Cross-Scale Patterns in Shrub Thicket Dynamics in the Virginia Barrier Complex

Young, Donald R.; Porter, John H.; Bachmann, Charles M.; Shao, Guofan; Fusina, R.A.; Bowles, Jeffrey H.; Korwan, Daniel; Donato, T.F.

doi:10.1007/s10021-007-9084-1

Cited by 50 publications

(50 citation statements)

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“…As distance to shoreline increases, biotic processes may become more important and autogenic successional processes more prevalent. Similarly, as shorelines erode physical stresses from flooding and salt spray may lead to local extirpation of species as we have observed on several islands along the Virginia coast (Hayden et al 1991, Young et al 2007). In each case, changes in landscape position may exceed the habitat polygon for given species, which leads to changes in species composition at the community level.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Barrier island systems may serve as sentinels of climate change where sea level rise and storm-induced disturbances lead to significant alterations in environmental relationships that lead to mortality, new open habitat, and changes in distribution patterns of resident species and ecological communities (Young et al 2007, Feagin et al 2009). As a result, local and regional shifts in biodiversity are expected and these will alter ecosystem services associated with barrier island landscapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cirsium horridulum Michaux (Asteraceae) is a biennial forb common across v www.esajournals.org dunes and recently formed swales (Duncan and Duncan 1987). The evergreen shrub, Morella cerifera L. Small (Myricaceae, formerly Myrica cerifera) is the dominant woody species on Hog Island and is restricted to protected swales with limited salt exposure (Young et al 1995(Young et al , 2007. Juniperus virginiana L. (Cupressaceae) is an evergreen tree that is salt and drought tolerant and most common on dunes ridges across the island Young 1997, Joy andYoung 2002).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hyperspectral and LIDAR imagery were used to identify species distributions and generate landscape positions on barrier islands for A. breviligulata, M. cerifera and J. virginiana using standard methods for processing airborne imagery (Young et al 2007, Jensen 1996, Leica Geosystems 2003, Naumann et al 2009, Brantley et al 2011. Hyperspectral data (450-2,450 nm, 3 nm band width, 2 m per pixel) were post processed to correct for geometric and radiometric effects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The corrected isolated pixels provided distributions for species. Based on previous experience (Shao et al 1998, Young et al 2007), M. cerifera and J. virginiana are relatively easy to delineate from hyperspectral imagery or even from routine aerial photographs, primarily due to formation of large areas of near uniform coverage and distinct growth form, respectively. When representative species were below resolution limits of remotely sensed imagery, landscape positions were determined by field measurements with Trimble Geo-XT GPS units (Trimble Navigation Ltd., Sunnyvale, California, USA).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

et al. 2011

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Abstract. In contrast to stable inland systems, coastal landscape positions are dynamic, changing as shorelines migrate and storms alter topography. We define landscape position by distance to ocean shoreline and elevation above sea level, two metrics that integrate a suite of environmental and biotic factors. As shoreline and elevation change, suitability of a geo-referenced position for a given plant species may also change. The objectives of our study were to use two methods for measuring landscape position (GPS and hyperspectral/light detection and ranging or LIDAR) to develop habitat polygons, compare habitat polygons for five species representing several adaptive strategies, and illustrate change in landscape position due to migrating shoreline for a Virginia, USA barrier island. Habitat polygons for each species were distinct, represented several growth forms or functional groups, and were indicative of tolerances to biotic and abiotic stresses. The habitat polygon for Cakile edentula (annual forb) was relatively small, indicating narrow habitat requirements for the strand environment. Cirsium horridulum (biennial forb), with succulent shoots and roots, occurred on dunes where water is most limiting. For the dunebuilding grass, Ammophila breviligulata, as distance from shoreline increased, minimum elevation also increased. Two woody species occurred across the entire island; however, Morella cerifera (N-fixing shrub), was limited to mesic swales whereas Juniperus virginiana (evergreen tree), with the largest habitat polygon, occurred on both dunes and swales. For a geo-referenced point on the north end of Hog Island, distance to shoreline increased from the shoreline to 1100 m inland over 139 years. In contrast, the geo-referenced point on the eroding portion of the island decreased from 1700 m to 120 m from the ocean shoreline over the same time period. Where sea level rise and storms are expected to alter shorelines and island topography, generation of habitat polygons from hyperspectral and LIDAR imagery provide rapid assessment of potential effects on species distribution patterns at local and regional scales. Habitat polygons have broad applicability beyond coastal systems and may contribute to a rapid assessment or identification of vulnerability for species as climate patterns shift through time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

et al. 2011

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Effects of sea‐level rise on barrier island groundwater system dynamics – ecohydrological implications

et al. 2013

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We used a numerical model to investigate how a barrier island groundwater system responds to increases of up to 60 cm in sea level. We found that a sea-level rise of 20 cm leads to substantial changes in the depth of the water table and the extent and depth of saltwater intrusion, which are key determinants in the establishment, distribution and succession of vegetation assemblages and habitat suitability in barrier islands ecosystems. In our simulations, increases in water-table height in areas with a shallow depth to water (or thin vadose zone) resulted in extensive groundwater inundation of land surface and a thinning of the underlying freshwater lens. We demonstrated the interdependence of the groundwater response to island morphology by evaluating changes at three sites. This interdependence can have a profound effect on ecosystem composition in these fragile coastal landscapes under long-term changing climatic conditions. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

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Woody expansion facilitates liana expansion and affects physical structure in temperate coastal communities

2016

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Coastal ecosystems in general, and barrier islands in particular, offer unique opportunities to observe ecological patterns and processes in spatially and temporally compressed settings. Harsh abiotic conditions and frequent disturbances limit the number of resident species, and highly dynamic geomorphology may result in a space‐for‐time substitution as young shoreward communities give way to more developed later‐successional interior communities. We investigated relationships between lianas and woody plants at barrier island sites in Virginia (Hog Island) and North Carolina (Duck FRF), to evaluate whether liana proliferation accelerates or delays succession from the dominant woody community, Morella shrub thicket, to the historic climax community, maritime forest. Using aerial imagery, Lidar data, community surveys, and edaphic sampling, we found a correlative relationship between abiotic environmental variables and woody community structure, and also between woody community distribution and liana success. Environmental variables demonstrated little predictive ability for liana distribution, but there was evidence of an association between lianas and the prominent woody species at Hog Island, though patchiness of the community and abiotic homogeneity prevented these associations from establishing at Duck FRF. We suggest that trends of woody plant expansion, compounded with current and predicted global change effects on growth and success of lianas, may contribute to a delay or prevention of further successional development at these and other temperate coastal sites.

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Cross-Scale Patterns in Shrub Thicket Dynamics in the Virginia Barrier Complex

Cited by 50 publications

References 29 publications

Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

Effects of sea‐level rise on barrier island groundwater system dynamics – ecohydrological implications

Woody expansion facilitates liana expansion and affects physical structure in temperate coastal communities

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