, 2008). Reinitiating peat-forming processes to disturbed fens and bogs is a goal for restoration programs in many
countries (Rochefort et al., 2003). A key to these restoration efforts is avoiding large water table declines that allow aerobic conditions to develop and persist for extended periods of time during the summer (Deppe et al., 2010). Therefore, understanding how well connected fen peat bodies are with the Selleck AZD2281 underlying sediments is critical for water and ecological management, and modeling the potential effects of water extraction programs. This research was funded by Yosemite National Park. We thank Joe Meyer for the opportunity to work on this project, and the Yosemite National Park Utilities Branch for providing
pumping records. “
“Inland river basins in China take up approximately one third of the national territory. They are mainly distributed in the northwest with an arid or semi-arid climate and fragile ecosystem (Wang and Cheng, 2000 and Cheng et al., 2006). For tens of thousands of years, these inland rivers provide people with water, food, shelter and spiritual connection. see more However, in recent decades, water problems have become a principal challenge that threatens socioeconomic development and ecological health due to over exploitation and unreasonable use of water resources (Wang and Cheng, 2000, Cheng et al., 2006, Xu et al., 2010, Zhang et al., 2012a,
Zhang et al., 2012b and Chen et al., 2013). As the second largest inland river basin of China, the Heihe River Basin (HRB) (as shown in Fig. 1) is Casein kinase 1 under constant water and ecological stresses with terminal lakes drying-up, water table decline, grassland degeneration, and widespread desertification, due to the impact of climate change and human activities (Zhu et al., 2005, Hu et al., 2007, Zhang et al., 2011, Wang et al., 2013 and Min et al., 2013). Specific measures have been undertaken over years to protect and restore the deteriorated ecosystems in the HRB. For example, ecological protection projects such as returning grazing land to grassland and conserving public forests have been carried out over the HRB since the late 1990s; Stringent water conservation measures have been implemented in the Zhangye area as a pilot project since 2002 (Kang et al., 2007). In particular, an Ecological Water Diversion Project (EWDP) was initiated by the Chinese government since 2000 to ensure the delivery of a minimum amount of water supply to lower reaches for ecological water needs.