Increasing Hydroperiod in a Karst-depression Wetland Based on 165 Years of Simulated Daily Water Levels

Abstract The hydrology of seasonally inundated depression wetlands can be highly sensitive to climatic fluctuations. Hydroperiod—the number days per year that a wetland is inundated—is often primary ecological importance in these systems and vary interannually depending on climate conditions. In this study we re-examined an existing hydrologic model simulate daily water levels Sinking Pond, 35-hectare karst-depression Tennessee, USA. We recalibrated the using 22 years water-level observations used reconstruct (hindcast) over 165-year period from 1855 2019. A trend analysis data reconstructed hindcasting indicated substantial increases pond hydroperiod time, apparently related increasing regional precipitation. Wetland increased average by 5.9 decade between 1920 2019, with breakpoint around 1970. Hydroperiod changes magnitude may have profound consequences for ecology, such as transition forested mostly open-water at Pond site. More broadly, illustrates needs robust models consideration transferability time (i.e., forecasting) under non-stationary hydroclimatic As change expected influence cycles, processes, ecohydrology coming decades, projections become increasingly important detect, anticipate, potentially mitigate impacts ecosystems.