A conceptual framework for ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration (FERGRA)

Abstract

Globally, the provision of groundwater‐supported ecosystem services is threatened by climate change, water extraction, and other activities that alter groundwater regimes (defined as temporal dynamics in groundwater pressures, storage, and levels). Research on how altered groundwater regimes affect the ecology and ecosystem services of diverse groundwater‐dependent ecosystems (GDEs) is currently fragmented with little integration across different GDEs, hampering our ability to understand and manage ecological responses to anthropogenic changes to groundwater regimes. To address this, we present a framework for assessing ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration (FERGRA). FERGRA is a logical approach to investigating how alterations to groundwater regimes change the timing, variability, duration, frequency, and magnitude of groundwater connections to different GDEs, in turn affecting their ecological processes and ecosystem service provision. Using FERGRA, multiple GDEs can be assessed concurrently, optimizing their integrated management. Unifying the concepts of ecological responses to altered groundwater regimes and groundwater connections of different GDEs across the landscape, FERGRA provides a framework for (a) organizing the currently fragmented research on GDEs to better identify commonalities and knowledge gaps, (b) formulating and testing hypotheses for quantifying ecological responses to groundwater regime alteration in GDEs to derive general principles to guide research and management, and (c) facilitating assessments of the trade‐offs between the benefits of groundwater extraction (e.g., to support mining and agriculture) versus conservation of GDEs to protect other ecosystem services.

Managing Groundwater to Ensure Ecosystem Function

“…Lack of data contributes to model parameter uncertainty associated with groundwater flow dynamics (Reilly et al 2008). Ecological dynamics can have even greater parameter uncertainty because of limited knowledge of ecological processes (Kath et al 2018), which further challenges the development of accurate models.…”

“…The accuracy of any model is only as good as the empirical data used to develop and test it (Kirchner 2006), and adequate hydrogeologic and ecological data are commonly lacking for many areas. Ecological data in particular can be limited, so connecting groundwater changes with groundwater-dependent ecosystem responses can be challenging (Kath et al 2018). In many places, there is also limited understanding of the relationships between groundwater dynamics and natural systems (Rudestam and Langridge 2014;Kath et al 2018).…”

“…Ecological data in particular can be limited, so connecting groundwater changes with groundwater-dependent ecosystem responses can be challenging (Kath et al 2018). In many places, there is also limited understanding of the relationships between groundwater dynamics and natural systems (Rudestam and Langridge 2014;Kath et al 2018). In addition to more studies to discern flow-ecology relationships, statistical modeling approaches may be useful at landscape scales for estimating these relationships (e.g., combining remotely sensed data with groundwater models or indicators; Kath et al 2018).…”

“…Access to groundwater is essential for the viability of many terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic ecosystems and associated plant and wildlife species (Naumburg et al 2005;Kath et al 2018). Groundwater-dependent streams, wetlands, springs, seeps, shrublands and forests are increasingly threatened by the cumulative impacts of past and current groundwater withdrawals (Rohde et al 2019).…”

Assessment of the Impact of Anthropogenic Factors Water Resources of Kazakhstan

“…This is due to the unique properties of water, its presence in all spheres of the Earth, its important role in the physical, chemical, biological and geological processes that form these areas, and, finally, its irreplaceability in all kinds of human life. Any changes in the environment affect water resources [1], and, vice versa, changes in the quantity, regime and quality of water -one of the main factors of environmental transformation. To date, a number of complex and acute problems have accumulated in the use and protection of water resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.…”