ABSTRACT
One of the biggest problems in discussing wetlands and particularly the nutrient cylces in wetlands is the development of a common currency of communication. The tremendous variability across the continuum from forest to pond makes impossible any generalization of nutrient dynamics in wetlands. Materials are brought to and removed from wetlands largely as a function of water movement, and the pattern of water movement is the primary determinant of the direction and thrust of nutrient flux in the complex systems. Nutrient discharge from the land tends to be correlated with water discharge, and in most wetlands the major portion of the annual nutrient load enters in the spring. The general pattern of reduced water discharge during the summer results in increased detention of water in wetlands during this period. Despite the large numbers of studies of nutrient flux in wetlands, it does not appear that people know much about the nutrient dynamics of the systems.
