Constructed Wetlands: Benefits and Applications for Improved Ecosystems

Highlights Summary provided on five manuscripts in the constructed wetland special collection. Impact of floating treatment wetlands on macroinvertebrates and pathogens. Water quality enhancement for wastewater using constructed wetlands. ABSTRACT. As natural wetlands continue to decline, constructed wetlands have become more crucial. While constructed wetlands cannot fully replicate the wide range of ecosystem services provided by natural wetlands, significant benefits are still offered, including improving water quality, mitigating flooding, and supporting wildlife habitat. Over the past two decades, the variety of constructed wetland applications has expanded dramatically. This special collection presents key findings from five peer-reviewed manuscripts that explore innovative uses and outcomes of constructed wetlands. Five manuscripts were contributed to the Special Collection: Constructed Wetlands: Benefits and Applications for Improved Ecosystems, which originated from a featured session at the 2023 ASABE Annual International Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. This paper, an introduction to the special collection, explores diverse applications and benefits of constructed wetlands. Two studies examine floating treatment wetlands, focusing on their effects on macroinvertebrate communities and their ability to remove pathogens from recycled irrigation water. Two additional papers investigated the role of constructed wetlands for (1) enhancing water quality through the treatment of secondary wastewater containing bourbon stillage and (2) evaluating the potential of Salicornia for industrial wastewater treatment. The final manuscript offers a comprehensive review of existing research and modeling approaches to assess how silviculture practices influence water table dynamics in forested wetlands, highlighting key knowledge gaps and model limitations. Keywords: Floating treatment wetlands, Forested wetlands, Mesocosm, Wastewater treatment, Water quality.