The vulnerability of a wetland to bacteria/pathogens is dependent on:
water salinity: mammalian derived bacteria generally die off more quickly in saline water
water temperature: mammalian derived bacteria generally survive longer in warmer water
water clarity: bacteria/pathogens generally die off more quickly in clearer water due to UV sterilisation processes
water residence time, flushing rate and dilution factors which all help determine the vulnerability of a wetland to bacteria/pathogens with longer residence times, poor flushing rates and low dilution resulting in higher levels of vulnerability
It is thought that a healthy wetland will be less vulnerable than a stressed one.
Last updated: 22 March 2013
This page should be cited as:
Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Bacteria/pathogens – Vulnerability, WetlandInfo website, accessed 20 December 2024. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/management/pressures/lacustrine-palustrine-threats/bacteria-pathogens/vulnerability.html