Temporary wetlands have mostly been disregarded in freshwater habitat regulation (with noticeable exceptions such as turloughs) leading to their global degradation despite their high value in terms of diverse ecosystem services. Wetland creation may be used to mitigate this habitat loss. In this review, we compiled information on the ecological features of temporary wetlands based on 45 scientific publications. We identified seven types of natural temporary wetlands to be emulated in wetland construction and their restoration in the Northern Hemisphere, with hydroperiod lengths ranging from less than one month in ephemeral ponds to multi-year floods. We highlight the biodiversity associated with various hydroperiods, and show that different organisms use different temporary wetland types. We give examples of how temporary wetland creation has been used for biodiversity enhancement and list characteristics of created temporary wetlands. Colonization of the newly created temporary wetlands by aquatic macroinvertebrates and amphibians was rapid, but species compositions differed from reference sites. Finally, we provide management recommendations for creating temporary wetlands to support high biodiversity. We highlight the importance of hydroperiod management, creating banks with gradual slopes, enhancing macrophyte vegetation and fish absence to promote biodiversity in created temporary wetlands. Monitoring and ongoing management practices are discussed as tools for ensuring management targets in the long term. For example, performing partial or full drawdowns at temporary wetlands with long multi-year hydroperiods are discussed. On the landscape level, we recommend planning a network of well-connected heterogeneous wetlands with different hydroperiods to enhance colonization and dispersal, and thereby biodiversity.

Peer reviewed