scholarly journals Salinity Thresholds for Understory Plants in Coastal Wetlands.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Anderson ◽  
Emily Ury ◽  
Paul Taillie ◽  
Eric Ungberg ◽  
Christopher Moorman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Coastal Wetlands ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Ground Layer ◽  
Indicator Taxa ◽  
Coastal Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marsh Plant ◽  
Vegetation Surveys

Abstract The effects of sea level rise and coastal saltwater intrusion on wetland plants can extend well above the high-tide line due to drought, hurricanes, and groundwater intrusion. Research has examined how coastal salt marsh plant communities respond to increased flooding and salinity, but more inland coastal systems have received less attention. The aim of this study was to identify whether ground layer plants exhibit threshold responses to salinity exposure. We used two vegetation surveys throughout the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula (APP) of North Carolina, USA to assess vegetation in a low elevation landscape (< 3.8 m) experiencing high rates of sea level rise (3-4 mm/year). We examined the primary drivers of community composition change using Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS), and used Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) to detect thresholds of compositional change based on indicator taxa, in response to potential indicators of exposure to saltwater (elevation, Na, and the S Ca + Mg). Salinity and elevation explained 64% of the variation in community composition, and we found two salinity thresholds for both soil Na+ (265 and 3843 g Na+/g), and Ca+ + Mg+ (42 and 126 µeq/g ) where major changes in community composition occur on the APP. Similar sets of species showed sensitivity to these different metrics of salt exposure. Overall, our results showed that ground layer plants can be used as reliable indicators of salinity thresholds in coastal wetlands. These results can be used for monitoring salt exposure of ecosystems and for identifying areas at risk for undergoing future community shifts.

scholarly journals Coastal wetlands can be saved from sea level rise by recreating past tidal regimes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmood Sadat-Noori ◽  
Caleb Rankin ◽  
Duncan Rayner ◽  
Valentin Heimhuber ◽  
Troy Gaston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Wetlands ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Tidal Regime ◽  
Vegetation Sampling ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Intertidal Ecosystems

AbstractClimate change driven Sea Level Rise (SLR) is creating a major global environmental crisis in coastal ecosystems, however, limited practical solutions are provided to prevent or mitigate the impacts. Here, we propose a novel eco-engineering solution to protect highly valued vegetated intertidal ecosystems. The new ‘Tidal Replicate Method’ involves the creation of a synthetic tidal regime that mimics the desired hydroperiod for intertidal wetlands. This synthetic tidal regime can then be applied via automated tidal control systems, “SmartGates”, at suitable locations. As a proof of concept study, this method was applied at an intertidal wetland with the aim of restabilising saltmarsh vegetation at a location representative of SLR. Results from aerial drone surveys and on-ground vegetation sampling indicated that the Tidal Replicate Method effectively established saltmarsh onsite over a 3-year period of post-restoration, showing the method is able to protect endangered intertidal ecosystems from submersion. If applied globally, this method can protect high value coastal wetlands with similar environmental settings, including over 1,184,000 ha of Ramsar coastal wetlands. This equates to a saving of US$230 billion in ecosystem services per year. This solution can play an important role in the global effort to conserve coastal wetlands under accelerating SLR.

scholarly journals Compounding effects of sea level rise and fluvial flooding

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (37) ◽  
pp. 9785-9790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed R. Moftakhari ◽  
Gianfausto Salvadori ◽  
Amir AghaKouchak ◽  
Brett F. Sanders ◽  
Richard A. Matthew
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Hazard Assessment ◽  
Failure Probability ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Probability Method ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Flood Hazard Assessment

Sea level rise (SLR), a well-documented and urgent aspect of anthropogenic global warming, threatens population and assets located in low-lying coastal regions all around the world. Common flood hazard assessment practices typically account for one driver at a time (e.g., either fluvial flooding only or ocean flooding only), whereas coastal cities vulnerable to SLR are at risk for flooding from multiple drivers (e.g., extreme coastal high tide, storm surge, and river flow). Here, we propose a bivariate flood hazard assessment approach that accounts for compound flooding from river flow and coastal water level, and we show that a univariate approach may not appropriately characterize the flood hazard if there are compounding effects. Using copulas and bivariate dependence analysis, we also quantify the increases in failure probabilities for 2030 and 2050 caused by SLR under representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5. Additionally, the increase in failure probability is shown to be strongly affected by compounding effects. The proposed failure probability method offers an innovative tool for assessing compounding flood hazards in a warming climate.

scholarly journals New elevation data triple estimates of global vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Kulp ◽  
Benjamin H. Strauss
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Data ◽  
Global Mean Sea Level ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Global Mean

Abstract Most estimates of global mean sea-level rise this century fall below 2 m. This quantity is comparable to the positive vertical bias of the principle digital elevation model (DEM) used to assess global and national population exposures to extreme coastal water levels, NASA’s SRTM. CoastalDEM is a new DEM utilizing neural networks to reduce SRTM error. Here we show – employing CoastalDEM—that 190 M people (150–250 M, 90% CI) currently occupy global land below projected high tide lines for 2100 under low carbon emissions, up from 110 M today, for a median increase of 80 M. These figures triple SRTM-based values. Under high emissions, CoastalDEM indicates up to 630 M people live on land below projected annual flood levels for 2100, and up to 340 M for mid-century, versus roughly 250 M at present. We estimate one billion people now occupy land less than 10 m above current high tide lines, including 230 M below 1 m.

Examining the potential impacts of sea level rise on coastal wetlands in north-eastern NSW, Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Elumpe Akumu ◽  
Sumith Pathirana ◽  
Serwan Baban ◽  
Daniel Bucher
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Wetlands ◽  
North Eastern

The effects of tidal changes on the frequency of nuisance flooding events in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sida Li ◽  
Thomas Wahl ◽  
David Jay ◽  
Stefan Talke ◽  
Lintao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
High Tide ◽  
The United States ◽  
Tide Gauges ◽  
Relative Sea Level ◽  
Relative Sea Level Rise ◽  
Tidal Changes ◽  
Cape Fear ◽  
The U.S

&lt;p&gt;Nuisance flooding (NF) or high tide flooding describes minor nondestructive flooding which can nonetheless cause substantial negative socio-economic impacts to coastal communities. The frequency of NF events has increased and accelerated over the past decades along the U.S. coast, leading to changes ranging from 300% to 900%. This is mainly a result of sea level rise reducing the gap between high tidal datum and flood thresholds. While long-term relative sea level rise is the main driver for the increased number of NF events, other factors such as variability in the Gulf stream, the storm climate, and infragravity waves can also contribute. Another important driver that is often overlooked is related to changes in coastal and estuary tides, through secular trends in the amplitudes of major tidal constituents. In this presentation we assess the role of tidal changes in modulating the frequency of NF events along the U.S. coastline. We analyze hourly records from 49 U.S. tide gauges for which the National Weather Service has defined NF thresholds. We find that (1) overall across all tide gauges the number of NF days has increased since 1950 due to changes in coastal tides, adding up to 100 NF days in recent years (on top of the increase due to relative sea level rise), (2) more tide gauges experience an increase in NF events than a decrease due to changes in tides, (3) tide gauges in major estuaries which have undergone major anthropogenic alterations experience the strongest changes; in Wilmington (Cape Fear estuary), for example, 10-40% of NF events in recent years can be attributed to tidal changes.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

Predicting the effects of sea level rise on salt marsh plant communities: does vegetation age matter more than sea level?

2014 ◽  
Vol 148 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
Antoine Meirland ◽  
Emilie Gallet-Moron ◽  
Hervé Rybarczyk ◽  
Frédéric Dubois ◽  
Olivier Chabrerie
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Marsh Plant ◽  
Salt Marsh Plant

scholarly journals Processes Contributing to Resilience of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-Level Rise

Ecosystems ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1445-1459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille L. Stagg ◽  
Ken W. Krauss ◽  
Donald R. Cahoon ◽  
Nicole Cormier ◽  
William H. Conner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Wetlands

scholarly journals How Sediment Transport Sways Wetland Stability

Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily Strelich
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Wetlands ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Concentration

Scientists examine the role of variables like tides and suspended sediment concentration to improve methods of evaluating coastal wetlands and how they may respond to future sea level rise.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document