Identification of Groundwater-Dependent Wetlands Physical and Hydrological Characteristics and Ecosystem Relationship in Nun River, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of tis paper was to identify groundwater-dependent wetlands physical and hydrological characteristics and ecosystem relationship in Nun River, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria using appropriate techniques of involving groundwater monitoring of wells and meteorological stations and interpreting satellite data. Findings showed high levels of association between environmental variables and wetland variables existed—the relationship we found was positive between rainfall metrics and vegetation, with a ratio exceeding 12. The vegetation density ranged from 66.987% to 68.215%, with precipitation ranging from 8.921 mm to 21.895 mm. It ranged from 2.145 m to 2.609 m, depending on the occurrence of rain. Therefore, the hydraulic conductivity recorded the soil's moisture content between 22.896% and 24.325%, and the KGE ranged from 0 to 1.002-0.003 m/s. The analysis acknowledges that the perception of the connections between the branches of groundwater and wetlands in LSMs is critical for Niger Delta ecosystems. This illustrates the importance of considering hydrological processes and the environment in large-scale modelling. His research findings contribute to the advancement of wetland management methods and enhance our understanding of the changes in coastal wetland ecosystems in response to environmental shifts.