A new method for restoring ditches in peatlands: ditch filling with fiber bales

Ditching is a common practice to dewater wetlands, including peatlands, and ditch blocking is a common method for restoring wetlands because substrate is often unavailable for filling the ditches. However, filling has many advantages compared to blocking ditches. Our goal was to test whether ditches could be filled in a Colorado sloping fen (Chattanooga Fen) using bales created from shredded aspen (Populus tremuloides) tree‐fiber. We monitored water table levels before and after we filled two ditches (combined length of approximately 165 m × 3 m wide) as well as an undisturbed reference portion of Chattanooga fen. The reference site had stable water tables that rarely dropped more than 20 cm below the soil surface. The ditches had been dewatering large areas of the fen for at least 100 years. Filling the ditches with fiber bales resulted in a water table increase between 2 and 22 cm in an area up to 150 m below the ditch. Native sedges now cover the area where we filled the ditches, with no erosion or compression/settling of the ground observed and no water backing up behind the filled ditches. Filling the ditches with shredded fiber bales is a good option for restoration in wilderness areas, or areas lacking peat or mineral soil fill because it is a natural material that is easily transported and placed in the ditches.     

Wind and Water Dispersal of Wetland Plants Across Fragmented Landscapes

Biodiversity in wetlands is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, of which agricultural activities often are a cause. Dispersal of plant seeds via wind and ditches (water) may contribute to connecting remnant wetland plant populations in modern agricultural landscapes, and help to maintain and restore biodiversity. We developed a spatially explicit model to assess the relative importance of dispersal by wind and dispersal by water through drainage ditches for two wetland plant species in agricultural landscapes: a typical wind disperser and a typical water-disperser. Simulation results show that the typical wind disperser had a much higher capability to disperse by wind (90th percentile <30 m) than the typical water-disperser (90th percentile <2 m). Surprisingly, the capability to disperse via water was similar for the two species: 90th percentile dispersal distances following a combination of wind and water dispersal were between approximately 100 and 1000 m. Dispersal by water transported more seeds over long distances for both species. The main determinants for dispersal distance by water were roughness of the ditch (determined by, for example, bank vegetation) and the presence of obstructions (for example, culverts). Density or direction of the ditch network did not seem to affect water dispersal distances substantially. From a biodiversity conservation perspective, it would be most useful if areas with suitable riparian wetland habitat were intersected with a network of shallow ditches with a high roughness promoting seed deposition. These areas should then be connected to other suitable areas by a few regularly cleaned ditches with no obstructions and low seed trapping probability.     

排水沟蓄水条件下农田与排水沟水盐监测

为了查明盐碱地排水沟蓄水条件下农田与排水沟之间的水盐交换,基于两年现场观测试验数据,分析了农田与排水沟的水位响应以及电导率变化规律。结果发现:研究区排水沟蓄水条件下,相邻排水沟水位与农田地下水位变化基本一致,作物生长期较为强烈的蒸发蒸腾作用进一步降低了田间地下水位;排水沟水位变化可以直接或间接地影响周围农田的地下水位和水质状况,在无外界来水干扰的情况下,农田地下水和排水沟水样的电导率变化趋势一致,当排水沟受到外来淡水补给时,沟内浓缩的盐分得到稀释,电导率明显低于农田地下水。研究结果可为类似地区盐碱地治理和生态环境保护提供参考依据。     

The dispersal and deposition of hydrochorous plant seeds in drainage ditches

1. Surface water is an important dispersal vector for wetland plant species. However, most previous studies on hydrochory (i.e. water dispersal) have focused on ecosystems with relatively rapid water flow. Therefore, there is a need to study such dispersal in slow‐flowing or stagnant waterbodies, such as drainage ditches, which might act as dispersal corridors between habitat patches. 2. To gain insight into the mechanisms by which seeds are transported in drainage ditches, the effect of the velocity of wind and water on the rate of transport of floating seeds of three wetland species (Carex pseudocyperus L., Iris pseudacorus L. and Sparganium erectum L.) was investigated. Furthermore, in release and retrace experiments with painted C. pseudocyperus seeds, a number of factors potentially determining the probability of seed deposition were investigated. 3. Net wind speed was found to be the main factor determining the rate at which seeds are transported in drainage ditches. No relation between water flow at middepth in the ditches and seed transport was found. Wind speed and flow at the water surface were positively related. The effect of wind speed on the rate of transport of floating seeds was greater for S. erectum seeds, because a greater ratio of their volume protrudes from the water, than for C. pseudocyperus and I. pseudacorus seeds. 4. The principal factors that determine seed deposition were aquatic plant cover, ditch slope and indentations in the ditch bank. Seeds changed direction if the wind direction changed, or if there was a bend in the ditch. The final pattern of deposition was related to mean net wind speed. Mean transport distance after 2 days varied between 34 and 451 m. 5. Unlike in rivers, seed transport in ditches was determined by wind speed and direction, enabling multidirectional seed dispersal. We conclude that in slow‐flowing waters, wind is a more important driver for hydrochorous seed transport than the flow of water. This sheds a new light on hydrochory and has important consequences for the management of otherwise fragmented wetland remnants.     

Macroinvertebrate distributions and the conservation value of aquatic Coleoptera, Mollusca and Odonata in the ditches of traditionally managed and grazing fen at Wicken Fen, UK

1. Water-filled ditches are an important ecological feature of lowland Britain. Originally dug to facilitate wetland drainage, ditches often provide refuges for aquatic flora and fauna of high conservation value.
2. The ditches, ponds and major waterways of a traditionally managed undrained fen and the ditches of a previously drained cattle-grazed fen meadow were sampled at Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve for Coleoptera, Mollusca and Odonata, and for physical, chemical and biological variables.
3. Multivariate analysis showed a clear division between ditches on the two fens, and between larger and smaller waterbodies.
4. Individual ditches possessed distinctive faunas. Ditch age and bank profile were important factors influencing faunal species composition.
5. Invertebrate distributions were shown to be significantly correlated with macrophyte distribution.
6. Waterbodies were ranked in terms of their species quality, using a point-scoring system; there was no correlation between rankings for the three invertebrate groups; only ditch age and detritus levels were correlated with species quality score (for Coleoptera).
7. Ditch management recommendations are discussed in the light of these results.     

A synthesis of methane emissions from 71 northern,temperate, and subtropical wetlands

Wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric methane. Here, we assess controls on methane flux using a database of approximately 19 000 instantaneous measurements from 71 wetland sites located across subtropical, temperate, and northern high latitude regions. Our analyses confirm general controls on wetland methane emissions from soil temperature, water table, and vegetation, but also show that these relationships are modified depending on wetland type (bog, fen, or swamp), region (subarctic to temperate), and disturbance. Fen methane flux was more sensitive to vegetation and less sensitive to temperature than bog or swamp fluxes. The optimal water table for methane flux was consistently below the peat surface in bogs, close to the peat surface in poor fens, and above the peat surface in rich fens. However, the largest flux in bogs occurred when dry 30‐day averaged antecedent conditions were followed by wet conditions, while in fens and swamps, the largest flux occurred when both 30‐day averaged antecedent and current conditions were wet. Drained wetlands exhibited distinct characteristics, e.g. the absence of large flux following wet and warm conditions, suggesting that the same functional relationships between methane flux and environmental conditions cannot be used across pristine and disturbed wetlands. Together, our results suggest that water table and temperature are dominant controls on methane flux in pristine bogs and swamps, while other processes, such as vascular transport in pristine fens, have the potential to partially override the effect of these controls in other wetland types. Because wetland types vary in methane emissions and have distinct controls, these ecosystems need to be considered separately to yield reliable estimates of global wetland methane release.     

Hydrologic processes in a southern Ontario wetland

A 12 month investigation on the hydrology of a southern Ontario wetland was completed. The mass flux of water and concentrations of total phosphates, ortho-phosphates, and chlorides were measured in all components of the hydrologic budget; over 800 grab samples were analyzed.The study showed that both groundwater recharge and discharge could occur within a wetland; data on these opposing flows must be quantified in order to develop effective long-term wetland management strategies and to accurately determine nutrient budgets. The study concluded that theoretical formulae may greatly underestimate summer evapotranspiration rates for hydrophyte dominated marshes. Storm inputs of physio-chemical parameters were found to be very significant, accounting for 32 to 51 percent of the total surface water loadings; failure to measure and/or model these inputs would have greatly distorted the study findings. Finally, since flow rates and concentrations of the chemical parameters were less variable at the wetland outflow, it was concluded that the wetland moderates event response inputs into stable response outputs.Over the study period total phosphate imports were double that of total phosphate exports while the ortho-phosphate discharge from the wetland was 22 percent more than the inputs. This indicates that the wetland is transforming sediment-bound phosphate to plant available ortho-phosphate, thus contributing to downstream eutrophication problems.     

Seasonal dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in differing wetland habitats

The dynamics and role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been well described in terrestrial ecosystems; however, little is known about how the dynamics of AMF are related to the ecology of wetland ecosystems. The seasonal dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization within different wetland habitats were examined in this study to determine the factors that influence AM associations and to further assess the ecological role of AMF in wetlands. Fen and marsh habitats of four wetlands in west central Ohio were sampled monthly from March to September. AMF were found at all four sites for each month sampled and were present in all of the dominant plant species. A significant effect of month (P<0.001) on AM colonization did occur and was attributable to maximum colonization levels in the spring and minimum levels in late summer. This trend existed in all four wetlands in both fen and marsh habitats, regardless of variation in water levels, percent soil moisture, or available phosphorus levels. Because abiotic factors had minimal influence on AM colonization variation and the level of AM colonization paralleled plant growth patterns, we conclude that the AM seasonal dynamic was in response to plant phenology. Our data suggest that AM associations in temperate fen and marsh habitats are prevalent in the spring during new root and vegetative growth, even for plants experiencing flooded conditions. Evidence of an overriding AM seasonal trend indicates that future studies should include a seasonal component to better assess the role and distribution of AMF in wetland ecosystems.     

Short-term effects of fire disturbance on greenhouse gases emission from Betula platyphylla-forested wetland in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, Northeast China

By the methods of static chamber and gas chromatography, this paper studied the effects of fire disturbance on the seasonal dynamics and source/sink functions of CH4, CO2 and N2O emissions from Betula platyphylla-forested wetland as well as their relations with environmental factors in Xiaoxing' an Mountains of China. In growth season, slight fire disturbance on the wetland induced an increase of air temperature and ground surface temperature by 1.8-3.9 degrees C and a decrease of water table by 6.3 cm; while heavy fire disturbance led to an increase of air temperature and 0-40 cm soil temperature by 1.4-3.8 degrees C and a decrease of water table by 33.9 cm. Under slight or no fire disturbance, the CH4 was absorbed by the wetland soil in spring but emitted in summer and autumn; under heavy fire disturbance, the CH4 was absorbed in spring and summer but emitted in autumn. The CO2 flux had a seasonal variation of summer > spring = autumn under no fire disturbance, but of summer > autumn > spring under fire disturbance; and the N2O flux varied in the order of spring > summer > autumn under no fire disturbance, but of autumn > spring > summer under slight fire disturbance, and of summer > spring = autumn under heavy fire disturbance. At unburned site, the CO2 flux was significantly positively correlated with air temperature and ground surface temperature; at slightly burned site, the CO2 flux had significant positive correlations with air temperature, 5-10 cm soil temperature, and water table; at heavily burned sites, there was a significant positive correlation between CO2 flux and 5-40 cm soil temperature. Fire disturbance made the CH4 emission increased by 169.5% at lightly burned site or turned into weak CH4 sink at heavily burned site, and made the CO2 and N2O emissions and the global warming potential (GWP) at burned sites decreased by 21.2% -34.7%, 65.6% -95.8%, and 22.9% -36.6% respectively, compared with those at unburned site. Therefore, fire disturbance could decrease the greenhouse gases emission from Betula platyphylla-forested wetland, and planned firing could be properly implemented in wetland management.     

Effects of climatic fluctuations and land-use changes on the hydrology of temperate fluviogenous mire

The upper part of the Narew River valley (NE Poland) belongs to the last extensive undrained, non-reclaimed valley wetlands in Central Europe. However, in recent decades, the fluviogenous mire has experienced a significant change in water resources which may be linked to climatic fluctuations and changes in vegetation. In NE Poland during the last three decades, a clear trend toward milder and drier climate has been observed that has resulted in lower river discharge. Reduction in surface water inflow into the mire, diminished duration and degree of flooding, decrease in summer rainfall and increase in evapotranspiration have led to the substantial fall of the groundwater table in the valley and a decrease in volume of water stored in organic sediments. A comparison of water table measurements made in the 1970s with contemporary observations showed that presently, summer minimum groundwater levels are as much as 60 cm lower than in the past. A significant drop of water table elevation might be additionally attributed to increased ET caused by cessation in agricultural use of the mire and expansion of Phragmites. Between the 1970s and 2002, the total amount of water lost by ET increased by 42%, whereas ET_o rose by 7% only. We found that patches of common reed rushes were hot spots for ET across the Narew wetland landscape. The evaluation of the effectiveness of restoration measures aimed at restoration of the water conditions in the Narew mire led us to the conclusion that raising the river water level by use of in-stream structures may be not adequate to make up the summer moisture deficit and ensure a sufficiently high groundwater level in the adjacent wetland. The restoration goal may be partly achieved by large vegetation manipulation in the form of mowing or grazing. Vegetation management could reduce ET by 170 mm m⁻² year⁻¹, potentially minimizing the extent and the duration of groundwater drawdowns.     

基于景观格局分析的雄安城市湿地生态健康评价

城市湿地是城市生态系统的重要组成部分。近年来,高度的城市化发展使城市湿地原有的自然生态本底和水文特征发生根本性的变化,严重威胁到湿地生态系统的安全。为了维持良好的城市环境质量,如何维持和保护城市湿地的生态健康和可持续发展成为人们关注的热点问题。选择雄安城区（起步区、安新组团和容城组团）为研究对象,借助ArcGIS平台对Landsat遥感影像进行地类的提取和划分,采用Fragstats软件对研究区景观格局进行分析;在此基础上,利用"压力-状态-响应"模型,构建雄安城区湿地生态系统健康评价指标体系,探讨湿地的生态系统健康状况。研究结果表明：研究区耕地和建设用地占地面积大,其完整性、聚合程度和连通性优于其他景观类型;水域、未利用地和林地占地面积小,受人为活动影响,破碎化程度高,连通性比较差。研究区整体景观破碎度、聚合度较高,连通性和均匀度不显著。研究区湿地类型主要为坑塘和沟渠,湿地分布不均匀,呈现南多北少的格局;沟渠占地面积较大,完整性和连通性较好;坑塘连通性较差,破碎化程度、聚合度高于沟渠。研究区湿地生态健康综合指数为0.262,处于不健康状态,人为活动和气候是影响湿地生态环境的重要因子,急需加强湿地保护和修复工作。本研究结果为雄安新区的可持续发展和保护城市湿地资源提供理论依据。     

Responses of soil respiration to reduced water table and nitrogen addition in an alpine wetland on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

近20年来, 青藏高原高寒湿地经历了明显的气候变化, 从而导致多数湿地水位下降和氮沉降的增加。对于湿地生态系统来说, 水位下降意味着土壤通气性能的改善, 可能会导致土壤呼吸的增加; 而氮沉降的增加可能会降低土壤微生物生物量和pH值, 从而可能抑制土壤呼吸。为此, 在青海海北高寒草地生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站利用中宇宙(Mesocosm)实验方法, 探讨了青藏高原高寒泥炭型湿地土壤呼吸对水位降低和氮添加的响应。结果表明: (1)水位降低显著增强了土壤呼吸, 而氮添加对土壤呼吸的影响依赖于水位的变化: 对照水位下, 氮添加显著抑制土壤呼吸; 而水位降低时, 氮添加对土壤呼吸速率无显著影响。(2)土壤呼吸速率与地上生物量、枯落物累积量之间呈显著正相关关系, 而与根系生物量无显著相关关系。(3)水位降低显著提高了土壤呼吸的温度敏感性, 而氮添加对其无显著的影响。因此预测: 随着氮沉降的升高, 高寒泥炭湿地土壤CO₂的排放量将会减少; 然而随着暖干化背景下水位的降低, 青藏高原高寒湿地会排放更多的CO₂。     

青藏高原海北高寒湿地土壤呼吸对水位降低和氮添加的响应

近20年来, 青藏高原高寒湿地经历了明显的气候变化, 从而导致多数湿地水位下降和氮沉降的增加。对于湿地生态系统来说, 水位下降意味着土壤通气性能的改善, 可能会导致土壤呼吸的增加; 而氮沉降的增加可能会降低土壤微生物生物量和pH值, 从而可能抑制土壤呼吸。为此, 在青海海北高寒草地生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站利用中宇宙(Mesocosm)实验方法, 探讨了青藏高原高寒泥炭型湿地土壤呼吸对水位降低和氮添加的响应。结果表明: (1)水位降低显著增强了土壤呼吸, 而氮添加对土壤呼吸的影响依赖于水位的变化: 对照水位下, 氮添加显著抑制土壤呼吸; 而水位降低时, 氮添加对土壤呼吸速率无显著影响。(2)土壤呼吸速率与地上生物量、枯落物累积量之间呈显著正相关关系, 而与根系生物量无显著相关关系。(3)水位降低显著提高了土壤呼吸的温度敏感性, 而氮添加对其无显著的影响。因此预测: 随着氮沉降的升高, 高寒泥炭湿地土壤CO₂的排放量将会减少; 然而随着暖干化背景下水位的降低, 青藏高原高寒湿地会排放更多的CO₂。     

Seasonal and Interspecific Nutrient Mitigation Comparisons of Three Emergent Aquatic Macrophytes

The purpose of this study was to measure both summer and winter nutrient mitigation efficiencies of three aquatic plants found in agricultural drainage ditches in the lower Mississippi River Basin. Mesocosms (1.25 × 0.6 × 0.8 m) were filled with sediment and planted with monocultures of one of three obligate wetland plant species, Typha latifolia, Thalia dealbata, and Sagittaria latifolia, or left nonvegetated to serve as controls. Mesocosms were amended with nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate over a 4-h hydraulic retention time, followed by an 8-h flushing with nonamended water to assess residual nutrient leaching in both summer and winter exposures. Significant interactions between vegetation type and season were noted for both nitrate and total inorganic phosphorus concentrations and loads. Future research will focus on altering hydraulic retention time for improved efficiency, as well as the specific contribution of microbial activity to nutrient mitigation.     

Does Dispersal Limit Beetle Re‐colonization of Restored Fenland? A Case Study Using Direct Measurements of Dispersal and Genetic Analysis

Dispersal ability is known to limit the colonization by many fenland species onto restored habitat but factors determining colonization by wetland invertebrates onto restored fenland have not been previously examined. We used mark‐release‐recapture and harmonic radar tracking coupled with genetic analysis (ISSR‐PCR, inter‐simple sequence repeat—polymerase chain reaction) to assess the population structure and colonization of a brachypterous wetland carabid (Carabus granulatus) onto restored fenland. The first two methods were used to determine the dispersal rate of C. granulatus in the absence of barriers, while the genetic analysis was used to examine whether populations were separated by either distance or the water channels and drainage ditches that intersect fenland landscapes. Mark‐release‐recapture and harmonic radar tracking indicated that the most active 6% of individuals could travel over 25 m in a day and individuals found to be traveling these distances remained atypically active throughout the season. Thus, C. granulatus can disperse at a rate great enough to colonize all areas of restored fenland in the study site within 1 year in the absence of barriers. We found no evidence of genetically distinct sub‐populations of C. granulatus showing that distance and water barriers did not limit the movement of individuals from potential source populations to the restored habitat. This research indicates that where fenland is created with nearby established fenland, colonization opportunities should not be considered a limiting factor to colonization by wetland carabids, even where waterways divide sites.     

三江平原沟渠土壤种子库特征及其与地上植被的关系

为了探究三江平原沟渠土壤种子库在湿地植物保护中的作用及其在湿地恢复中的潜力,该文采用幼苗萌发法与样方调查相结合的方法,对三江平原不同开挖年限沟渠的土壤种子库特征及其与地上植被的关系进行了研究。结果表明:沟渠具有较大规模的土壤种子库,边坡种子库显著大于底泥种子库,边坡种子库密度为8 973–25 000 seeds·m–2,底泥种子库密度为506–1 488 seeds·m–2。开挖10年、20年和30年的沟渠土壤种子库共有50种植物萌发,隶属于20科41属。开挖10年、20年和30年的沟渠土壤种子库萌发物种数分别为37种、34种和33种,地上植被物种数分别为25种、33种和22种。土壤种子库和相应地上植被的相似性系数分别为38.7%、35.8%和32.7%。随着植物群落演替的进行,地上植被的Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数均逐渐增大。三江平原沟渠土壤种子库和地上植被中保存了大量湿地植物,表明沟渠具有保护植物物种多样性的作用,沟渠土壤种子库具有湿地恢复的潜力。随着沟渠开挖年限增加,沟渠植物群落呈现退化特征,建议对沟渠系统加强管理。     

排水对小兴安岭森林沼泽湿地溶解性有机碳和有效氮磷的影响

选取不同排水年限的兴安落叶松人工林湿地(1974年排水、1985年排水、1992年排水、2003年排水)和天然森林沼泽湿地(兴安落叶松沼泽湿地)为研究对象,探讨排水对小兴安岭森林沼泽湿地土壤溶解性有机碳(DOC)和有效氮磷的影响。结果表明,天然沼泽排水后,在土壤垂直剖面上,不同排水年限的森林湿地与天然沼泽湿地的土壤溶解性有机碳含量均呈递减变化。与天然森林沼泽湿地相比,排水湿地各土层DOC含量均显著低于天然沼泽湿地(P0.05)。天然森林沼泽,表层(0—10 cm)的土壤SOC含量、DOC/SOC、土壤有效氮含量均大于排水森林沼泽,但是有效磷含量却低于排水森林沼泽(P0.05)。在土壤表层(0—10 cm),排水年限与DOC、SOC、DOC/SOC、土壤有效氮呈显著性负相关,与有效磷呈显著性正相关(P0.05)。天然沼泽排水后,表层(0—10 cm)土壤的DOC含量与有效氮(铵态氮、硝态氮)含量成正比,与有效磷含量成反比(P0.05)。     

Plant diversity in a water-meadow landscape: the role of irrigation ditches

Species-rich, extensively managed grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems in Europe. The traditional technique of meadow irrigation, formerly practised in large parts of Europe, may be a viable management option that meets both ecological and economical objectives. While studies on plant diversity of the meadow matrix exist, the role of other landscape components for biodiversity conservation is unknown. We quantify the role of irrigation and drainage ditches compared with field paths, and analysed the local and landscape plant species composition and diversity in a water-meadow landscape. The meadows are located in the river Queich catchment (Upper Rhine valley, Germany). We recorded plant species cover on 18 meadows, adjacent ditches and field paths and analysed alpha, beta and gamma diversity within and among these landscape components. Irrigation and drainage ditches were more species rich than meadows and more heterogeneous in their species composition compared with meadows and paths. Ditches contributed one-third of the landscape’s plant species numbers, habitat for wetland species and refuges for high nature value grassland species. Fertilization of the adjacent meadow had no negative impact on the ditch diversity, while well-maintained ditches were more plant species rich than ditches filled with sediments. Traditional flood meadow irrigation should be taken into account when sustainable grassland management techniques are discussed that meet economical and ecological needs. A major contribution to landscape richness arises from the ditch structures as crucial part of the traditional irrigation technique.     

Seasonal Influences on the Ecology of Testate Amoebae (Protozoa) in a Small <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphagnum</Emphasis> peatland in Southern Ontario,Canada

Testate amoebae (Protozoa) were studied in spring, summer, and fall from the same microhabitats in a small Sphagnum-dominated peatland in southern Ontario, Canada. A total of 32 sampling stations were established in two wetland plant communities, 19 in an open Ericaceae low-shrub community and 13 in a closed Picea mariana and Larix laricina swamp community. Sphagnum was collected in each station for analysis of testate amoebae and measurement of soil water content parameters and water table depth in May, August, and October 2001. pH and dissolved oxygen of the groundwater under the Sphagnum were measured also. A total of 52 taxa including the rotifer, Habrotrocha angusticollis, were identified. Soil water content and water table variables emerged as the primary factors separating testate amoebae between the open bog/fen community and swamp community. Testate amoebae in the open bog/fen community showed a clear separation between the May sampling period and the August and October sampling periods. Sampling stations in May had much higher water table and were wetter than those in August and October. Conversely, testate amoebae in the swamp community did not show a clear difference between sampling periods. Soil moisture and water tables appear to be more constant in the swamp communities. Biological factors or other microscale environmental factors may need to be considered to explain seasonal changes in testate amoebae. A greater understanding of relationships between testate amoebae and microenvironmental factors is necessary to track seasonality in testate amoebae distributions.