Temporary vegetation disturbance as an explanation for permanent loss of tidal wetlands

Kirwan, Matthew L.; Murray, A. Brad; Boyd, W. Sean

doi:10.1029/2007gl032681

Cited by 103 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The Black Bank site is 17 cm below MHW. It has been shown in mesocosms and model simulations that a natural feedback of marsh vegetation to low elevation is increased aboveground production and stem elongation, which traps mineral and organic particulates and adds plant litter to the surface, contributing to vertical accretion (Morris et al 2002, Kirwan et al 2008, Mudd et al 2009. The diameters of the rhizomes were significantly larger at the Black Bank site, perhaps to support the increased aboveground biomass in the waterlogged, mucky soils.…”

Section: Other Anthropogenic Impacts On the Jamaica Bay Estuarymentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Deegan et al (2012) reported fracturing and slumping of the creek-bank edge and a corresponding increase in fine organic matter in tidal channels associated with the fertilized marsh creek. Sediment erosion from one portion of a marsh system (e.g., creek-bank edge, tidal channel) can be a source of sediment to a surviving marsh area, thereby contributing to vertical accretion (Kirwan et al 2008). …”

Section: Marsh Elevation and Changes In Peat Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Below the disappearing marshes of an urban estuary: historic nitrogen trends and soil structure

Wigand

Roman

Davey

et al. 2014

Ecological Applications

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Abstract. Marshes in the urban Jamaica Bay Estuary, New York, USA are disappearing at an average rate of 13 ha/yr, and multiple stressors (e.g., wastewater inputs, dredging activities, groundwater removal, and global warming) may be contributing to marsh losses. Among these stressors, wastewater nutrients are suspected to be an important contributing cause of marsh deterioration. We used census data, radiometric dating, stable nitrogen isotopes, and soil surveys to examine the temporal relationships between human population growth and soil nitrogen; and we evaluated soil structure with computer-aided tomography, surface elevation and sediment accretion trends, carbon dioxide emissions, and soil shear strength to examine differences among disappearing (Black Bank and Big Egg) and stable marshes (JoCo). Radiometric dating and nitrogen isotope analyses suggested a rapid increase in human wastewater nutrients beginning in the late 1840s, and a tapering off beginning in the 1930s when wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were first installed. Current WWTPs nutrient loads to Jamaica Bay are approximately 13 995 kg N/d and 2767 kg P/d. At Black Bank, the biomass and abundance of roots and rhizomes and percentage of organic matter on soil were significantly lower, rhizomes larger in diameter, carbon dioxide emission rates and peat particle density significantly greater, and soil strength significantly lower compared to the stable JoCo Marsh, suggesting Black Bank has elevated decomposition rates, more decomposed peat, and highly waterlogged peat. Despite these differences, the rates of accretion and surface elevation change were similar for both marshes, and the rates of elevation change approximated the long term relative rate of sea level rise estimated from tide gauge data at nearby Sandy Hook, New Jersey. We hypothesize that Black Bank marsh kept pace with sea level rise by the accretion of material on the marsh surface, and the maintenance of soil volume through production of larger diameter rhizomes and swelling (dilation) of waterlogged peat. JoCo Marsh kept pace with sea-level rise through surface accretion and soil organic matter accumulation. Understanding the effects of multiple stressors, including nutrient enrichment, on soil structure, organic matter accumulation, and elevation change will better inform management decisions aimed at maintaining and restoring coastal marshes.

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Section: Other Anthropogenic Impacts On the Jamaica Bay Estuarymentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Marsh Elevation and Changes In Peat Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Below the disappearing marshes of an urban estuary: historic nitrogen trends and soil structure

Wigand

Roman

Davey

et al. 2014

Ecological Applications

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“…Elevation relative to mean sea level is a critical variable for the establishment and maintenance of biotic coastal communities and a threat to biodiversity (Kirwan & Murray 2008b, Kirwan et al 2008, as has been detected in the past for the Basque Country (Pascual & Rodríguez-Lázaro 2006). In tidal areas, this elevation determines the duration and frequency at which coastal habitats are submerged, this being one of the factors controlling the productivity of macrophyte communities (Morris et al 2002).…”

Section: Sea Level Rise and Estuarine Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An increase in mean sea level induces a higher risk of the flooding of low-lying coastal areas, erosion of sandy beaches and barrier island coasts, intrusion of saltwater and the loss of wetlands, amongst other effects (Wolanski & Chappell 1996, Morris et al 2002, Crooks 2004, Pascual & Rodríguez-Lázaro 2006, FitzGerald et al 2008, Kirwan & Murray 2008a, Kirwan et al 2008, Poulter & Halpin 2008, Gesch 2009). These climate-change-driven threats will probably exacerbate several existing pressures along the coastal regions such as the concentration of population (McGranahan et al 2007) and the increasing rate of urbanisation (European Environment Agency 2006), causing degradation, fragmentation and habitat loss (Fahrig 2003, Halpern et al 2008.…”

Section: Coastal Floodingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on coastal and pelagic environments in the southeastern Bay of Biscay

Chust¹,

Borja²,

Caballero³

et al. 2011

Clim. Res.

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The impacts of global climate change on the Basque coast and the pelagic systems within the southeastern Bay of Biscay are reviewed. Climate projections under greenhouse gas emission scenarios indicate that this area will experience changes in climate throughout the 21st century, including warming of surface air (especially heat wave episodes), intensification of extreme daily rainfall (10%), warming of the upper 100 m of the ocean layer (1.5 to 2.05°C), and sea level rise (SLR; 29 to 49 cm). Observations made in the bay throughout the 20th century for air temperature and mean sea level are in agreement with these projections. Trends in ocean-climatic historical observations within the area, including sea temperature, precipitation, upwelling/downwelling, turbulence and wave climate, are also reviewed. The main impacts on the coast are expected to be from SLR, especially in low-lying areas (mostly urbanised) within estuaries. Sandy beaches are also expected to undergo significant mean shoreline retreats of between 25 and 40% of their width. As the sea level rises, the natural migration of saltmarshes and intertidal seagrasses landward will be constrained, in most cases, by existing anthropogenic fixed boundaries. Empirical relationships between the distribution and dynamics of the long-term biological measures (plankton, primary production, benthos, and fisheries) on the one hand, and ocean-climatic variability on the other, indicate that pelagic and coastal water ecosystems will be affected by ocean warming, increased stratification, shifts in anomaly patterns and streamflow regimes. The largest uncertainties are associated with the lack of downscaled projections within the bay on ocean circulation, ocean-meteorological indices, wave climate and ocean acidification.

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“…Particularly relevant are marshes situated on coastal platforms in the intertidal range for which minor changes in topography and hydrodynamics can lead to vegetation disturbance and thus cause rapid marsh degradation [34]. The general deepening of the delta relative to mean sea level and the gentler slope of the coastal platform in the modelled deltas for higher SLR along with a change in flow velocity range (Figure 3) may well have significant implications for coastal marsh survival.…”

Section: Dynamic Delta Reponse To Slrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Dynamic Coastal Delta Change in Response to Sea-Level Rise

Lageweg

Slangen

2017

JMSE

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The world's largest deltas are densely populated, of significant economic importance and among the most valuable coastal ecosystems. Projected twenty-first century sea-level rise (SLR) poses a threat to these low-lying coastal environments with inhabitants, resources and ecology becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding. Large spatial differences exist in the parameters shaping the world's deltas with respect to river discharge, tides and waves, substrate and sediment cohesion, sea-level rise, and human engineering. Here, we use a numerical flow and transport model to: (1) quantify the capability of different types of deltas to dynamically respond to SLR; and (2) evaluate the resultant coastal impact by assessing delta flooding, shoreline recession and coastal habitat changes. We show three different delta forcing experiments representative of many natural deltas: (1) river flow only; (2) river flow and waves; and (3) river flow and tides. We find that delta submergence, shoreline recession and changes in habitat are not dependent on the applied combination of river flow, waves and tides but are rather controlled by SLR. This implies that regional differences in SLR determine delta coastal impacts globally, potentially mitigated by sediment composition and ecosystem buffering. This process-based approach of modelling future deltaic change provides the first set of quantitative predictions of dynamic morphologic change for inclusion in Climate and Earth System Models while also informing local management of deltaic areas across the globe.

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Temporary vegetation disturbance as an explanation for permanent loss of tidal wetlands

Cited by 103 publications

References 19 publications

Below the disappearing marshes of an urban estuary: historic nitrogen trends and soil structure

Below the disappearing marshes of an urban estuary: historic nitrogen trends and soil structure

Climate change impacts on coastal and pelagic environments in the southeastern Bay of Biscay

Predicting Dynamic Coastal Delta Change in Response to Sea-Level Rise

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