The effect of a small vegetation dieback event on salt marsh sediment transport

Coleman, Daniel J.; Kirwan, Matthew L.

doi:10.1002/esp.4547

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 55 publications

(119 reference statements)

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“…Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface ( Figure 5). Like many other studies, we find vegetation has an important control on SSC (Coleman & Kirwan, 2019;Leonard & Reed, 2002;Li & Yang, 2009;Temmerman et al, 2005), particularly in controlling the decrease in SSC into the marsh interior (Figure 9a). However, we find that changes in SSC from the channel to the marsh edge do not vary as strongly with plant biomass, suggesting that vegetation is less important near channel edges (Figure 9a).…”

Section: 1029/2020jf005558supporting

confidence: 87%

Sediment Delivery to a Tidal Marsh Platform Is Minimized by Source Decoupling and Flux Convergence

Coleman

Ganju²,

Kirwan

2020

JGR Earth Surface

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Sediment supply is a primary factor in determining marsh response to sea level rise and is typically approximated through high‐resolution measurements of suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) from adjacent tidal channels. However, understanding sediment transport across the marsh itself remains limited by discontinuous measurements of SSC over individual tidal cycles. Here, we use an array of optical turbidity sensors to build a long‐term, continuous record of SSC across a marsh platform and adjacent tidal channel. We find that channel and marsh concentrations are correlated (i.e., coupled) within tidal cycles but are largely decoupled over longer time scales. We also find that net sediment fluxes decline to near zero within 10 m of the marsh edge. Together, these results suggest that large sections of the marsh platform receive minimal sediment independent of flooding frequency or channel sediment supply. Marsh‐centric, as opposed to channel‐centric, measures of sediment supply may better characterize marsh platform vulnerability.

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Section: 1029/2020jf005558supporting

confidence: 87%

Sediment Delivery to a Tidal Marsh Platform Is Minimized by Source Decoupling and Flux Convergence

Coleman

Ganju²,

Kirwan

2020

JGR Earth Surface

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“…Complete removal of vegetation increases flow velocities on the marsh platform, which has been shown in a field experiment (Temmerman et al ) and in a number of modeling studies (Temmerman et al ; Ashall et al ; Wu et al ). The increase in flow velocity has been attributed to reduced friction and would imply lower sedimentation rates or even erosion after marsh die‐off (Silliman et al ; Sheehan and Ellison ; Coleman and Kirwan ). In the unvegetated channels that typically cut through marsh platforms and that supply water and sediments to and from the surrounding marsh platform, a contrasting effect has been demonstrated in a field experiment: complete removal of surrounding marsh vegetation resulted in lower channel flow velocities (Temmerman et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How progressive vegetation die‐off in a tidal marsh would affect flow and sedimentation patterns: A field demonstration

Schepers

Braeckel

Bouma

et al. 2019

Limnology & Oceanography

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Coastal marshes provide valuable ecosystem functions, but some are facing increasing risks of vegetation loss due to sea level rise and other stressors. A key question is how tidal flow and sedimentation patterns are affected by the spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation loss, as sediment accretion with sea level rise largely affects the potential for marsh recovery. Here, we performed a field study in a macrotidal reed marsh and simulated typical spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation loss by consecutive mowing. For each mowing pattern, the spatial patterns of flow velocities and sedimentation rates were recorded. Our results indicate that initial vegetation loss in inner marsh portions, with an intact vegetation belt alongside channel edges, has limited effect on tidal flows over the marsh. However, subsequent creation of unvegetated corridors connecting the bare inner marsh and the channels increases flow velocities in these corridors but not in remaining vegetation patches. Finally, when all vegetation is removed, sheet flow occurs over the whole marsh instead of concentrated channel flow. Effects on spatial sedimentation patterns are complex and not significant on all measuring locations. Nevertheless, our study indicates that complete vegetation removal results in redistributed sedimentation patterns, with a general tendency of locally reduced sedimentation rates close (< 15 m) to channels and increased sediment supply to inner marshes 15–50 m from channels. Our results highlight that feedbacks between spatial patterns of vegetation loss, tidal sediment transport, and deposition are key to understanding and mitigating risks of marsh loss in face of sea level rise.

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“…Salvador de Paiva et al ., 2018; Schotanus et al ., 2020), mudflats and marshes (e.g. Temmerman et al ., 2003; Townend et al ., 2011; Nolte et al ., 2013; Schwarz et al ., 2015; Coleman and Kirwan, 2019; Schepers et al ., 2020) and coastal dunes (e.g. Gao et al ., 2020).…”

Section: This Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of methods to decipher coastal biogeomorphological feedback systems have been employed, including field observations (e.g. Neumeier and Amos, 2006; Turner et al ., 2006; Coleman and Kirwan, 2019; Schepers et al ., 2020), laboratory studies (e.g. Möller et al ., 2014; Spencer et al ., 2016; Lokhorst et al ., 2019; Yuan et al ., 2019), and numerical modelling (e.g.…”

Section: This Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

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Biogeomorphology, quo vadis? On processes, time, and space in biogeomorphology

Larsen

Nardin

Lageweg

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Biogeomorphology has been expanding as a discipline, due to increased recognition of the role that biology can play in geomorphic processes, as well as due to our increasing capacity to measure and quantify feedback between biological and geomorphological systems. Here, we provide an overview of the growth and status of biogeomorphology. This overview also provides the context for introducing this special issue on biogeomorphology, and specifically examines the thematic domains of biogeomorphological research, methods used, open questions and conundrums, problems encountered, future research directions, and practical applications in management and policy (e.g. nature‐based solutions). We find that whilst biogeomorphological studies have a long history, there remain many new and surprising biogeomorphic processes and feedbacks that are only now being identified and quantified. Based on the current state of knowledge, we suggest that linking ecological and geomorphic processes across different spatio‐temporal scales emerges as the main research challenge in biogeomorphology, as well as the translation of biogeomorphic knowledge into management approaches to environmental systems. We recommend that future biogeomorphic studies should help to contextualize environmental feedbacks by including the spatio‐temporal scales relevant to the organism(s) under investigation, using knowledge of their ecology and size (or metabolic rate). Furthermore, in order to sufficiently understand the ‘engineering’ capacity of organisms, we recommend studying at least the time period bounded by two disturbance events, and recommend to also investigate the geomorphic work done during disturbance events, in order to put estimates of engineering capacity of biota into a wider perspective. Finally, the future seems bright, as increasingly inter‐disciplinary and longer‐term monitoring are coming to fruition, and we can expect important advances in process understanding across scales and better‐informed modelling efforts. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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The effect of a small vegetation dieback event on salt marsh sediment transport

Cited by 17 publications

References 55 publications

Sediment Delivery to a Tidal Marsh Platform Is Minimized by Source Decoupling and Flux Convergence

Sediment Delivery to a Tidal Marsh Platform Is Minimized by Source Decoupling and Flux Convergence

How progressive vegetation die‐off in a tidal marsh would affect flow and sedimentation patterns: A field demonstration

Biogeomorphology, quo vadis? On processes, time, and space in biogeomorphology

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