Mentor: James Leong, Ph.D.

Wetlands are important ecosystems that can capture the hydrology of a region. A wetland has a high water table relative to other landscapes and the soil is saturated or flooded for most parts of the year. Wetlands can foster complex ecological communities, making them biodiversity hotspots for a region (1).

A fen is a kind of wetland where groundwater is the primary source of water that saturates the soil throughout the year. The movement of water, and the geology of the landscape, must work together to create the conditions supporting a fen. A fen cannot be inundated (standing water at the surface) for long periods of time; must be able to accumulate peat (partially decomposed organic matter); and should support at least grasses, to other forms of vegetation (2).

Explore Project