Research project Constructed and natural wetlands as reservoirs for arthropod diversity in agricultural landscapes:

Agricultural intensification has radically changed the distribution and management of wetlands in the landscape, through drainage, the cessation of grazing/hay making and the more recent construction of wetlands to catch nutrient run-off from agriculture. The dramatic change in wetland distribution has affected many species that depend on wetlands as a habitat, but also important ecosystem functions such as nutrient retention, water flows and greenhouse gas emissions. We examine the role of constructed wetlands as a reservoir for wetland arthropods in the agricultural landscape, and how both shore management and hydrological processes affect arthropod community structure. We also examine whether increased biodiversity can be achieved at the same time as various ecosystem services are optimized or of different goals for wetland reestablishment needs to be achieved in different wetlands.