High Arctic Patchy Wetlands: Hydrologic Variability and Their Sustainability

Wetlands in the polar desert environment of the High Arctic provide a special ecological niche for the tundra plants, insects, birds, and animals. Non-tidal patchy wetlands exhibit a hydrologic regime that includes a high water table and extensive flooding in the snowmelt period, followed by a gradual summer drying that is interrupted by rainfall events that raise water levels. These wetlands are also prone to inter-annual variations in …