Mitigating the Legacy Effects of Ditching in a New England Salt Marsh

Burdick, David M.; Moore, Gregg E.; Adamowicz, Susan C.; Wilson, Geoffrey; Peter, Chris R.

doi:10.1007/s12237-019-00656-5

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Direct alterations (e.g., draining, filling) led to prolific reductions in the global inventory of salt marshes (Gedan et al 2009;Mcowen et al 2017). Regulations have mitigated direct loss of wetlands along many temperate coastlines (Gedan et al 2009;Bindoff et al in press); however, legacy impacts from agriculture (Adamowicz et al 2020) and mosquito ditching (Vincent et al 2014;Burdick et al 2020), in interaction with SLR (Raposa et al 2017;Watson et al 2017), continue to alter hydrology and stress vegetation. A primary manifestation of these stressors in Northwest Atlantic and Mississippi Delta marshes has been the expansion of unvegetated, shallow water features in marsh interiors, i.e., open water conversion (Barras et al 2003;La Peyre et al 2009;Vincent et al 2014;Kearney and Turner 2016;Watson et al 2017;Adamowicz et al 2020) (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buying Time with Runnels: a Climate Adaptation Tool for Salt Marshes

Besterman

Jakuba

Ferguson

et al. 2022

Estuaries and Coasts

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A prominent form of salt marsh loss is interior conversion to open water, driven by sea level rise in interaction with human activity and other stressors. Persistent inundation drowns vegetation and contributes to open water conversion in salt marsh interiors. Runnels are shallow channels originally developed in Australia to control mosquitoes by draining standing water, but recently used to restore marsh vegetation in the USA. Documentation on runnel efficacy is not widely available; yet over the past 10 years dozens of coastal adaptation projects in the northeastern USA have incorporated runnels. To better understand the efficacy of runnels used for restoration, we organized a workshop of 70 experts and stakeholders in coastal resource management. Through the workshop we developed a collective understanding of how runnels might be used to slow or reverse open water conversion, and identified unresolved questions. In this paper we present a synthesis of workshop discussions and results from a promising case study in which vegetation was restored at a degraded marsh within a few years of runnel construction. Despite case study outcomes, key questions remain on long-term runnel efficacy in marshes differing in elevation, tidal range, and management history. Runnel construction is unlikely to improve long-term marsh resilience alone, as it cannot address underlying causes of open water conversion. As a part of holistic climate planning that includes other management interventions, runnels may “buy time” for salt marshes to respond to management action, or adapt to sea level rise.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buying Time with Runnels: a Climate Adaptation Tool for Salt Marshes

Besterman

Jakuba

Ferguson

et al. 2022

Estuaries and Coasts

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“…The concept of ''ditch remediation'' is to rebuild the peat that was once there by creating the conditions for fibrous organic material, sediment, and living roots to accumulate in the linear ditch (Burdick et al 2020). When material reaches the appropriate elevation, plants naturally colonize through seedling or colonial growth.…”

Section: Suffolk County Project Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When material reaches the appropriate elevation, plants naturally colonize through seedling or colonial growth. The approach demonstrated by Burdick et al (2020) relies on harvesting salt hay from the surrounding marsh to place in ditches as a filter to trap material and start the peat building process. However, in marshes without this resource, managers may need to find substitutes for locally harvested salt hay.…”

Section: Suffolk County Project Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many participants shared experiences with buoyant coir logs shifting out of position and causing complications on sites. One suggestion from the group was to open the coir logs and use the inner fibrous material to line the ditches in a manner similar to how Burdick et al (2020) used mowed salt hayThe recommendation was to leave the coir fiber material exposed (not buried with peat) so that water could filter through and trap sediments to start the peat rebuilding process.…”

Section: Suffolk County Project Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Advancing salt marsh restoration for coastal resilience: a learning exchange

Maher

Salazar

Fournier

2021

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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A multidisciplinary group of salt marsh professionals from Maine to Virginia participated in a collaborative learning exchange to improve restoration for the overall health and resilience of coastal wetlands. This was an unprecedented forum through which participants representing different geographies, backgrounds, and roles in salt marsh management were able to share and learn from one another to develop the best available restoration methods for on-the-ground projects that address multiple benefits. By including mosquito control agencies, restoration practitioners, regulatory agencies, academic researchers, and conservation organizations in the learning exchange, we developed an understanding and acceptance of different approaches. Regulators learned about project ideas and contributed to project designs in early development stages. Collaborating while engaged in on-the ground projects enabled participants to implement lessons learned in real time. Field trips to restoration sites at different stages of development allowed a greater and more fluid exchange of ideas and practical implementation advice. Practitioners leveraged resources and developed new collaborations. Lessons learned and shared through this faster and more flexible forum will inform the design, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects across the region and improve overall marsh health and resilience in the face of climate change. Learning exchanges like this should be used more frequently to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of coastal restoration particularly when there is a windfall of cash and a short window of opportunity such as with post-disaster federal spending.

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“…Morris et al (2020) model salt marsh change for four parks with differing sediment budgets, but more importantly, differing organic matter production. Burdick et al (2019) provide an evaluation of a management tool, ditch remediation, one of a range of restoration techniques tested post-Hurricane Sandy, with the idea that restored salt marshes can better trap sediment and increase organic matter production, thus will be more resilient. Olin et al (2019) explore the response of the Great South Bay, NY, following the breach of Fire Island, studying nekton and community assemblages.…”

Section: Overview Of Papers In Special Sectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coastal Impacts, Recovery, and Resilience Post-Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern US

BABSON

Bennett

Adamowicz

et al. 2020

Estuaries and Coasts

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Post-Hurricane Sandy research has improved our understanding of coastal resilience during major storm events, accelerated sea level rise, and other climate-related factors, helping to enhance science-based decision-making, restoration, and management of coastal systems. The central question this special section examines is: “looking across the breadth of research, natural resource management actions and restoration projects post-Hurricane Sandy, what can we say about coastal impact, recovery, and resilience to prepare for increasing impacts of future storms?” These five studies, along with lessons from other published and unpublished research, advance our understanding beyond just the documentation of hurricane impacts but also highlights both natural and managed recovery, thereby advancing the developing field of coastal resilience.

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Mitigating the Legacy Effects of Ditching in a New England Salt Marsh

Cited by 16 publications

References 28 publications

Buying Time with Runnels: a Climate Adaptation Tool for Salt Marshes

Buying Time with Runnels: a Climate Adaptation Tool for Salt Marshes

Advancing salt marsh restoration for coastal resilience: a learning exchange

Coastal Impacts, Recovery, and Resilience Post-Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern US

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