Environmental Sustainability

控制水源集水区水释放（径流）的过程是生态系统对人类和气候引起的环境变化的功能、敏感性和脆弱性的重要因素。本研究计划将通过以下方式评估自然和重建集水区内的此类过程：1）评估湿地主导的上游集水区对下游水资源的作用2）建立基于事件的瞬态连接对森林，湿地和水道之间水运动的影响3）将这些知识应用于资源开采后回收的集水区的淡水供应管理。研究结果将保护饮用水质量以及鱼类和野生动物栖息地，这是了解生态系统对干扰敏感性的重要进展。

Processes that control water release (runoff) from headwater catchments are vital factors in the function, sensitivity and vulnerability of ecosystems to human and climate-induced environmental change. This research program will evaluate suchprocesses within natural and reconstructed catchments by: 1) evaluating the role of wetland-dominated headwater catchments on downstream water availability2) establishing the influence of transient, event-based connections on water movement among forests, wetlands and watercourses3) applying this knowledge to manage freshwater availability in catchments reclaimed after resource extraction. Research results will protect drinking water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, as a critical advance in understanding ecosystem susceptibility to disturbance.