The Effects Of Sea-Level Rise On Coastal Salt Marshes
The Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal Salt Marshes and their Associated Ecosystem Services
Katelyn M. Nyberg
Introduction
Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) has observed an increase of 0.19 meters of global mean sea-level rise from 1901 to 2010, with “about 70% of the coastlines worldwide projected to experience a sea level change within ±20% of the global mean” (IPCC 2014). Dramatic increases in sea-level are produced by increasing temperatures which cause glaciers to melt and ocean thermal expansion, all of which is frequently attributed to past and current anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Depending on the four different climate change scenarios, based on “population size, economic activity, lifestyle, …show more content…
In the U.S., salt marshes occur along both the east and west coastlines. These habitats are estuarine wetlands that receive inputs from both saltwater and freshwater, creating a very unique system of biodiversity. The most defining factors that make up a salt marsh are the elevation, topography, and composition of the substrate that affects moisture and salinity, creating different layers of vegetation throughout the intertidal zone (USFWS 1999). Coastal salt marsh habitats have been frequently subjected to human modification since the early 1900s due to the high desire for development in beautiful coastal areas, resulting in these habitats being filled in, polluted, exposed to invasive species, and having drastic changes in hydrology regimes (USFWS 1999). Dahl and Stedman (2013) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service estimate that more than 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands are being lost on average each …show more content…
W., Christian, R. R., Boesch, D. M., Yáñez-Arancibia, A., Morris, J., Twilley, R. R., ... & Schaffner, L. 2008. Consequences of climate change on the ecogeomorphology of coastal wetlands. Estuaries and Coasts, 31(3), 477-491.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.
Pont, D., Day, J. W., Hensel, P., Franquet, E., Torre, F., Rioual, P., ... & Coulet, E. 2002. Response scenarios for the deltaic plain of the Rhone in the face of an acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise with special attention to Salicornia-type environments. Estuaries and Coasts, 25(3), 337-358.
Reed, D. J. 1990. The impact of sea-level rise on coastal salt marshes. Progress in Physical Geography, 14(4), 465-481.
Sherwood, E. T., & Greening, H. S. 2014. Potential impacts and management implications of climate change on Tampa Bay Estuary critical coastal habitats. Environmental management, 53(2),
Katelyn M. Nyberg
Introduction
Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) has observed an increase of 0.19 meters of global mean sea-level rise from 1901 to 2010, with “about 70% of the coastlines worldwide projected to experience a sea level change within ±20% of the global mean” (IPCC 2014). Dramatic increases in sea-level are produced by increasing temperatures which cause glaciers to melt and ocean thermal expansion, all of which is frequently attributed to past and current anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Depending on the four different climate change scenarios, based on “population size, economic activity, lifestyle, …show more content…
In the U.S., salt marshes occur along both the east and west coastlines. These habitats are estuarine wetlands that receive inputs from both saltwater and freshwater, creating a very unique system of biodiversity. The most defining factors that make up a salt marsh are the elevation, topography, and composition of the substrate that affects moisture and salinity, creating different layers of vegetation throughout the intertidal zone (USFWS 1999). Coastal salt marsh habitats have been frequently subjected to human modification since the early 1900s due to the high desire for development in beautiful coastal areas, resulting in these habitats being filled in, polluted, exposed to invasive species, and having drastic changes in hydrology regimes (USFWS 1999). Dahl and Stedman (2013) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service estimate that more than 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands are being lost on average each …show more content…
W., Christian, R. R., Boesch, D. M., Yáñez-Arancibia, A., Morris, J., Twilley, R. R., ... & Schaffner, L. 2008. Consequences of climate change on the ecogeomorphology of coastal wetlands. Estuaries and Coasts, 31(3), 477-491.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.
Pont, D., Day, J. W., Hensel, P., Franquet, E., Torre, F., Rioual, P., ... & Coulet, E. 2002. Response scenarios for the deltaic plain of the Rhone in the face of an acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise with special attention to Salicornia-type environments. Estuaries and Coasts, 25(3), 337-358.
Reed, D. J. 1990. The impact of sea-level rise on coastal salt marshes. Progress in Physical Geography, 14(4), 465-481.
Sherwood, E. T., & Greening, H. S. 2014. Potential impacts and management implications of climate change on Tampa Bay Estuary critical coastal habitats. Environmental management, 53(2),