1 Wetlands：an overview 1
1.1 Definitions and distribution 2
1.2 Wetland classification 4
1.3 Wetland soils 15
1.4 Flood tolerance：the primary constraint 18
1.5 Secondary constraints produce different types of wetlands 22
1.6 Wetlands provide valuable functions and services 28
1.7 Causal factors in wetland ecology 30
1.8 More on definitions and classification of wetlands 34
Conclusion 38
2 Flooding 43
2.1 Flooding and humans：an old story 46
2.2 Some biological consequences of flooding 48
2.3 A survey of water level fluctuations 54
2.4 General relationships between wetlands and water level fluctuations 67
2.5 Reservoirs，dams，and floodplains 68
2.6 Predicting consequences for wetlands 74
Conclusion 77
3 Fertility 79
3.1 Fertility and plants 80
3.2 Infertile wetlands are constrained by low nutrient levels 84
3.3 Other issues related to fertility 88
3.4 Animals and fertility 94
3.5 Eutrophication：too much of a good thing 96
3.6 Calcium interacts with fertility in peatlands 104
3.7 Fertility and hydrology explain a great deal about wetlands 106
Conclusion 107
4 Disturbance 109
4.1 Disturbance has four properties 111
4.2 Disturbance triggers regeneration from buried propagules 112
4.3 Examples of disturbance controlling the composition of wetlands 113
4.4 Disturbances can create gap dynamics 130
4.5 Measuring the effects of disturbance in future studies 133
Conclusion 136
5 Competition 139
5.1 Some examples of competition in wetlands 141
5.2 Competition is often one-sided 145
5.3 Competition for light produces competitive hierarchies 146
5.4 Dominant plants are often larger than subordinate plants 148
5.5 Escape in space：competition in patches 148
5.6 Escape in time：competition and disturbance 149
5.7 Gradients provide another way of escaping in space 150
5.8 Competition gradients produce centrifugal organization 153
5.9 Rare animals are found in peripheral habitats：the case history of the bog turtle 156
Conclusion 158
6 Herbivory 161
6.1 Some herbivores have large impacts on wetlands 162
6.2 Wildlife diets document which animals eat which plants 166
6.3 Impacts of some other herbivores on wetlands 168
6.4 Plants have defenses to protect them against herbivores 174
6.5 General patterns in herbivory 179
6.6 Three pieces of relevant theory 181
Conclusion 186
7 Burial 189
7.1 Exploring rates of burial 192
7.2 Burial changes the species composition of wetlands 201
7.3 Burial has impacts on many animal species 205
7.4 Sedimentation，sediment cores，and plant succession 206
7.5 Ecological thresholds：burial，coastlines，and sea level 207
7.6 So is sediment bad or good？ 210
Conclusion 211
8 Other factors 213
8.1 Salinity 214
8.2 Roads 222
8.3 Logs and coarse woody debris 225
8.4 Stream type 227
8.5 Human population density is becoming a key factor 229
Conclusion 233
9 Diversity 235
9.1 Introduction to diversity in wetlands 236
9.2 Four general rules govern the number of species in wetlands 238
9.3 Selected examples 242
9.4 Some theory：a general model for herbaceous plant communities 255
9.5 More theory：the dynamics of species pools 261
9.6 Conservation of biological diversity 264
Conclusion 265
10 Zonation：shorelines as a prism 269
10.1 The search for fundamental principles 270
10.2 Shorelines provide a model system for the study of wetlands 271
10.3 Possible mechanisms of zonation 273
10.4 Zonation and changing sea level 286
10.5 Statistical studies of zonation 289
10.6 General lessons from analysis of zonation 298
Conclusion 299
11 Services and functions 301
11.1 Wetlands have high production 302
11.2 Wetlands regulate climate 306
11.3 Wetlands regulate the global nitrogen cycle 310
11.4 Wetlands support biological diversity 314
11.5 Wetlands provide recreation and cultural services 317
11.6 Wetlands reduce flood peaks 319
11.7 Wetlands record history 323
11.8 Adding up the services：WWF and MEA evaluate wetland services 325
Conclusion 328
12 Research：paths forward 331
12.1 Some context：the great age of explorers 332
12.2 Four basic types of information 334
12.3 Limitations to species-based research 337
12.4 Empirical ecology 338
12.5 Assembly rules driven by key factors 341
12.6 Simplification through aggregation into groups 347
12.7 Six tactical guidelines 360
Conclusion 363
13 Restoration 365
13.1 The importance of understanding wetland restoration 366
13.2 Three examples 367
13.3 More on principles of restoration 373
13.4 More examples 377
13.5 One big problem：invasive species 383
13.6 A brief history of restoration 385
Conclusion 387
14 Conservation and management 391
14.1 Humans have greatly changed wetlands 392
14.2 Wetlands have changed with time 397
14.3 Two views on conservation objectives 400
14.4 Protection：creating reserve systems 403
14.5 Problems and prospects of reserve systems 411
14.6 More on restoration 415
14.7 So what shall we create with restoration？ 416
14.8 Indicators：setting goals and measuring performance 417
14.9 Humans as the biggest problem 424
Conclusion 425
References 427
Index 476
The color plates are situated between pages 238