Coastal Wetland Restoration Bibliography

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Yozzo, David

1997-01-01

This bibliography was compiled to provide biologists, engineers, and planners at Corps Districts and other agencies/ institutions with a guide to the diverse body of literature on coastal wetland restoration...

Lake Superior Coastal Wetland Fish Assemblages and ...

Science.gov (United States)

The role of the coastal margin and the watershed context in defining the ecology of even very large lakes is increasingly being recognized and examined. Coastal wetlands are both important contributors to the biodiversity and productivity of large lakes and important mediators of the lake-basin connection. We explored wetland-watershed connections and their relationship to wetland function and condition using data collected from 37 Lake Superior wetlands spanning a substantial geographic and geomorphic gradient. While none of these wetlands are particularly disturbed, there were nevertheless clear relationships between watershed landuse and wetland habitat and biota, and these varied consistently across wetland type categories that reflected the strength of connection to the watershed. For example, water clarity and vegetation structure complexity declined with decreasing percent natural land cover, and these effects were strongest in riverine wetlands (having generally large watersheds and tributary-dominated hydrology) and weakest in lagoon wetlands (having generally small watersheds and lake-dominate hydrology). Fish abundance and species richness both increased with decreasing percent natural land cover while species diversity decreased, and again the effect was strongest in riverine wetlands. Lagoonal wetlands, which lack any substantial tributary, consistently harbored the fewest species of fish and a composition different from the more watershed-lin

Dynamics of carbon sequestration in a coastal wetland using radiocarbon measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yonghoon; Wang, Yang

2004-12-01

Coastal wetlands are sensitive to global climate change and may play an important role in the global carbon cycle. However, the dynamics of carbon (C) cycling in coastal wetlands and its response to sea level change associated with global warming is still poorly understood. In this study, we estimated the long-term and short-term rates of C accumulation, using C and C isotopic measurements of peat cores collected along a soil chronosequence, in a coastal wetland in north Florida. The long-term C accumulation rates determined by examining the C inventory and the radioactive decay of radiocarbon as a function of depth in the peat cores decrease with time from ˜130 ± 9 g C/m2/yr over the last century to ˜13 ± 2 g C/m2/yr over the millennium timescale. The short-term C accumulation rates estimated by examining the differences in the radiocarbon and C contents of the surfacial peat between archived (1985, 1988) and present (1996 and 1997) samples range from 42 to 193 g C/m2/yr in low marsh, from 18 to 184 g C/m2/yr in middle marsh, and from -50 to 181 g C/m2/yr in high marsh. The high end-values of our estimated short-term C accumulation rates are comparable to the estimated rates of C sequestration in coastal wetlands reported by [2003], but are significantly higher than our estimated long-term rates in the marshes and are also much higher than the published rates of C sequestration in northern peatlands. The higher recent rates of C accumulation in coastal marshes, in comparison with the longer-term rates, are due to slow but continuous decomposition of organic matter in the peat over time. However, other factors such as increased primary production in the coastal wetland over the last decades or century, due to a rise in mean sea level and/or CO2 and nitrogen fertilization effect, could also have contributed to the large difference between the recent and longer-term rates. Our data indicate that salt marshes in this area have been and continue to be a sink for

Methane emissions from different coastal wetlands in New England, US

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, F.; Tang, J.; Kroeger, K. D.; Gonneea, M. E.

2017-12-01

According to the IPCC, methane have 25 times warming effect than CO2, and natural wetlands contribute 20-39 % to the global emission of methane. Although most of these methane was from inland wetlands, there was still large uncertain in the methane emissions in coastal wetlands. In the past three years, we have investigated methane emissions in coastal wetlands in MA, USA. Contrary to previous assumptions, we have observed relative larger methane flux in some salt marshes than freshwater wetlands. We further detect the methane source, and found that plant activities played an important role in methane flux, for example, the growth of S. aterniflora, the dominate plants in salt marsh, could enhance methane emission, while in an fresh water wetland that was dominated by cattail, plant activity oxided methane and reduced total flux. Phragmite, an invasive plant at brackish marsh, have the highest methane flux among all coastal wetland investigated. This study indicated that coastal wetland could still emit relatively high amount of methane even under high water salinity condiations, and plant activity played an important role in methane flux, and this role was highly species-specific.

Assessment on vulnerability of coastal wetlands to sea level rise in the Yangtze Estuary, China

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, L.; Ge, Z.; Zhang, L.

2013-12-01

The Yangtze Delta in China is vital economic hubs in terms of settlement, industry, agriculture, trade and tourism as well as of great environmental significance. In recent decades, the prospect of climate change, in particular sea level rise and its effects on low lying coastal areas have generated worldwide attention to coastal ecosystems. Coastal wetlands, as important parts of coastal ecosystem, are particularly sensitive to sea level rise. To study the responses of coastal wetlands to climate change, assess the impacts of climate change on coastal wetlands and formulate feasible and practical mitigation strategies are the important prerequisites for securing the coastal zone ecosystems. In this study, taking the coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary as a case study, the potential impacts of sea-level rise to coastal wetlands habitat were analyzed by the Source-Pathway-Receptor-Consequence (SPRC) model. The key indicators, such as the sea-level rise rate, subsidence rate, elevation, daily inundation duration of habitat and sedimentation rate, were selected to build a vulnerability assessment system according to the IPCC definition of vulnerability, i.e. the aspects of exposure, sensitivity and adaptation. A quantitatively spatial assessment method on the GIS platform was established by quantifying each indicator, calculating the vulnerability index and grading the vulnerability. The vulnerability assessment on the coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary under the sea level rise rate of the present trend and IPCC A1F1 scenario were performed for three sets of projections of short-term (2030s), mid-term (2050s) and long-term (2100s). The results showed that at the present trend of sea level rise rate of 0.26 cm/a, 92.3 % of the coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary was in the EVI score of 0 in 2030s, i.e. the impact of sea level rise on habitats/species of coastal wetlands was negligible. While 7.4 % and 0.3 % of the coastal wetlands were in the EVI score of

Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation Plan Boundary, Geographic NAD83, LDNR (1998) [conservation_plan_boundary_LDNR_1998

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is a polygon dataset depicting the areas of coastal wetlands in the state of Louisiana. This area encloses the tidally influenced coastal region three feet or...

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation and its contribution to nitrogen removal in China’s coastal wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Lijun; Zheng, Yanling; Liu, Min; Li, Xiaofei; Lin, Xianbiao; Yin, Guoyu; Gao, Juan; Deng, Fengyu; Chen, Fei; Jiang, Xiaofen

2015-01-01

Over the past several decades, human activities have caused substantial enrichment of reactive nitrogen in China’s coastal wetlands. Although anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), the process of oxidizing ammonium into dinitrogen gas through the reduction of nitrite, is identified as an important process for removing reactive nitrogen, little is known about the dynamics of anammox and its contribution to nitrogen removal in nitrogen-enriched environments. Here, we examine potential rates of anammox and associate them with bacterial diversity and abundance across the coastal wetlands of China using molecular and isotope tracing techniques. High anammox bacterial diversity was detected in China’s coastal wetlands and included Candidatus Scalindua, Kuenenia, Brocadia, and Jettenia. Potential anammox rates were more closely associated with the abundance of anammox bacteria than to their diversity. Among all measured environmental variables, temperature was a key environmental factor, causing a latitudinal distribution of the anammox bacterial community composition, biodiversity and activity along the coastal wetlands of China. Based on nitrogen isotope tracing experiments, anammox was estimated to account for approximately 3.8–10.7% of the total reactive nitrogen removal in the study area. Combined with denitrification, anammox can remove 20.7% of the total external terrigenous inorganic nitrogen annually transported into China’s coastal wetland ecosystems. PMID:26494435

Coastal Wetlands Protection Act: Case of Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River

OpenAIRE

Latif Gürkan KAYA

2007-01-01

Coastal wetlands, being important components of estuarine and coastal systems, stand for all publicly owned lands subject to the ebb and flow of the tide. They are below the watermark of ordinary high tide. The coastal wetlands contain a vital natural resource system. The coastal wetlands resource system, unless impossible, to reconstruct or rehabilitate once adversely affected by human. In the USA, the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river states (i.e. Georgia, Alabama and Florida) ha...

A meta-analysis of coastal wetland ecosystem services in Liaoning Province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Baodi; Cui, Lijuan; Li, Wei; Kang, Xiaoming; Pan, Xu; Lei, Yinru

2018-01-01

Wetlands are impacted by economic and political initiatives, and their ecosystem services are attracting increasing public attention. It is crucial that management decisions for wetland ecosystem services quantify the economic value of the ecosystem services. In this paper, we aimed to estimate a monetary value for coastal wetland ecosystem services in Liaoning Province, China. We selected 433 observations from 85 previous coastal wetland economic evaluations (mostly in China) including detailed spatial and economic characteristics in each wetland, then used a meta-analysis scale transfer method to calculate the total value of coastal wetland ecosystem services in Liaoning Province. Our results demonstrated that, on average, the ecosystem services provided by seven different coastal wetland types were worth US40,648 per ha per year, and the total value was 28,990,439,041 in 2013. Shallow marine waters accounted for the largest proportion (83.97%). Variables with a significant positive effect on the ecosystem service values included GDP per capita, population density, distance from the wetland to the city center and the year of evaluation, while wetland size and latitude had negative relationships.

Balancing Methane Emissions and Carbon Sequestration in Tropical/Subtropical Coastal Wetlands: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsch, W. J.; Schafer, K. V.; Cabezas, A.; Bernal, B.

2016-02-01

Wetlands are estimated to emit about 20 to 25 percent of current global CH4 emissions, or about 120 to 180 Tg-CH4 yr-1. Thus, in climate change discussions concerning wetlands, these "natural emissions" often receive the most attention, often overshadowing the more important ecosystem services that wetlands provide, including carbon sequestration. While methane emissions from coastal wetlands have generally been described as small due to competing biogeochemical cycles, disturbance of coastal wetlands, e.g., the introduction of excessive freshwater fluxes or substrate disturbance, can lead to much higher methane emission rates. Carbon sequestration is a more positive carbon story about wetlands and coastal wetlands in particular. The rates of carbon sequestration in tropical/subtropical coastal wetlands, mainly mangroves, are in the range of 100 to 200 g-C m-2 yr-1, two to ten times higher rates than in the more frequently studied northern peatlands. This function of coastal wetlands has significant international support now for mangrove conservation and it is referred to in the literature and popular press as blue carbon. This presentation will summarize what we know about methane emissions and carbon sequestration in tropical/subtropical coastal wetlands, how these rates compare with those in non-tropical and/or inland wetlands, and a demonstration of two or three models that compare methane fluxes with carbon dioxide sequestration to determine if wetlands are net sinks of radiative forcing. The presentation will also present a global model of carbon with an emphasis on wetlands.

Fish resources of Lagos State coastal wetlands | Ayodele | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fishing is the major occupation of the people found along the coastal wetland of Lagos State. Fishing is carried out all the year round. This study examines the fishing Activities, Gear composition and fishing methods in order to obtain the fish species and harvest composition of the study area. This paper is based on the ...

Land area change in coastal Louisiana (1932 to 2016)

Science.gov (United States)

Couvillion, Brady R.; Beck, Holly; Schoolmaster, Donald; Fischer, Michelle

2017-07-12

Coastal Louisiana wetlands are one of the most critically threatened environments in the United States. These wetlands are in peril because Louisiana currently experiences greater coastal wetland loss than all other States in the contiguous United States combined. The analyses of landscape change presented here have utilized historical surveys, aerial, and satellite data to quantify landscape changes from 1932 to 2016. Analyses show that coastal Louisiana has experienced a net change in land area of approximately -4,833 square kilometers (modeled estimate: -5,197 +/- 443 square kilometers) from 1932 to 2016. This net change in land area amounts to a decrease of approximately 25 percent of the 1932 land area. Previous studies have presented linear rates of change over multidecadal time periods which unintentionally suggest that wetland change occurs at a constant rate, although in many cases, wetland change rates vary with time. A penalized regression spline technique was used to determine the model that best fit the data, rather than fitting the data with linear trends. Trend analyses from model fits indicate that coastwide rates of wetland change have varied from -83.5 +/- 11.8 square kilometers per year to -28.01 +/- 16.37 square kilometers per year. To put these numbers into perspective, this equates to long-term average loss rates of approximately an American football field’s worth of coastal wetlands within 34 minutes when losses are rapid to within 100 minutes at more recent, slower rates. Of note is the slowing of the rate of wetland change since its peak in the mid- 1970s. Not only have rates of wetland loss been decreasing since that time, a further rate reduction has been observed since 2010. Possible reasons for this reduction include recovery from lows affected by the hurricanes of 2005 and 2008, the lack of major storms in the past 8 years, a possible slowing of subsidence rates, the reduction in and relocation of oil and gas extraction and

Macroclimatic change expected to transform coastal wetland ecosystems this century

Science.gov (United States)

Gabler, Christopher A.; Osland, Michael J.; Grace, James B.; Stagg, Camille L.; Day, Richard H.; Hartley, Stephen B.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; From, Andrew S.; McCoy, Meagan L.; McLeod, Jennie L.

2017-01-01

Coastal wetlands, existing at the interface between land and sea, are highly vulnerable to climate change. Macroclimate (for example, temperature and precipitation regimes) greatly influences coastal wetland ecosystem structure and function. However, research on climate change impacts in coastal wetlands has concentrated primarily on sea-level rise and largely ignored macroclimatic drivers, despite their power to transform plant community structure and modify ecosystem goods and services. Here, we model wetland plant community structure based on macroclimate using field data collected across broad temperature and precipitation gradients along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Our analyses quantify strongly nonlinear temperature thresholds regulating the potential for marsh-to-mangrove conversion. We also identify precipitation thresholds for dominance by various functional groups, including succulent plants and unvegetated mudflats. Macroclimate-driven shifts in foundation plant species abundance will have large effects on certain ecosystem goods and services. Based on current and projected climatic conditions, we project that transformative ecological changes are probable throughout the region this century, even under conservative climate scenarios. Coastal wetland ecosystems are functionally similar worldwide, so changes in this region are indicative of potential future changes in climatically similar regions globally.

Stimulating a Great Lakes coastal wetland seed bank using portable cofferdams: implications for habitat rehabilitation

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalski, K.P.; Wilcox, D.A.; Wiley, M.J.

2009-01-01

Coastal wetland seed banks exposed by low lake levels or through management actions fuel the reestablishment of emergent plant assemblages (i.e., wetland habitat) critical to Great Lakes aquatic biota. This project explored the effectiveness of using portable, water-filled cofferdams as a management tool to promote the natural growth of emergent vegetation from the seed bank in a Lake Erie coastal wetland. A series of dams stretching approximately 450??m was installed temporarily to isolate hydrologically a 10-ha corner of the Crane Creek wetland complex from Lake Erie. The test area was dewatered in 2004 to mimic a low-water year, and vegetation sampling characterized the wetland seed bank response at low, middle, and high elevations in areas open to and protected from bird and mammal herbivory. The nearly two-month drawdown stimulated a rapid seed-bank-driven response by 45 plant taxa. Herbivory had little effect on plant species richness, regardless of the location along an elevation gradient. Inundation contributed to the replacement of immature emergent plant species with submersed aquatic species after the dams failed and were removed prematurely. This study revealed a number of important issues that must be considered for effective long-term implementation of portable cofferdam technology to stimulate wetland seed banks, including duration of dewatering, product size, source of clean water, replacement of damaged dams, and regular maintenance. This technology is a potentially important tool in the arsenal used by resource managers seeking to rehabilitate the functions and values of Great Lakes coastal wetland habitats.

Jiangsu coastal highland reclamation and its wetland ecological construction-a case analysis of the Tiaozini reclamation project

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Meixiu; Xu, Xianghong

2017-04-01

Reclamation is one potential solution for the increasing demand of new land for living and development. In past centuries, many coastal countries, such as the Netherlands, UK, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, had exploited extensively sea enclosing and reclamation fordefense against storm surges,agricultural and industrial development, as well as for coastal city expansion along the coast. China has continuously reclaimed coastal sea areas from the 1950s. With rapid economic development and increasing population in coastal areas during recent decades, reclamation has been regarded as an effective measure to resolve the land shortage as cities and industries expand, particularly in South-East coastal areas. Jiangsu province, located in East China, has a similar amount of land territory area to the Netherlands, however, its population is almost fivefold instead. Since its coastal area generates large amounts of tidal flat resources due to its unique hydrodynamic and geomorphic conditions, coastal reclamation plays a vital role in guaranteeing the food security for the Jiangsu Province or even the whole nation. The Tiaozini Reclamation Project (TRP), located between N32.720°-32.882°, E120.894°-120.969°, in Jianggang county of Jiangsu coastal region, with an area of 6,746ha, was reclaimed along the prograding muddy silt coast in 2012. It should be noted that the TRP was reclaimed from theoretical bathymetrical datum of about 4.6m. It is estimated that the shoreline moves towards the sea at a rate of 100m/year and the tidal flat raises at a rate of 5 10 cm/year respectively because of the external tidal flat being continually prograding and drying. After finishing reclamation,the TRP develops with nature: for the dried tidal flat high land,developing ecological agriculture after integrated soil improvement with reducing salt and cultivating fertilizer; for the drying tidal flat,developing ecological fishery by inceasing artificial wetland area; for lower tidal flat

Monitoring coastal wetlands in a highly dynamic tropical environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saynor, M.J.; Finlayson, C.M.; Spiers, A.; Eliot, I.

2001-01-01

The Alligator Rivers Region in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia has been selected by government and collaborating agencies as a key study area for the monitoring of natural and human-induced coastal change. The Region contains the floodplain wetlands of Kakadu National Park which have been recognised internationally for their natural and cultural heritage value. A coastal monitoring program for assessing and monitoring environmental change in the Alligator Rivers Region has been established at the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist. This program has developed a regional capacity to measure and assess change on the wetlands, floodplains and coastline within the region. Field assessment and monitoring procedures have been developed for the program. The assessment procedures require use of georeferencing and data handling techniques to facilitate comparison and relational overlay of a wide variety of information. Monitoring includes regular survey of biophysical and cultural processes on the floodplains; such as the extension of tidal creeks and mangroves, shoreline movement, dieback in Melaleuca wetlands, and weed invasion of freshwater wetlands. A differential Global Positioning System is used to accurately georeference spatial data and a Geographic Information System is then used to store and assess information. The assessment and monitoring procedures can be applied to the wet-dry tropics in general. These studies are all particularly pertinent with the possibility of greenhouse gases causing global warming and potential sea-level rise, a major possible threat to the valued wetlands of Kakadu National Park, and across the wet-dry tropics in general

Floristic Quality Index of Restored Wetlands in Coastal Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-01

ER D C/ EL T R- 17 -1 5 Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program Floristic Quality Index of Restored Wetlands in Coastal...of Wisconsin Lake Plant Communities with Example Applications. Lake and Reservoir Management 15(2): 133-141. Rocchio, J. 2007. Floristic Quality ... quality in Ohio wetlands. Science of the Total Environment 551: (556-562). Steyer, G. D., and R. E. Stewart, Jr. 1992. Monitoring Program for Coastal

[Vulnerability assessment on the coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary under sea-level rise].

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Li-Fang; Wang, Ning; Ge, Zhen-Ming; Zhang, Li-Quan

2014-02-01

To study the response of coastal wetlands to climate change, assess the impacts of climate change on the coastal wetlands and formulate feasible and practical mitigation strategies are the important prerequisite for securing coastal ecosystems. In this paper, the possible impacts of sea level rise caused by climate change on the coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary were analyzed by the Source-Pathway-Receptor-Consequence (SPRC) model and IPCC definition on the vulnerability. An indicator system for vulnerability assessment was established, in which sea-level rise rate, subsidence rate, habitat elevation, inundation threshold of habitat and sedimentation rate were selected as the key indicators. A quantitatively spatial assessment method based on the GIS platform was established by quantifying each indicator, calculating the vulnerability index and grading the vulnerability index for the assessment of coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary under the scenarios of sea-level rise. The vulnerability assessments on the coastal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary in 2030 and 2050 were performed under two sea-level rise scenarios (the present sea-level rise trend over recent 30 years and IPCC A1F1 scenario). The results showed that with the projection in 2030 under the present trend of sea-level rise (0.26 cm x a(-1)), 6.6% and 0.1% of the coastal wetlands were in the low and moderate vulnerabilities, respectively; and in 2050, 9.8% and 0.2% of the coastal wetlands were in low and moderate vulnerabilities, respectively. With the projection in 2030 under the A1F1 scenario (0.59 cm x a(-1)), 9.0% and 0.1% of the coastal wetlands were in the low and moderate vulnerabilities, respectively; and in 2050, 9.5%, 1.0% and 0.3% of the coastal wetlands were in the low, moderate and high vulnerabilities, respectively.

Floral diversity in the wetlands of Ibeju-Lekki Area, Lagos, Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Until very recently poor attention has been given to the management of wetlands in Nigeria despite their significance in the global food and water supply, energy needs and disaster management. Due to the rapid development of the Lagos coastal areas for commerce and industrial purposes, the natural coastal vegetation ...

Coastal wetlands, sea level, and the dimensions of geomorphic resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Jonathan D.

2018-03-01

Geomorphic system resilience is often perceived as an intrinsic property of system structure and interactions but is also related to idiosyncratic place and history factors. The importance of geographical and historical circumstances makes it difficult to generate categorical statements about geomorphic resilience. However, network-based analyses of system structure can be used to determine the dynamical stability (= resilience) based on generally applicable relationships and to determine scenarios of stability or instability. These provide guidelines for assessing place and history factors to assess resilience. A model of coastal wetlands is analyzed, based on interactions among relative sea level, wetland surface elevation, hydroperiod, vegetation, and sedimentation. The system is generally (but not always) dynamically unstable and non-resilient. Because of gradients of environmental factors and patchy distributions of microtopography and vegetation, a coastal wetland landscape may have extensive local variations in stability/resilience and in the key relationships that trigger instabilities. This is illustrated by a case study where dynamically unstable fragmentation is found in two nearby coastal wetlands in North Carolina's Neuse River estuary-Otter Creek Mouth and Anderson Creek. Neither is keeping pace with relative sea level rise, and both show unstable state transitions within the wetland system; but locally stable relationships exist within the wetland systems.

The potential accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in phytoplankton and bivalves in Can Gio coastal wetland, Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Thuy, Hoang Thi Thanh; Loan, Tu Thi Cam; Phuong, Trinh Hong

2018-05-12

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most important classes of anthropogenic persistent organic contaminants in the marine environment. This review discusses a whole range of findings that address various aspects of the bioaccumulation of PAHs in two common marine biota (phytoplankton and bivalves) globally and especially for Can Gio coastal wetland, Vietnam. The published information and collected data on the bioconcentration and accumulation mechanisms of PAHs as well as implications for Can Gio coastal wetland are compiled for phytoplankton and bivalves. PAHs are still released to Can Gio coastal environments from various sources and then transported to coastal environments through various physical processes; they may enter marine food chains and be highly accumulated in phytoplankton and bivalves. Thus, PAHs' bioaccumulation should be considered as one important criterion to assess the water's quality, directly linked to human health due to seafood consumption. Ecologically, Can Gio coastal wetland plays an important role to the South Vietnam key economic zone. However, it is also an area of potential PAHs inputs. With the abundant phytoplankton and bivalves in Can Gio coastal wetland, the PAHs bioaccumulation in these biota is inevitably detected. Thus, further study on the bioavailability of these contaminants is urgently needed in order to mitigate their negative effects and protect the ecosystems.

WETLAND CHANGE DETECTION IN PROTECTED AND UNPROTECTED INDUS COASTAL AND INLAND DELTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. H. Ali Baig

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Worth of wetland sites lies in their ecological importance. They enhance ecosystem via provision of ecological services like improving water quality, groundwater infiltration, flood risk reduction and biodiversity regulation. Like other parts of the world Pakistan is also facing wetlands degradation. Ecological and economic significance of wetlands was recognized officially in 1971 as Pakistan became signatory of Ramsar wetland convention. Wetlands provide habitat to species of ecological and economic importance. Despite being recognized for international importance, Ramsar figures state that almost half of Pakistan’s wetlands are at moderate or prominent level threat. Wetlands ecosystems are deteriorating at a rapid rate, if uncontrolled this trend may lead to substantial losses. Therefore, management of these resources demands regular monitoring. Present study is dedicated to assessing levels of change overtime in three distinct types of wetlands in Pakistan i.e. Indus delta a coastal wetland, Uchhali complex an inland wetland which are both protected sites while another site Nurri Lagoon which is not sheltered under any category of protected areas. Remotely sensed data has remarkable applications in change detection. Multitemporal Landsat images were used to map changes occurring from 2006 to 2016. Results reveal that wetland area has considerably decreased for all types. Both protected sites have experienced degradation though impact is comparatively lesser than unprotected Nurri lagoon. Significance of protection strategies cannot be denied, it is recommended that mere declaration of a site protected area is not sufficient. It is equally important to control non-point pollutants and ensuring the compliance of conservation strategy.

Wetland Change Detection in Protected and Unprotected Indus Coastal and Inland Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Baig, M. H. Ali; Sultan, M.; Riaz Khan, M.; Zhang, L.; Kozlova, M.; Malik, N. Abbas; Wang, S.

2017-09-01

Worth of wetland sites lies in their ecological importance. They enhance ecosystem via provision of ecological services like improving water quality, groundwater infiltration, flood risk reduction and biodiversity regulation. Like other parts of the world Pakistan is also facing wetlands degradation. Ecological and economic significance of wetlands was recognized officially in 1971 as Pakistan became signatory of Ramsar wetland convention. Wetlands provide habitat to species of ecological and economic importance. Despite being recognized for international importance, Ramsar figures state that almost half of Pakistan's wetlands are at moderate or prominent level threat. Wetlands ecosystems are deteriorating at a rapid rate, if uncontrolled this trend may lead to substantial losses. Therefore, management of these resources demands regular monitoring. Present study is dedicated to assessing levels of change overtime in three distinct types of wetlands in Pakistan i.e. Indus delta a coastal wetland, Uchhali complex an inland wetland which are both protected sites while another site Nurri Lagoon which is not sheltered under any category of protected areas. Remotely sensed data has remarkable applications in change detection. Multitemporal Landsat images were used to map changes occurring from 2006 to 2016. Results reveal that wetland area has considerably decreased for all types. Both protected sites have experienced degradation though impact is comparatively lesser than unprotected Nurri lagoon. Significance of protection strategies cannot be denied, it is recommended that mere declaration of a site protected area is not sufficient. It is equally important to control non-point pollutants and ensuring the compliance of conservation strategy.

Assessment of coastal wetland resources of central west coast, India, using LANDSAT data

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jagtap, T.G.; Naik, S.; Nagle, V.L.

The part of central west coast (Maharashtra and Goa) of India has been classified and quantified for coastal wetlands using LANDSAT data of 1985-86. The classification accuracy of the maps and area estimates achieved was 84% at 90% confidence level...

Combined influence of sedimentation and vegetation on the soil carbon stocks of a coastal wetland in the Changjiang estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tianyu; Chen, Huaipu; Cao, Haobing; Ge, Zhenming; Zhang, Liquan

2017-07-01

Coastal wetlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Large quantities of sediment deposited in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary by the Changjiang River promote the propagation of coastal wetlands, the expansion of saltmarsh vegetation, and carbon sequestration. In this study, using the Chongming Dongtan Wetland in the Changjiang estuary as the study area, the spatial and temporal distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and the influences of sedimentation and vegetation on the SOC stocks of the coastal wetland were examined in 2013. There was sediment accretion in the northern and middle areas of the wetland and in the Phragmites australis marsh in the southern area, and sediment erosion in the Scirpus mariqueter marsh and the bare mudflat in the southern area. More SOC accumulated in sediments of the vegetated marsh than in the bare mudflat. The total organic carbon (TOC) stocks increased in the above-ground biomass from spring to autumn and decreased in winter; in the below-ground biomass, they gradually increased from spring to winter. The TOC stocks were higher in the below-ground biomass than in the above-ground biomass in the P. australis and Spartina alterniflora marshes, but were lower in the below-ground biomass in S. mariqueter marsh. Stocks of SOC showed temporal variation and increased gradually in all transects from spring to winter. The SOC stocks tended to decrease from the high marsh down to the bare mudflat along the three transects in the order: P. australis marsh > S. alterniflora marsh > S. mariqueter marsh > bare mudflat. The SOC stocks of the same vegetation type were higher in the northern and middle transects than in the southern transect. These results suggest that interactions between sedimentation and vegetation regulate the SOC stocks in the coastal wetland in the Changjiang estuary.

Changes in Landscape Pattern of Wetland around Hangzhou Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wenpeng; Li, Yuan; Xu, Dan; Zeng, Ying

2018-04-01

Hangzhou Bay is an important estuarial coastal wetland, which offers a large number of land and ecological resources. It plays a significant role in the sustainable development of resources, environment and economy. In this paper, based on the remote sensing images in 1996, 2005 and 2013, we extracted the coastal wetland data and analyzed the wetland landscape pattern of the Hangzhou Bay in the past 20 years. The results show that: (1) the area of coastal wetland is heading downwards in the recent decades. Paddy field and the coastal wetland diminish greatly. (2) the single dynamic degree of wetland of the Hangzhou Bay displays that paddy fields and coastal wetlands are shrinking, but lakes, reservoirs and ponds are constantly expanding. (3) the wetland landscape pattern index shows that total patch area of the coastal wetland and paddy fields have gradually diminished. The Shannon diversity index, the Shannon evenness index as well as the landscape separation index of the coastal wetlands in the Hangzhou Bay increase steadily. The landscape pattern in the study area has shown a trend of high fragmentation, dominance decreases, but some dominant landscape still exist in this region. (4) Urbanization and natural factors lead to the reduction of wetland area. Besides the pressure of population is a major threat to the wetland. The study will provide scientific basis for long-term planning for this region.

Carbon stocks of tropical coastal wetlands within the karstic landscape of the Mexican Caribbean.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Fernanda Adame

Full Text Available Coastal wetlands can have exceptionally large carbon (C stocks and their protection and restoration would constitute an effective mitigation strategy to climate change. Inclusion of coastal ecosystems in mitigation strategies requires quantification of carbon stocks in order to calculate emissions or sequestration through time. In this study, we quantified the ecosystem C stocks of coastal wetlands of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (SKBR in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. We stratified the SKBR into different vegetation types (tall, medium and dwarf mangroves, and marshes, and examined relationships of environmental variables with C stocks. At nine sites within SKBR, we quantified ecosystem C stocks through measurement of above and belowground biomass, downed wood, and soil C. Additionally, we measured nitrogen (N and phosphorus (P from the soil and interstitial salinity. Tall mangroves had the highest C stocks (987±338 Mg ha(-1 followed by medium mangroves (623±41 Mg ha(-1, dwarf mangroves (381±52 Mg ha(-1 and marshes (177±73 Mg ha(-1. At all sites, soil C comprised the majority of the ecosystem C stocks (78-99%. Highest C stocks were measured in soils that were relatively low in salinity, high in P and low in N∶P, suggesting that P limits C sequestration and accumulation potential. In this karstic area, coastal wetlands, especially mangroves, are important C stocks. At the landscape scale, the coastal wetlands of Sian Ka'an covering ≈172,176 ha may store 43.2 to 58.0 million Mg of C.

Improved coastal wetland mapping using very-high 2-meter spatial resolution imagery

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McCarthy, Matthew J.; Merton, Elizabeth J.; Muller-Karger, Frank E.

2015-08-01

Accurate wetland maps are a fundamental requirement for land use management and for wetland restoration planning. Several wetland map products are available today; most of them based on remote sensing images, but their different data sources and mapping methods lead to substantially different estimations of wetland location and extent. We used two very high-resolution (2 m) WorldView-2 satellite images and one (30 m) Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) image to assess wetland coverage in two coastal areas of Tampa Bay (Florida): Fort De Soto State Park and Weedon Island Preserve. An initial unsupervised classification derived from WorldView-2 was more accurate at identifying wetlands based on ground truth data collected in the field than the classification derived from Landsat 8 OLI (82% vs. 46% accuracy). The WorldView-2 data was then used to define the parameters of a simple and efficient decision tree with four nodes for a more exacting classification. The criteria for the decision tree were derived by extracting radiance spectra at 1500 separate pixels from the WorldView-2 data within field-validated regions. Results for both study areas showed high accuracy in both wetland (82% at Fort De Soto State Park, and 94% at Weedon Island Preserve) and non-wetland vegetation classes (90% and 83%, respectively). Historical, published land-use maps overestimate wetland surface cover by factors of 2-10 in the study areas. The proposed methods improve speed and efficiency of wetland map production, allow semi-annual monitoring through repeat satellite passes, and improve the accuracy and precision with which wetlands are identified.

Thresholds of sea-level rise rate and sea-level rise acceleration rate in a vulnerable coastal wetland.

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Wu, Wei; Biber, Patrick; Bethel, Matthew

2017-12-01

Feedbacks among inundation, sediment trapping, and vegetation productivity help maintain coastal wetlands facing sea-level rise (SLR). However, when the SLR rate exceeds a threshold, coastal wetlands can collapse. Understanding the threshold helps address key challenges in ecology-nonlinear response of ecosystems to environmental change, promotes communication between ecologists and resource managers, and facilitates decision-making in climate change policies. We studied the threshold of SLR rate and developed a new threshold of SLR acceleration rate on sustainability of coastal wetlands as SLR is likely to accelerate due to enhanced anthropogenic forces. Deriving these two thresholds depends on the temporal scale, the interaction of SLR with other environmental factors, and landscape metrics, which have not been fully accounted for before this study. We chose a representative marine-dominated estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Grand Bay in Mississippi, to test the concept of SLR thresholds. We developed a mechanistic model to simulate wetland change and then derived the SLR thresholds for Grand Bay. The model results show that the threshold of SLR rate in Grand Bay is 11.9 mm/year for 2050, and it drops to 8.4 mm/year for 2100 using total wetland area as a landscape metric. The corresponding SLR acceleration rate thresholds are 3.02 × 10 -4  m/year 2 and 9.62 × 10 -5  m/year 2 for 2050 and 2100, respectively. The newly developed SLR acceleration rate threshold can help quantify the temporal lag before the rapid decline in wetland area becomes evident after the SLR rate threshold is exceeded, and cumulative SLR a wetland can adapt to under the SLR acceleration scenarios. Based on the thresholds, SLR that will adversely impact the coastal wetlands in Grand Bay by 2100 will fall within the likely range of SLR under a high warming scenario (RCP8.5), highlighting the need to avoid RCP8.5 to preserve these marshes.

Effects of Land Use Changes on the Ecosystem Service Values of Coastal Wetlands

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Camacho-Valdez, Vera; Ruiz-Luna, Arturo; Ghermandi, Andrea; Berlanga-Robles, César A.; Nunes, Paulo A. L. D.

2014-10-01

Changes in the coastal landscape of Southern Sinaloa (Mexico), between 2000 and 2010, were analyzed to relate spatial variations in wetlands extent with the provision and economic value of the ecosystem services (ES). Remote sensing techniques applied to Landsat TM imagery were used to evaluate land use/land cover changes while the value transfer method was used to assess the value of ES by land cover category. Five wetland types and other four land covers were found as representative of the coastal landscape. Findings reveal a 14 % decrease in the saltmarsh/forested mangrove area and a 12 % increase in the area of shrimp pond aquaculture (artificial wetland) during the study period. ES valuation shows that the total value flow increased by 9 % from 215 to 233 million (2007 USD) during the 10-year period. This increase is explained as result of the high value worldwide assigned to saltmarsh. We recognize limitations in the transfer-based approach in quantifying and mapping ES values in the region, but this method provides with value estimates spatially defined, and also provides some guidance in the preliminary screening of policies and projected development in the context of data-scarce regions.

Biodiversity studies in three Coastal Wetlands in Ghana, West Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Plant biodiversity studies of three coastal wetlands in Ghana were made. The wetlands are the Sakumo, Muni-Pomadze and Densu Delta Ramsar sites. Each wetland is made up of a flood plain which consists of salt marsh (about 20%), mangrove swamps (between 15 and 30%), fresh water swamp (about 40 - 45%), and in ...

Sensitivity of Coastal Environments and Wildlife to Spilled Oil: Mississippi: WETLANDS (Wetland Polygons)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains vector polygons representing coastal wetlands classified according to the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) classification system for...

Beyond just sea-level rise: Considering macroclimatic drivers within coastal wetland vulnerability assessments to climate change

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Osland, Michael J.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Day, Richard H.; Gabler, Christopher A.; Stagg, Camille L.; Grace, James B.

2016-01-01

Due to their position at the land-sea interface, coastal wetlands are vulnerable to many aspects of climate change. However, climate change vulnerability assessments for coastal wetlands generally focus solely on sea-level rise without considering the effects of other facets of climate change. Across the globe and in all ecosystems, macroclimatic drivers (e.g., temperature and rainfall regimes) greatly influence ecosystem structure and function. Macroclimatic drivers have been the focus of climate-change related threat evaluations for terrestrial ecosystems, but largely ignored for coastal wetlands. In some coastal wetlands, changing macroclimatic conditions are expected to result in foundation plant species replacement, which would affect the supply of certain ecosystem goods and services and could affect ecosystem resilience. As examples, we highlight several ecological transition zones where small changes in macroclimatic conditions would result in comparatively large changes in coastal wetland ecosystem structure and function. Our intent in this communication is not to minimize the importance of sea-level rise. Rather, our overarching aim is to illustrate the need to also consider macroclimatic drivers within vulnerability assessments for coastal wetlands.

A global standard for monitoring coastal wetland vulnerability to accelerated sea-level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Edward L.; Friess, Daniel A.; Krauss, Ken W.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.; Phelps, Jacob

2013-01-01

Sea-level rise threatens coastal salt-marshes and mangrove forests around the world, and a key determinant of coastal wetland vulnerability is whether its surface elevation can keep pace with rising sea level. Globally, a large data gap exists because wetland surface and shallow subsurface processes remain unaccounted for by traditional vulnerability assessments using tide gauges. Moreover, those processes vary substantially across wetlands, so modelling platforms require relevant local data. The low-cost, simple, high-precision rod surface-elevation table–marker horizon (RSET-MH) method fills this critical data gap, can be paired with spatial data sets and modelling and is financially and technically accessible to every country with coastal wetlands. Yet, RSET deployment has been limited to a few regions and purposes. A coordinated expansion of monitoring efforts, including development of regional networks that could support data sharing and collaboration, is crucial to adequately inform coastal climate change adaptation policy at several scales.

Beyond just sea-level rise: considering macroclimatic drivers within coastal wetland vulnerability assessments to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Osland, Michael J; Enwright, Nicholas M; Day, Richard H; Gabler, Christopher A; Stagg, Camille L; Grace, James B

2016-01-01

Due to their position at the land-sea interface, coastal wetlands are vulnerable to many aspects of climate change. However, climate change vulnerability assessments for coastal wetlands generally focus solely on sea-level rise without considering the effects of other facets of climate change. Across the globe and in all ecosystems, macroclimatic drivers (e.g., temperature and rainfall regimes) greatly influence ecosystem structure and function. Macroclimatic drivers have been the focus of climate change-related threat evaluations for terrestrial ecosystems, but largely ignored for coastal wetlands. In some coastal wetlands, changing macroclimatic conditions are expected to result in foundation plant species replacement, which would affect the supply of certain ecosystem goods and services and could affect ecosystem resilience. As examples, we highlight several ecological transition zones where small changes in macroclimatic conditions would result in comparatively large changes in coastal wetland ecosystem structure and function. Our intent in this communication is not to minimize the importance of sea-level rise. Rather, our overarching aim is to illustrate the need to also consider macroclimatic drivers within vulnerability assessments for coastal wetlands. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF A GOLF COMPLEX ON COASTAL WETLANDS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

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The increasing density of golf courses represents a potential source of contamination to nearby coastal wetlands and other near-shore areas. The chemical and biological magnitude of the problem is almost unknown. To provide perspective on this issue, the effects of golf complex r...

Development of a Bi-National Great Lakes Coastal Wetland and Land Use Map Using Three-Season PALSAR and Landsat Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Methods using extensive field data and three-season Landsat TM and PALSAR imagery were developed to map wetland type and identify potential wetland stressors (i.e., adjacent land use for the United States and Canadian Laurentian coastal Great Lakes. The mapped area included the coastline to 10 km inland to capture the region hydrologically connected to the Great Lakes. Maps were developed in cooperation with the overarching Great Lakes Consortium plan to provide a comprehensive regional baseline map suitable for coastal wetland assessment and management by agencies at the local, tribal, state, and federal levels. The goal was to provide not only land use and land cover (LULC baseline data at moderate spatial resolution (20–30 m, but a repeatable methodology to monitor change into the future. The prime focus was on mapping wetland ecosystem types, such as emergent wetland and forested wetland, as well as to delineate wetland monocultures (Typha, Phragmites, Schoenoplectus and differentiate peatlands (fens and bogs from other wetland types. The overall accuracy for the coastal Great Lakes map of all five lake basins was 94%, with a range of 86% to 96% by individual lake basin (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

Coastal Wetland Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change: the Role of Macroclimatic Drivers along the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Osland, M. J.; Enwright, N.; Day, R. H.; Gabler, C. A.; Stagg, C. L.; From, A. S.

2014-12-01

Across the globe, macroclimatic drivers greatly influence coastal wetland ecosystem structure and function. However, changing macroclimatic conditions are rarely incorporated into coastal wetland vulnerability assessments. Here, we quantify the influence of macroclimatic drivers upon coastal wetland ecosystems along the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) coast. From a global perspective, the NGOM coast provides several excellent opportunities to examine the effects of climate change upon coastal wetlands. The abundant coastal wetland ecosystems in the region span two major climatic gradients: (1) a winter temperature gradient that crosses temperate to tropical climatic zones; and (2) a precipitation gradient that crosses humid to semi-arid zones. We present analyses where we used geospatial data (historical climate, hydrology, and coastal wetland coverage) and field data (soil, elevation, and plant community composition and structure) to quantify climate-mediated ecological transitions. We identified winter climate and precipitation-based thresholds that separate mangrove forests from salt marshes and vegetated wetlands from unvegetated wetlands, respectively. We used simple distribution and abundance models to evaluate the potential ecological effects of alternative future climate change scenarios. Our results illustrate and quantify the importance of macroclimatic drivers and indicate that climate change could result in landscape-scale changes in coastal wetland ecosystem structure and function. These macroclimate-mediated ecological changes could affect the supply of some ecosystem goods and services as well as the resilience of these ecosystems to stressors, including accelerated sea level rise. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of incorporating macroclimatic drivers within future-focused coastal wetland vulnerability assessments.

Fertilizer legacies meet saltwater incursion: challenges and constraints for coastal plain wetland restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Ardón

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Coastal wetland restoration is an important tool for climate change adaptation and excess nutrient runoff mitigation. However, the capacity of restored coastal wetlands to provide multiple ecosystem services is limited by stressors, such as excess nutrients from upstream agricultural fields, high nutrient legacies on-site, and rising salinities downstream. The effects of these stressors are exacerbated by an accelerating hydrologic cycle, expected to cause longer droughts punctuated by more severe storms. We used seven years of surface water and six years of soil solution water chemistry from a large (440 ha restored wetland to examine how fertilizer legacy, changes in hydrology, and drought-induced salinization affect dissolved nutrient and carbon concentrations. To better understand the recovery trajectory of the restored wetland, we also sampled an active agricultural field and two mature forested wetlands. Our results show that nitrogen (N and phosphorus (P concentrations in soil solution were 2–10 times higher in the restored wetland compared to two mature forested wetlands, presumably due to legacy fertilizer mobilized by reflooding. Despite elevated nutrient concentrations relative to reference wetlands, the restored wetland consistently attenuated N and P pulses delivered from an upstream farm. Even with continued loading, N and P concentrations in surface water throughout the restored wetland have decreased since the initial flooding. Our results suggest that high nutrient concentrations and export from wetlands restored on agricultural lands may be a severe but temporary problem. If field to wetland conversion is to become a more widespread method for ameliorating nutrient runoff and adapting coastal plain ecosystems to climate change, we should adopt new methods for minimizing the initial export phase of wetland restoration efforts.

Thresholds of sea-level rise rate and sea-level acceleration rate in a vulnerable coastal wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, W.; Biber, P.; Bethel, M.

2017-12-01

Feedback among inundation, sediment trapping, and vegetation productivity help maintain coastal wetlands facing sea-level rise (SLR). However, when the SLR rate exceeds a threshold, coastal wetlands can collapse. Understanding the threshold help address the key challenge in ecology - nonlinear response of ecosystems to environmental change, and promote communication between ecologists and policy makers. We studied the threshold of SLR rate and developed a new threshold of SLR acceleration rate on sustainability of coastal wetlands as SLR is likely to accelerate due to the enhanced anthropogenic forces. We developed a mechanistic model to simulate wetland change and derived the SLR thresholds for Grand Bay, MS, a micro-tidal estuary with limited upland freshwater and sediment input in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The new SLR acceleration rate threshold complements the threshold of SLR rate and can help explain the temporal lag before the rapid decline of wetland area becomes evident after the SLR rate threshold is exceeded. Deriving these two thresholds depends on the temporal scale, the interaction of SLR with other environmental factors, and landscape metrics, which have not been fully accounted for before this study. The derived SLR rate thresholds range from 7.3 mm/yr to 11.9 mm/yr. The thresholds of SLR acceleration rate are 3.02×10-4 m/yr2 and 9.62×10-5 m/yr2 for 2050 and 2100 respectively. Based on the thresholds developed, predicted SLR that will adversely impact the coastal wetlands in Grand Bay by 2100 will fall within the likely range of SLR under a high warming scenario (RCP8.5), and beyond the very likely range under a low warming scenario (RCP2.6 or 3), highlighting the need to avoid the high warming scenario in the future if these marshes are to be preserved.

How to preserve coastal wetlands, threatened by climate change-driven rises in sea level.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivajnšič, Danijel; Kaligarič, Mitja

2014-10-01

A habitat transition model, based on the correlation between individual habitats and micro-elevation intervals, showed substantial changes in the future spatial distributions of coastal habitats. The research was performed within two protected areas in Slovenia: Sečovlje Salina Nature Park and Škocjan Inlet Nature Reserve. Shifts between habitats will occur, but a general decline of 42 % for all Natura 2000 habitats is projected by 2060, according to local or global (IPCC AR4) sea level rise predictions. Three different countermeasures for the long-term conservation of targeted habitat types were proposed. The most "natural" is displacement of coastal habitats using buffer zones (1) were available. Another solution is construction of artificial islets, made of locally dredged material (2); a feasible solution in both protected areas. Twenty-two islets and a dried salt pan zone at the desired elevations suitable for those habitats that have been projected to decease in area would offer an additional 10 ha in the Sečovlje Salina. Twenty-one islets and two peninsulas at two different micro-altitudes would ensure the survival of 13 ha of three different habitats. In the area of Sečovlje Salina, abandoned salt pans could be terrestrialized by using permanent, artificial sea barriers, in a manner close to poldering (3). By using this countermeasure, another 32 ha of targeted habitat could be preserved. It can be concluded that, for each coastal area, where wetland habitats will shrink, strategic plans involving any of the three solutions should be prepared well in advance. The specific examples provided might facilitate adaptive management of coastal wetlands in general.

Biodiversity impacts from salinity increase in a coastal wetland.

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Amores, Maria José; Verones, Francesca; Raptis, Catherine; Juraske, Ronnie; Pfister, Stephan; Stoessel, Franziska; Antón, Assumpció; Castells, Francesc; Hellweg, Stefanie

2013-06-18

A Life Cycle Impact Assessment method was developed to evaluate the environmental impact associated with salinity on biodiversity in a Spanish coastal wetland. The developed characterization factor consists of a fate and an effect factor and equals 3.16 × 10(-1) ± 1.84 × 10(-1) PAF · m(3) · yr · m(-3) (PAF: Potentially Affected Fraction of species) indicating a "potential loss of 0.32 m(3) ecosystem" for a water consumption rate of 1 m(3) · yr(-1). As a result of groundwater consumption with a rate of 1 m(3) · yr(-1), the PAF in the lost cubic meter of ecosystem equals 0.05, which has been proposed as the maximum tolerable effect to keep the ecosystem intact. The fate factor was calculated from seasonal water balances of the wetland Albufera de Adra. The effect factor was obtained from the fitted curve of the potentially affected fraction of native wetland species due to salinity and can be applied to other wetlands with similar species composition. In order to test the applicability of the characterization factor, an assessment of water consumption of greenhouse crops in the area was conducted as a case study. Results converted into ecosystem quality damage using the ReCiPe method were compared to other categories. While tomatoes are responsible for up to 30% of the impact of increased salinity due to water consumption on ecosystem quality in the studied area, melons have the largest impact per tonne produced.

Freshwater availability and coastal wetland foundation species: ecological transitions along a rainfall gradient

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Osland, Michael J.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Stagg, Camille L.

2014-01-01

Climate gradient-focused ecological research can provide a foundation for better understanding critical ecological transition points and nonlinear climate-ecological relationships, which is information that can be used to better understand, predict, and manage ecological responses to climate change. In this study, we examined the influence of freshwater availability upon the coverage of foundation plant species in coastal wetlands along a northwestern Gulf of Mexico rainfall gradient. Our research addresses the following three questions: (1) what are the region-scale relationships between measures of freshwater availability (e.g., rainfall, aridity, freshwater inflow, salinity) and the relative abundance of foundation plant species in tidal wetlands; (2) How vulnerable are foundation plant species in tidal wetlands to future changes in freshwater availability; and (3) What is the potential future relative abundance of tidal wetland foundation plant species under alternative climate change scenarios? We developed simple freshwater availability-based models to predict the relative abundance (i.e., coverage) of tidal wetland foundation plant species using climate data (1970-2000), estuarine freshwater inflow-focused data, and coastal wetland habitat data. Our results identify regional ecological thresholds and nonlinear relationships between measures of freshwater availability and the relative abundance of foundation plant species in tidal wetlands. In drier coastal zones, relatively small changes in rainfall could produce comparatively large landscape-scale changes in foundation plant species abundance which would affect some ecosystem good and services. Whereas a drier future would result in a decrease in the coverage of foundation plant species, a wetter future would result in an increase in foundation plant species coverage. In many ways, the freshwater-dependent coastal wetland ecological transitions we observed are analogous to those present in dryland

Influence of seasonal variations in sea level on the salinity regime of a coastal groundwater-fed wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Cameron; Harrington, Glenn A

2015-01-01

Seasonal variations in sea level are often neglected in studies of coastal aquifers; however, they may have important controls on processes such as submarine groundwater discharge, sea water intrusion, and groundwater discharge to coastal springs and wetlands. We investigated seasonal variations in salinity in a groundwater-fed coastal wetland (the RAMSAR listed Piccaninnie Ponds in South Australia) and found that salinity peaked during winter, coincident with seasonal sea level peaks. Closer examination of salinity variations revealed a relationship between changes in sea level and changes in salinity, indicating that sea level-driven movement of the fresh water-sea water interface influences the salinity of discharging groundwater in the wetland. Moreover, the seasonal control of sea level on wetland salinity seems to override the influence of seasonal recharge. A two-dimensional variable density model helped validate this conceptual model of coastal groundwater discharge by showing that fluctuations in groundwater salinity in a coastal aquifer can be driven by a seasonal coastal boundary condition in spite of seasonal recharge/discharge dynamics. Because seasonal variations in sea level and coastal wetlands are ubiquitous throughout the world, these findings have important implications for monitoring and management of coastal groundwater-dependent ecosystems. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Progress in understanding the importance of coastal wetland nursery habitat to Great Lakes fisheries support

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Great Lakes coastal wetlands provide important habitat for Great Lakes fishes of all life stages. A literature review of ichthyoplankton surveys conducted in Great Lakes coastal wetlands found at least 82 species reported to be captured during the larval stage. Twenty of those sp...

Ground-Truthing of Airborne LiDAR Using RTK-GPS Surveyed Data in Coastal Louisiana's Wetlands

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Lauve, R. M.; Alizad, K.; Hagen, S. C.

2017-12-01

Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data are used by engineers and scientists to create bare earth digital elevation models (DEM), which are essential to modeling complex coastal, ecological, and hydrological systems. However, acquiring accurate bare earth elevations in coastal wetlands is difficult due to the density of marsh grasses that prevent the sensors reflection off the true ground surface. Previous work by Medeiros et al. [2015] developed a technique to assess LiDAR error and adjust elevations according to marsh vegetation density and index. The aim of this study is the collection of ground truth points and the investigation on the range of potential errors found in existing LiDAR datasets within coastal Louisiana's wetlands. Survey grids were mapped out in an area dominated by Spartina alterniflora and a survey-grade Trimble Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS device was employed to measure bare earth ground elevations in the marsh system adjacent to Terrebonne Bay, LA. Elevations were obtained for 20 meter-spaced surveyed grid points and were used to generate a DEM. The comparison between LiDAR derived and surveyed data DEMs yield an average difference of 23 cm with a maximum difference of 68 cm. Considering the local tidal range of 45 cm, these differences can introduce substantial error when the DEM is used for ecological modeling [Alizad et al., 2016]. Results from this study will be further analyzed and implemented in order to adjust LiDAR-derived DEMs closer to their true elevation across Louisiana's coastal wetlands. ReferencesAlizad, K., S. C. Hagen, J. T. Morris, S. C. Medeiros, M. V. Bilskie, and J. F. Weishampel (2016), Coastal wetland response to sea-level rise in a fluvial estuarine system, Earth's Future, 4(11), 483-497, 10.1002/2016EF000385. Medeiros, S., S. Hagen, J. Weishampel, and J. Angelo (2015), Adjusting Lidar-Derived Digital Terrain Models in Coastal Marshes Based on Estimated Aboveground Biomass Density, Remote Sensing, 7

Innovative approach for restoring coastal wetlands using treated drill cuttings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veil, J. A.; Hocking, E. K.

1999-01-01

The leading environmental problem facing coastal Louisiana regions is the loss of wetlands. Oil and gas exploration and production activities have contributed to wetland damage through erosion at numerous sites where canals have been cut through the marsh to access drilling sites. An independent oil and gas producer, working with Southeastern Louisiana University and two oil field service companies, developed a process to stabilize drill cuttings so that they could be used as a substrate to grow wetlands vegetation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded a project under which the process would be validated through laboratory studies and field demonstrations. The laboratory studies demonstrated that treated drill cuttings support the growth of wetlands vegetation. However, neither the Army Corps of Engineers (COE) nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would grant regulatory approval for afield trial of the process. Argonne National Laboratory was asked to join the project team to try to find alternative mechanisms for gaining regulatory approval. Argonne worked with EPA's Office of Reinvention and learned that EPA's Project XL would be the only regulatory program under which the proposed field trial could be done. One of the main criteria for an acceptable Project XL proposal is to have a formal project sponsor assume the responsibility and liability for the project. Because the proposed project involved access to private land areas, the team felt that an oil and gas company with coastal Louisiana land holdings would need to serve as sponsor. Despite extensive communication with oil and gas companies and industry associations, the project team was unable to find any organization willing to serve as sponsor. In September 1999, the Project XL proposal was withdrawn and the project was canceled

Taxonomic Report on Small Mammals from Two Coastal Wetland ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fiifi Baidoo

Abstract. Surveys of the small mammal populations of two coastal wetlands in Ghana, .... Captured animals were euthanized with chloroform, according to the American Society of. Mammalogy Animal Care and Use Committee guidelines.

Developing Remote Sensing Products for Monitoring and Modeling Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Climate Change and Land Use

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgeau-Chavez, L. L.; Miller, M. E.; Battaglia, M.; Banda, E.; Endres, S.; Currie, W. S.; Elgersma, K. J.; French, N. H. F.; Goldberg, D. E.; Hyndman, D. W.

2014-12-01

Spread of invasive plant species in the coastal wetlands of the Great Lakes is degrading wetland habitat, decreasing biodiversity, and decreasing ecosystem services. An understanding of the mechanisms of invasion is crucial to gaining control of this growing threat. To better understand the effects of land use and climatic drivers on the vulnerability of coastal zones to invasion, as well as to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of invasion, research is being conducted that integrates field studies, process-based ecosystem and hydrological models, and remote sensing. Spatial data from remote sensing is needed to parameterize the hydrological model and to test the outputs of the linked models. We will present several new remote sensing products that are providing important physiological, biochemical, and landscape information to parameterize and verify models. This includes a novel hybrid radar-optical technique to delineate stands of invasives, as well as natural wetland cover types; using radar to map seasonally inundated areas not hydrologically connected; and developing new algorithms to estimate leaf area index (LAI) using Landsat. A coastal map delineating wetland types including monocultures of the invaders (Typha spp. and Phragmites austrailis) was created using satellite radar (ALOS PALSAR, 20 m resolution) and optical data (Landsat 5, 30 m resolution) fusion from multiple dates in a Random Forests classifier. These maps provide verification of the integrated model showing areas at high risk of invasion. For parameterizing the hydrological model, maps of seasonal wetness are being developed using spring (wet) imagery and differencing that with summer (dry) imagery to detect the seasonally wet areas. Finally, development of LAI remote sensing high resolution algorithms for uplands and wetlands is underway. LAI algorithms for wetlands have not been previously developed due to the difficulty of a water background. These products are being used to

U.S. Pacific coastal wetland resilience and vulnerability to sea-level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, Karen M.; MacDonald, Glen M.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.; Ambrose, Richard F.; Buffington, Kevin J.; Dugger, Bruce D.; Freeman, Chase; Janousek, Christopher; Brown, Lauren N.; Rosencranz, Jordan A.; Homquist, James; Smol, John P.; Hargan, Kathryn; Takekawa, John Y.

2018-01-01

We used a first-of-its-kind comprehensive scenario approach to evaluate both the vertical and horizontal response of tidal wetlands to projected changes in the rate of sea-level rise (SLR) across 14 estuaries along the Pacific coast of the continental United States. Throughout the U.S. Pacific region, we found that tidal wetlands are highly vulnerable to end-of-century submergence, with resulting extensive loss of habitat. Using higher-range SLR scenarios, all high and middle marsh habitats were lost, with 83% of current tidal wetlands transitioning to unvegetated habitats by 2110. The wetland area lost was greater in California and Oregon (100%) but still severe in Washington, with 68% submerged by the end of the century. The only wetland habitat remaining at the end of the century was low marsh under higher-range SLR rates. Tidal wetland loss was also likely under more conservative SLR scenarios, including loss of 95% of high marsh and 60% of middle marsh habitats by the end of the century. Horizontal migration of most wetlands was constrained by coastal development or steep topography, with just two wetland sites having sufficient upland space for migration and the possibility for nearly 1:1 replacement, making SLR threats particularly high in this region and generally undocumented. With low vertical accretion rates and little upland migration space, Pacific coast tidal wetlands are at imminent risk of submergence with projected rates of rapid SLR.

Tidal Wetlands and Coastal Ocean Carbon Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkinson, C.; Wang, S. R.; Forbrich, I.; Giblin, A. E.; Cai, W. J.

2017-12-01

Recent overviews of coastal ocean C dynamics have tidal wetlands in a prominent position: a local sink for atmospheric CO2, a local store of OC, and a source of DIC and OC for the adjacent estuary and nearshore ocean. Over the past decade there have been great strides made in quantifying and understanding these flows and linkages. GPP and R of the wetlands are not nearly as imbalanced as thought 30 yrs ago. Heterotrophy of adjacent estuarine waters is not solely due to the respiration of OC exported from the marsh, rather we see the marsh directly respiring into the water during tidal inundation and accumulated marsh DIC draining into tidal creeks. Organic carbon burial on the marsh is still a relatively minor flux, but it is large relative to marsh NEE. Using literature and unpublished data on marsh DIC export, we used examples from Sapelo Island GA USA and Plum Island MA USA to constrain estimates of NEP and potential OC export. P. There remain large uncertainties in quantifying C dynamics of coupled wetland - estuary systems. Gas exchange from the water to atmosphere is one of the largest uncertainties. Work at Sapelo suggests that upwards of 40% of all daily exchange occurs from water flooding the marsh, which is but a few hours a day. This estimate is based on the intercept value for gas exchange vs wind velocity. Another major uncertainty comes from converting between O2 based estimates of metabolism to C. At Sapelo we find PQ and RQ values diverging greatly from Redfield. Finally, C dynamics of the coastal ocean, especially the role of tidal wetlands is likely to change substantially in the future. Studies at Plum Island show a reversal of the 4000 yr process of marsh progradation with marshes eroding away at their edges because of inadequate sediment supply and rising sea level. The fate of eroded OC is questionable. Landward transgression with SLR is the only likely counter to continued wetland loss - but that's a complex social issue requiring new

Fish assemblages, connectivity, and habitat rehabilitation in a diked Great Lakes coastal wetland complex

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalski, Kurt P.; Wiley, Michael J.; Wilcox, Douglas A.

2014-01-01

Fish and plant assemblages in the highly modified Crane Creek coastal wetland complex of Lake Erie were sampled to characterize their spatial and seasonal patterns and to examine the implications of the hydrologic connection of diked wetland units to Lake Erie. Fyke netting captured 52 species and an abundance of fish in the Lake Erie–connected wetlands, but fewer than half of those species and much lower numbers and total masses of fish were captured in diked wetland units. Although all wetland units were immediately adjacent to Lake Erie, there were also pronounced differences in water quality and wetland vegetation between the hydrologically isolated and lake-connected wetlands. Large seasonal variations in fish assemblage composition and biomass were observed in connected wetland units but not in disconnected units. Reestablishment of hydrologic connectivity in diked wetland units would allow coastal Lake Erie fish to use these vegetated habitats seasonally, although connectivity does appear to pose some risks, such as the expansion of invasive plants and localized reductions in water quality. Periodic isolation and drawdown of the diked units could still be used to mimic intermediate levels of disturbance and manage invasive wetland vegetation.

Analysing how plants in coastal wetlands respond to varying tidal regimes throughout their life cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Tian; Cui, Baoshan; Li, Shanze

2017-10-15

Important to conserve plant species in coastal wetlands throughout their life cycle. All life stages in these habitats are exposed to varying tidal cycles. It is necessary to investigate all life stages as to how they respond to varying tidal regimes. We examine three wetlands containing populations of an endangered halophyte species, each subjected to different tidal regimes: (1). wetlands completely closed to tidal cycles; (2). wetlands directly exposed to tidal cycles (3). wetlands exposed to a partially closed tidal regime. Our results showed that the most threatened stage varied between wetlands subjected to these varying tidal regimes. We hypothesis that populations of this species have adapted to these different tidal regimes. Such information is useful in developing management options for coastal wetlands and modifying future barriers restricting tidal flushing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversity and composition of sediment bacteria in subtropical coastal wetlands of North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Chuvochina, Maria; Sampayo, Eugenia; Welti, Nina; Hayes, Matthew; Lu, Yang; Lovelock, Catherine; Lockington, David

2013-04-01

Coastal wetlands provide a wide variety of important ecosystem services but continue to suffer disturbance, degradation and deforestation. Sediment bacteria are responsible for major nutrient transformation and recycling in these ecosystems. Insight into microbial community composition and the factors that determine them may improve our understanding of biogeochemical processes, food web dynamics, biodegradation processes and, thus, help to develop the management strategies for preserving the ecosystem health and services. Characterizing shifts in community taxa along environmental gradients has been shown to provide a useful tool for determining the major drivers affecting community structure and function. North Stradbroke Island (NSI) in Southern Queensland presents considerable habitat diversity including variety of groundwater dependent ecosystems such as lakes, swamps, sedge-like salt marshes and mangroves. Ecological responses of continuous groundwater extraction for municipal purposes and sand mining operations on NSI are still need to be assessed in order to protect its unique environment. Changes in coastal hydrology due to either climate change or human activity may directly affect microbial populations and, thus, biogeochemical cycles of nutrients. These may result in altering/losing some ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands. In this study we examine microbial diversity and determine environmental controls on bacterial community structure along a natural transition from freshwater forested wetland (melaleuca woodland), sedge-like salt marsh and into mangroves located at NSI. The study area is characterized by significant groundwater flow, nutrient limitation and sharp transition from one ecosystem type to another. Sediment cores (0-5 cm and 20-25 cm depth) were collected from three representative sites of each zone (mangroves - salt marsh - freshwater wetland) along the salinity gradient in August 2012. Subsamples were set aside for use in

The present and future role of coastal wetland vegetation in protecting shorelines: Answering recent challenges to the paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Gedan, Keryn B.; Kirwan, Matthew L.; Wolanski, Eric; Barbier, Edward B.; Silliman, Brian R.

2011-01-01

For more than a century, coastal wetlands have been recognized for their ability to stabilize shorelines and protect coastal communities. However, this paradigm has recently been called into question by small-scale experimental evidence. Here, we conduct a literature review and a small meta-analysis of wave attenuation data, and we find overwhelming evidence in support of established theory. Our review suggests that mangrove and salt marsh vegetation afford context-dependent protection from erosion, storm surge, and potentially small tsunami waves. In biophysical models, field tests, and natural experiments, the presence of wetlands reduces wave heights, property damage, and human deaths. Meta-analysis of wave attenuation by vegetated and unvegetated wetland sites highlights the critical role of vegetation in attenuating waves. Although we find coastal wetland vegetation to be an effective shoreline buffer, wetlands cannot protect shorelines in all locations or scenarios; indeed large-scale regional erosion, river meandering, and large tsunami waves and storm surges can overwhelm the attenuation effect of vegetation. However, due to a nonlinear relationship between wave attenuation and wetland size, even small wetlands afford substantial protection from waves. Combining man-made structures with wetlands in ways that mimic nature is likely to increase coastal protection. Oyster domes, for example, can be used in combination with natural wetlands to protect shorelines and restore critical fishery habitat. Finally, coastal wetland vegetation modifies shorelines in ways (e.g. peat accretion) that increase shoreline integrity over long timescales and thus provides a lasting coastal adaptation measure that can protect shorelines against accelerated sea level rise and more frequent storm inundation. We conclude that the shoreline protection paradigm still stands, but that gaps remain in our knowledge about the mechanistic and context-dependent aspects of shoreline

Simulation of integrated surface-water/ground-water flow and salinity for a coastal wetland and adjacent estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Langevin, C.; Swain, E.; Wolfert, M.

2005-01-01

The SWIFT2D surface-water flow and transport code, which solves the St Venant equations in two dimensions, was coupled with the SEAWAT variable-density ground-water code to represent hydrologic processes in coastal wetlands and adjacent estuaries. A sequentially coupled time-lagged approach was implemented, based on a variable-density form of Darcy's Law, to couple the surface and subsurface systems. The integrated code also represents the advective transport of salt mass between the surface and subsurface. The integrated code was applied to the southern Everglades of Florida to quantify flow and salinity patterns and to evaluate effects of hydrologic processes. Model results confirm several important observations about the coastal wetland: (1) the coastal embankment separating the wetland from the estuary is overtopped only during tropical storms, (2) leakage between the surface and subsurface is locally important in the wetland, but submarine ground-water discharge does not contribute large quantities of freshwater to the estuary, and (3) coastal wetland salinities increase to near seawater values during the dry season, and the wetland flushes each year with the onset of the wet season. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparing for Sea-level Rise: Conflicts and Opportunities in Coastal Wetlands Coexisting with Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, J. F.; Saco, P. M.; Sandi, S. G.; Saintilan, N.; Riccardi, G.

2017-12-01

Even though on a large scale the sustainability and resilience of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise depends on the slope of the landscape and a balance between the rates of soil accretion and the sea-level rise, local man-made flow disturbances can have comparable effects. Coastal infrastructure controlling flow in the wetlands can pose an additional constraint on the adaptive capacity of these ecosystems, but can also present opportunities for targeted flow management to increase their resilience. Coastal wetlands in SE Australia are heavily managed and typically present infrastructure including flow control devices. How these flow control structures are operated respond to different ecological conservation objectives (i.e. bird, frog or fish habitat) that can sometimes be mutually exclusive. For example, promoting mangrove establishment to enhance fish habitat results in saltmarsh decline thus affecting bird habitat. Moreover, sea-level rise will change hydraulic conditions in wetlands and may result in some flow control structures and strategies becoming obsolete or even counterproductive. In order to address these problems and in support of future management of flows in coastal wetlands, we have developed a predictive tool for long-term wetland evolution that incorporates the effects of infrastructure and other perturbations to the tidal flow within the wetland (i.e. vegetation resistance) and determines how these flow conditions affect vegetation establishment and survival. We use the model to support management and analyse different scenarios of sea-level rise and flow control measures aimed at preserving bird habitat. Our results show that sea-level rise affects the efficiency of management measures and in some cases may completely override their effect. It also shows the potential of targeted flow management to compensate for the effects of sea-level rise.

Pipeline corridors through wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, R.E.; Wilkey, P.L.; Isaacson, H.R.

1992-01-01

This paper presents preliminary findings from six vegetational surveys of gas pipeline rights-of-way (ROW) through wetlands and quantifies the impacts of a 20-year-old pipeline ROW through a boreal forest wetland. Six sites of various ages were surveyed in ecosystems ranging from coastal marsh to forested wetland. At all sites except one, both the number and the percentage of wetland species on the Row approximated or exceeded those in the adjacent natural area. The boreal forest study showed that (1) adjacent natural wetland areas were not altered in type; (2) water sheet flow restriction had been reversed by nature; (3) no nonnative plant species invaded the natural area; (4) three-quarters of the ROW area was a wetland, and (5) the ROW increased diversity

REMOTE DETENTION OF INVASIVE AND OPPORTUNISTIC PLANT SPECIES IN GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS

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Invasive and opportunistic plant species have been associated with wetland disturbance. Increases in the abundance of plant species such as common reed (Phragmites australis) in coastal Great Lakes wetlands are hypothesized to occur with shifts toward drier hydrologic regimes, fr...

Matsalu wetland area biomass as a bio fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lausmaa, Toenu

2000-01-01

To preserve Matsalu as an especially interesting and specific wetland area even on the international scale, the Matsalu Nature Reserve was founded in 1957. The most natural and characteristic bio topes at Matsalu are undoubtedly the reed stands, covering almost 3000 ha. The reed is rather thin and mixed with common hay plants near the land but towards the bay it becomes increasingly abundant and thick. The characterise features of several bio topes at the Nature Reserve (water-meadows, coastal pastures and meadows etc.) can be preserved only by human activity. Without human activity the landscape encompassing coastal pastures and meadows would go through changes and these areas would be soon covered with junipers. The reed harvesting in Matsalu goes back in the Middle Ages and even before that. The reed was harvested mainly in winter and only seldom in summer. The main goal of the reed harvesting was to obtain material for hatched roofs. The reed cutting is economically justified and environmentally benign activity even now, but only less than 1% of the total area of reed stands is cut nowadays. In spite of the fact that reed harvesting is now economical undertaking (export to Germany and Denmark), it could be much more escalated if were possible to use better technical equipment to that end and get low interest loans. Unfortunately, not all the reed in the wetland of Matsalu Nature Reserve is suitable for hatched roofs. Therefore, it is needed to find some other practical usage for reed as well. The most perspective of these new choices is, indeed, to use the reed biomass as a bio fuel for space heating in the local area of Matsalu. According to Matsalu wetland protection regulation, the constant human care of reed stands and meadows is one of the priorities in nature protection for this area. One possible field of use for the cut down biomass is to use it as a bio fuel. It is not only a good chance to run Matsalu Nature Reserve in sustainable way in terms of

Linking the historic 2011 Mississippi River flood to coastal wetland sedimentation

Science.gov (United States)

Falcini, Federico; Khan, Nicole S.; Macelloni, Leonardo; Horton, Benjamin P.; Lutken, Carol B.; McKee, Karen L.; Santoleri, Rosalia; Colella, Simone; Li, Chunyan; Volpe, Gianluca; D’Emidio, Marco; Salusti, Alessandro; Jerolmack, Douglas J.

2012-01-01

Wetlands in the Mississippi River deltaic plain are deteriorating in part because levees and control structures starve them of sediment. In Spring of 2011 a record-breaking flood brought discharge on the lower Mississippi River to dangerous levels, forcing managers to divert up to 3500 m3/s-1 of water to the Atchafalaya River Basin. Here we quantify differences between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River inundation and sediment-plume patterns using field-calibrated satellite data, and assess the impact these outflows had on wetland sedimentation. We characterize hydrodynamics and suspended sediment patterns of the Mississippi River plume using in-situ data collected during the historic flood. We show that the focused, high-momentum jet from the leveed Mississippi delivered sediment far offshore. In contrast, the plume from the Atchafalaya was more diffuse; diverted water inundated a large area; and sediment was trapped within the coastal current. Maximum sedimentation (up to several centimetres) occurred in the Atchafalaya Basin despite the larger sediment load carried by the Mississippi. Minimum accumulation occurred along the shoreline between these river sources. Our findings provide a mechanistic link between river-mouth dynamics and wetland sedimentation patterns that is relevant for plans to restore deltaic wetlands using artificial diversions.

Effects of tidal cycles on shorebird distribution and foraging behaviour in a coastal tropical wetland: Insights for carrying capacity assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Juanita; Basso, Enzo; Serrano, David; Navedo, Juan G.

2017-11-01

Wetland loss has driven negative effects on biodiversity by a reduction in potential available habitats, directly impacting wetland-dependent species such as migratory shorebirds. At coastal areas where tidal cycles can restrict food access, the degree to which density of foraging birds is mediated by conspecific abundance or by the available areas is crucial to understanding patterns of bird distribution and wetland carrying capacity. We used the bathymetry of two sectors modeled with two numerical matrices to determine the availability of intertidal foraging areas in relation to tidal level (spring and neap tides), and this information was used to estimate shorebird density and foraging activity throughout the low-tide cycle in a tropical coastal lagoon in northwestern Mexico. Relative to spring tides, an 80% reduction in available foraging areas occurred during neap tides. Overall shorebird abundance was significantly reduced during neap tide periods, with differences between species. Densities of shorebirds increased during neap tides, particularly in one sector, and remained similar throughout the low-tide period (i.e. 4 h) either during spring or neap tides. Time spent foraging was consistently lower during neap-tides relative to spring-tides, especially for Long-billed curlew (44% reduction), Willet (37% reduction) and Black-necked stilt (29% reduction). These decreases in foraging activity when available habitats became reduced can hamper the opportunities of migratory shorebirds to reach their daily energy requirements to survive during the non-breeding season. This study shows that when intertidal habitats are severely reduced an important fraction of shorebird populations would probably be forced to find alternative areas to forage or increase foraging time during the night. Serving an essential function as top-predators, these results can have important implications on carrying capacity assessment for shorebirds at coastal wetlands.

Leveraging Carbon Cycling in Coastal Wetlands for Habitat Conservation: Blue Carbon Policy Opportunities (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Sutton-Grier, A.

2013-12-01

Recent scientific studies suggest that the carbon sequestered and stored in coastal wetlands (specifically mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows) is an important, previously not well-recognized service provided by these ecosystems. Coastal wetlands have unique characteristics that make them incredibly efficient, natural carbon sinks with most carbon stored belowground in soils. Based on this new scientific evidence, there is growing interest in leveraging the carbon services of these habitats (termed 'blue carbon') to develop new policy opportunities to protect and restore coastal wetlands around the globe. The overall goal is to take full advantage of the carbon services of these habitats in order to ensure and maintain the many benefits provided to society by these habitats - including natural climate, food security, and storm protection benefits - and to enhance the resiliency of coastal communities and economies around the world. This presentation will give an update on some of the policy opportunities including: (1) examining how the implementation of U.S. federal policies can be expanded to include carbon services of ecosystems in order to improve management and decision making; (2) developing an international blue carbon community of science and practice to provide best practice guidance for protection and restoration of blue carbon habitats; and (3) developing innovative financing mechanisms for coastal conservation including carbon market credits for wetlands. Finally, the presentation will conclude by highlighting some of the most pressing blue carbon scientific gaps that need to be filled in order to support these developing policies.

Hydrological behavior of coastal lagoons associated to wetlands, an example from southernmost bahía Samborombón (Argentina).

Science.gov (United States)

Tejada Tejada, Macarena; Carol, Eleanora; Galliari, Julieta; Richiano, Sebastian

2017-04-01

Coastal wetlands are located at a critical interface between the terrestrial and marine environments and are ideally positioned to reduce impacts from land-based sources. At the southern region of Bahía Samborombón (Argentina) the wetlands includes several small coastal lagoons developed inside of a sandy spike. The main object of this work is to analyze the hydrological behavior of the lagoons evaluating their role in the maintenances of the wetland. In order to do this, satellite image analysis was performed to identify the marshy areas, drainage features, morphology and connections of the lagoons, both with the tidal flows from the Río de la Plata estuary and from the Argentine Sea. Field surveys were carried out in one of the lagoons to define their geological and geomorphological characteristics. After that, a monitoring network was designed for sampling the superficial and the underground water, additionally electrical conductivity and pH of the water were determined in situ. In all the water samples extracted the content of majority ions was determined by standard methods. Complementary, sedimentological and malacological aspects were observed at several stations in the lagoon. The obtained results allow us to recognize that the tidal flow that enters from the sea, at least in the studied lagoon, is the main hydrological sustenance of the wetland. This flow enters mainly using one tidal channel which connects (in a semi-permanent way) the sea with the lagoon during extraordinary tide and storm events. During low tide the lagoon loses connection and the drainage towards the sea is scarce. The tidal water that accumulates in the lagoon is subsequently evaporated causing an increase in the salinity of the surface water to values higher than the sea. Groundwater that accumulates through the infiltration of rainfall in the sandy sediments of the spike also discharges to the lagoon and supports the wetland surrounding the coastal lagoon. This flow, even when it

Validation and Comparison of a Model of the Effect of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal Wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Mogensen, Laura A; Rogers, Kerrylee

2018-01-22

Models are used to project coastal wetland distribution under future sea-level rise scenarios to assist decision-making. Model validation and comparison was used to investigate error and uncertainty in the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model, a readily available model with minimal validation, particularly for wetlands beyond North America. Accurate parameterisation is required to improve the performance of the model, and indeed any spatial model. Consideration of tidal attenuation further enhances model performance, particularly for coastal wetlands located within estuaries along wave-dominated coastlines. The model does not simulate vegetation changes that are known to occur, particularly when sedimentation exceeds rates of sea-level rise resulting in shoreline progradation. Model performance was reasonable over decadal timescales, decreasing as the time-scale of retrospection increased due to compounding of errors. Comparison with other deterministic models showed reasonable agreement by 2100. However, given the uncertainty of the future and the unpredictable nature of coastal wetlands, it is difficult to ascertain which model could be realistic enough to meet its intended purpose. Model validation and comparison are useful for assessing model efficacy and parameterisation, and should be applied before application of any spatially explicit model of coastal wetland response to sea-level rise.

Coastal Carbon Dynamics as a New Chapter in SOCCR2: Tidal Wetlands and Estuaries

Science.gov (United States)

Windham-Myers, L.; Megonigal, P.; Cai, W. J.; Hopkinson, C.; Wang, A. Z.; Andersson, A. J.; Hinson, A.; Lagomasino, D.; Peteet, D. M.; Giri, C. P.; Howard, J.; Tang, J.; Crosswell, J.; Martin Hernandez-Ayon, J. M.; Dunton, K. H.; Kroeger, K. D.; Paulsen, M. L.; Allison, M. A.; Siedlecki, S. A.; Alin, S. R.; Hu, X.; Tzortziou, M.; Najjar, R.; Schafer, K. V.; Watson, E.; Pidgeon, E.

2016-12-01

Estuaries and tidal wetlands have been identified as distinct landscape elements for carbon cycling, worthy of a chapter in the pending State of the Carbon Cycle Report - version 2. Despite relatively small aerial coverage compared to other subsystems, tidal wetlands and estuaries have the greatest influence on carbon dynamics of any coastal ocean subsystem. As conduits that filter all material passing between land and the sea, they also exhibit the highest transfer rates of CO2 with the atmosphere of any of the coastal ocean subsystems. Carbon dynamics in estuaries and wetlands are constantly changing, reflecting geomorphic and ecological responses to long and short-term perturbations in external drivers such as sea-level rise, climate change, nutrient loading and land-use change. The influence of these drivers are profound in coastal systems, often more so than in inland wetlands or open ocean environments, and thus require distinct attention to patterns and processes associated with coastal ecosystem functioning, including carbon sequestration services in tidal wetland soils. This new chapter focusses on data sources available in North America to: (1) assess the current state of carbon stocks and fluxes in coastal settings, (2) document understanding of drivers associated with significant fluxes and stocks, and (3) synthesize carbon dynamics from a global context to regional perspectives (East, West, Gulf and high-latitude coastlines). Insights from remote sensing, in situ field data, and numerical models have advanced our ability to monitor and project carbon cycling in this dynamic and narrow fringe at the land-ocean interface. This synthetic chapter will address how these advances can help in decision making, as well as address remaining gaps in our knowledge and monitoring capabilities for these diverse and productive habitats.

Terrestrial laser scanning to quantify above-ground biomass of structurally complex coastal wetland vegetation

Science.gov (United States)

Owers, Christopher J.; Rogers, Kerrylee; Woodroffe, Colin D.

2018-05-01

Above-ground biomass represents a small yet significant contributor to carbon storage in coastal wetlands. Despite this, above-ground biomass is often poorly quantified, particularly in areas where vegetation structure is complex. Traditional methods for providing accurate estimates involve harvesting vegetation to develop mangrove allometric equations and quantify saltmarsh biomass in quadrats. However broad scale application of these methods may not capture structural variability in vegetation resulting in a loss of detail and estimates with considerable uncertainty. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) collects high resolution three-dimensional point clouds capable of providing detailed structural morphology of vegetation. This study demonstrates that TLS is a suitable non-destructive method for estimating biomass of structurally complex coastal wetland vegetation. We compare volumetric models, 3-D surface reconstruction and rasterised volume, and point cloud elevation histogram modelling techniques to estimate biomass. Our results show that current volumetric modelling approaches for estimating TLS-derived biomass are comparable to traditional mangrove allometrics and saltmarsh harvesting. However, volumetric modelling approaches oversimplify vegetation structure by under-utilising the large amount of structural information provided by the point cloud. The point cloud elevation histogram model presented in this study, as an alternative to volumetric modelling, utilises all of the information within the point cloud, as opposed to sub-sampling based on specific criteria. This method is simple but highly effective for both mangrove (r2 = 0.95) and saltmarsh (r2 > 0.92) vegetation. Our results provide evidence that application of TLS in coastal wetlands is an effective non-destructive method to accurately quantify biomass for structurally complex vegetation.

Derivation of Ground Surface and Vegetation in a Coastal Florida Wetland with Airborne Laser Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Raabe, Ellen A.; Harris, Melanie S.; Shrestha, Ramesh L.; Carter, William E.

2008-01-01

The geomorphology and vegetation of marsh-dominated coastal lowlands were mapped from airborne laser data points collected on the Gulf Coast of Florida near Cedar Key. Surface models were developed using low- and high-point filters to separate ground-surface and vegetation-canopy intercepts. In a non-automated process, the landscape was partitioned into functional landscape units to manage the modeling of key landscape features in discrete processing steps. The final digital ground surface-elevation model offers a faithful representation of topographic relief beneath canopies of tidal marsh and coastal forest. Bare-earth models approximate field-surveyed heights by + 0.17 m in the open marsh and + 0.22 m under thick marsh or forest canopy. The laser-derived digital surface models effectively delineate surface features of relatively inaccessible coastal habitats with a geographic coverage and vertical detail previously unavailable. Coastal topographic details include tidal-creek tributaries, levees, modest topographic undulations in the intertidal zone, karst features, silviculture, and relict sand dunes under coastal-forest canopy. A combination of laser-derived ground-surface and canopy-height models and intensity values provided additional mapping capabilities to differentiate between tidal-marsh zones and forest types such as mesic flatwood, hydric hammock, and oak scrub. Additional derived products include fine-scale shoreline and topographic profiles. The derived products demonstrate the capability to identify areas of concern to resource managers and unique components of the coastal system from laser altimetry. Because the very nature of a wetland system presents difficulties for access and data collection, airborne coverage from remote sensors has become an accepted alternative for monitoring wetland regions. Data acquisition with airborne laser represents a viable option for mapping coastal topography and for evaluating habitats and coastal change on marsh

Predicting Disturbance-driven Impacts on Ecosystem Services in Coastal Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Rajan, S.; Crawford, P.; Kleinhuizen, A.; Mortazavi, B.; Sobecky, P.

2017-12-01

Natural and human-induced disturbances pose significant threats to the health and long-term productivity of Alabama coastal wetlands. As wetlands are a vital state resource, decisions on management, restoration, and remediation require actionable data if socio-economic demands are to be balanced with efforts to sustain these habitats. In 2010, the BP oil spill was a large and severe disturbance that threatened coastal Gulf ecosystem services. The largest marine oil spill to date served to highlight fundamental gaps in our knowledge of oil-induced disturbances and the resiliency and restoration of coastal Alabama wetland functions. To address these gaps, a year-long mesocosm study was conducted to investigate oil-induced effects on (i) plant-microbial interactions, (ii) microbial and plant biodiversity, and, (iii) the contributions of microbial genetic biodiversity to ecosystems services. In this study, Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), a C3 plant that grows from the tropics to warm temperate latitudes, were grown with or without mono- and polyculture mixtures of Spartina alterniflora, a C4 plant. At an interval of 3-months, oil was introduced as a pulse disturbance to achieve a concentration of 4000 ppm. Molecular-based analyses of microbial community biodiversity, genetic diversity, and functional metabolic genes were compared to controls (i.e., no oil disturbance). To assess the oil-induced effects on the nitrogen (N) cycle, measurements of denitrification and N fixation processes were conducted. Our results showed that community diversity and phylogenetic diversity significantly changed and that the oil disturbance contributed to the creation of niches for distinct microbial types. The abundance of N-fixing microbial types increased as the abundance of denitrifying microbial types decreased as a result of the oil disturbance. As denitrification is an ecosystem service that directly contributes to removing nitrate (NO3-) loading to coastal zones, impairment

Hydrologic and Vegetative Removal of Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and Toxoplasma gondii Surrogate Microspheres in Coastal Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Jennifer N.; Daniels, Miles E.; Watson, Fred G.; Oates, Stori C.; Miller, Melissa A.; Conrad, Patricia A.; Shapiro, Karen; Hardin, Dane; Dominik, Clare; Melli, Ann; Jessup, David A.

2013-01-01

Constructed wetland systems are used to reduce pollutants and pathogens in wastewater effluent, but comparatively little is known about pathogen transport through natural wetland habitats. Fecal protozoans, including Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and Toxoplasma gondii, are waterborne pathogens of humans and animals, which are carried by surface waters from land-based sources into coastal waters. This study evaluated key factors of coastal wetlands for the reduction of protozoal parasites in surface waters using settling column and recirculating mesocosm tank experiments. Settling column experiments evaluated the effects of salinity, temperature, and water type (“pure” versus “environmental”) on the vertical settling velocities of C. parvum, G. lamblia, and T. gondii surrogates, with salinity and water type found to significantly affect settling of the parasites. The mesocosm tank experiments evaluated the effects of salinity, flow rate, and vegetation parameters on parasite and surrogate counts, with increased salinity and the presence of vegetation found to be significant factors for removal of parasites in a unidirectional transport wetland system. Overall, this study highlights the importance of water type, salinity, and vegetation parameters for pathogen transport within wetland systems, with implications for wetland management, restoration efforts, and coastal water quality. PMID:23315738

Development of an indicator to monitor mediterranean wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Antonio; Abdul Malak, Dania; Guelmami, Anis; Perennou, Christian

2015-01-01

Wetlands are sensitive ecosystems that are increasingly subjected to threats from anthropogenic factors. In the last decades, coastal Mediterranean wetlands have been suffering considerable pressures from land use change, intensification of urban growth, increasing tourism infrastructure and intensification of agricultural practices. Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques are efficient tools that can support monitoring Mediterranean coastal wetlands on large scales and over long periods of time. The study aims at developing a wetland indicator to support monitoring Mediterranean coastal wetlands using these techniques. The indicator makes use of multi-temporal Landsat images, land use reference layers, a 50m numerical model of the territory (NMT) and Corine Land Cover (CLC) for the identification and mapping of wetlands. The approach combines supervised image classification techniques making use of vegetation indices and decision tree analysis to identify the surface covered by wetlands at a given date. A validation process is put in place to compare outcomes with existing local wetland inventories to check the results reliability. The indicator´s results demonstrate an improvement in the level of precision of change detection methods achieved by traditional tools providing reliability up to 95% in main wetland areas. The results confirm that the use of RS techniques improves the precision of wetland detection compared to the use of CLC for wetland monitoring and stress the strong relation between the level of wetland detection and the nature of the wetland areas and the monitoring scale considered.

Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: Gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network.

Science.gov (United States)

Osland, Michael J; Griffith, Kereen T; Larriviere, Jack C; Feher, Laura C; Cahoon, Donald R; Enwright, Nicholas M; Oster, David A; Tirpak, John M; Woodrey, Mark S; Collini, Renee C; Baustian, Joseph J; Breithaupt, Joshua L; Cherry, Julia A; Conrad, Jeremy R; Cormier, Nicole; Coronado-Molina, Carlos A; Donoghue, Joseph F; Graham, Sean A; Harper, Jennifer W; Hester, Mark W; Howard, Rebecca J; Krauss, Ken W; Kroes, Daniel E; Lane, Robert R; McKee, Karen L; Mendelssohn, Irving A; Middleton, Beth A; Moon, Jena A; Piazza, Sarai C; Rankin, Nicole M; Sklar, Fred H; Steyer, Greg D; Swanson, Kathleen M; Swarzenski, Christopher M; Vervaeke, William C; Willis, Jonathan M; Wilson, K Van

2017-01-01

Coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise are greatly influenced by biogeomorphic processes that affect wetland surface elevation. Small changes in elevation relative to sea level can lead to comparatively large changes in ecosystem structure, function, and stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) approach is being used globally to quantify the relative contributions of processes affecting wetland elevation change. Historically, SET-MH measurements have been obtained at local scales to address site-specific research questions. However, in the face of accelerated sea-level rise, there is an increasing need for elevation change network data that can be incorporated into regional ecological models and vulnerability assessments. In particular, there is a need for long-term, high-temporal resolution data that are strategically distributed across ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients. Here, we quantify the distribution of SET-MH stations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast (USA) across political boundaries (states), wetland habitats, and ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients (i.e., gradients in temperature, precipitation, elevation, and relative sea-level rise). Our analyses identify areas with high SET-MH station densities as well as areas with notable gaps. Salt marshes, intermediate elevations, and colder areas with high rainfall have a high number of stations, while salt flat ecosystems, certain elevation zones, the mangrove-marsh ecotone, and hypersaline coastal areas with low rainfall have fewer stations. Due to rapid rates of wetland loss and relative sea-level rise, the state of Louisiana has the most extensive SET-MH station network in the region, and we provide several recent examples where data from Louisiana's network have been used to assess and compare wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise. Our findings represent the first attempt to examine spatial gaps in SET-MH coverage across abiotic gradients. Our analyses can be used

Causal mechanisms of soil organic matter decomposition: Deconstructing salinity and flooding impacts in coastal wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Stagg, Camille L.; Schoolmaster, Donald; Krauss, Ken W.; Cormier, Nicole; Conner, William H.

2017-01-01

Coastal wetlands significantly contribute to global carbon storage potential. Sea-level rise and other climate change-induced disturbances threaten coastal wetland sustainability and carbon storage capacity. It is critical that we understand the mechanisms controlling wetland carbon loss so that we can predict and manage these resources in anticipation of climate change. However, our current understanding of the mechanisms that control soil organic matter decomposition, in particular the impacts of elevated salinity, are limited, and literature reports are contradictory. In an attempt to improve our understanding of these complex processes, we measured root and rhizome decomposition and developed a causal model to identify and quantify the mechanisms that influence soil organic matter decomposition in coastal wetlands that are impacted by sea-level rise. We identified three causal pathways: 1) a direct pathway representing the effects of flooding on soil moisture, 2) a direct pathway representing the effects of salinity on decomposer microbial communities and soil biogeochemistry, and 3) an indirect pathway representing the effects of salinity on litter quality through changes in plant community composition over time. We used this model to test the effects of alternate scenarios on the response of tidal freshwater forested wetlands and oligohaline marshes to short- and long-term climate-induced disturbances of flooding and salinity. In tidal freshwater forested wetlands, the model predicted less decomposition in response to drought, hurricane salinity pulsing, and long-term sea-level rise. In contrast, in the oligohaline marsh, the model predicted no change in response to sea-level rise, and increased decomposition following a drought or a hurricane salinity pulse. Our results show that it is critical to consider the temporal scale of disturbance and the magnitude of exposure when assessing the effects of salinity intrusion on carbon mineralization in coastal

Multi-temporal RADARSAT-1 and ERS backscattering signatures of coastal wetlands in southeastern Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Kwoun, Oh-Ig; Lu, Z.

2009-01-01

Using multi-temporal European Remote-sensing Satellites (ERS-1/-2) and Canadian Radar Satellite (RADARSAT-1) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data over the Louisiana coastal zone, we characterize seasonal variations of radar backscat-tering according to vegetation type. Our main findings are as follows. First, ERS-1/-2 and RADARSAT-1 require careful radiometric calibration to perform multi-temporal backscattering analysis for wetland mapping. We use SAR backscattering signals from cities for the relative calibration. Second, using seasonally averaged backscattering coefficients from ERS-1/-2 and RADARSAT-1, we can differentiate most forests (bottomland and swamp forests) and marshes (freshwater, intermediate, brackish, and saline marshes) in coastal wetlands. The student t-test results support the usefulness of season-averaged backscatter data for classification. Third, combining SAR backscattering coefficients and an optical-sensor-based normalized difference vegetation index can provide further insight into vegetation type and enhance the separation between forests and marshes. Our study demonstrates that SAR can provide necessary information to characterize coastal wetlands and monitor their changes.

Inventory of coastal protected areas and historical heritage sites (North Bulgarian coast)

Science.gov (United States)

Palazov, Atanas; Stancheva, Margarita; Stanchev, Hristo; Krastev, Anton; Peev, Preslav

2015-04-01

Coastal protected areas and historical heritage sites in Bulgaria are established by national policy instruments/laws and EU Directives to protect a wide range of natural and cultural resources along the coast. Within the framework of HERAS Project (Submarine Archaeological Heritage of the Western Black Sea Shelf), financed by European Union under the CBC Program Romania-Bulgaria, we made an inventory and identification of protected areas, nature reserves, monuments, parks and onshore historical sites along the North Bulgarian coast (NUTS III level). The adjacent coastline is 96 km long between cape Sivriburun to the border of Romania on the north and cape Ekrene on the south. Coastal zone here is mostly undeveloped and low urbanized compared to other coastal regions in Bulgaria. It comprises of large sand beaches, vast sand dunes, up to 70 m spectacular high limestone cliffs, coastal fresh-water lakes, wetlands etc. This coastal section includes also one of the most important wetlands and it is migration corridor for many protected birds in Bulgaria, that host one of the rarest ecosystem types with national and international conservational value. Added to ecosystem values, the region is also an archeologically important area, where numerous underwater and coastal archaeological sites from different periods have been discovered - Prehistory, Antiquity (ancient Greek, Hellenistic, Roman), Mediaeval (Early Byzantium, Bulgarian). Research was made within 2100 m zone from the coastline (in accordance with zones defined by the Black Sea Coastal Development Act) for territories with protected status in the framework of many national laws and EU Directives. The total area of this strip zone is 182, 6 km2 and around 67% is under protection. There are 11 unique NATURA 2000 protected areas (6 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and 5 Sites of Communities Importance (SCI), 2 nature reserves and 1 Nature Park. Some of them are also onshore historical sites. In Bulgaria such sites

A comparison of the vegetation and soils of natural, restored, and created coastal lowland wetlands in Hawai‘i

Science.gov (United States)

Meris Bantilan-Smith; Gregory L. Bruland; Richard A. MacKenzie; Adonia R. Henry; Christina R. Ryder

2009-01-01

The loss of coastal wetlands throughout the Hawaiian Islands has increased the numbers of created (CW) and restored (RW) wetlands. An assessment of these wetlands has yet to occur, and it has not been determined whether CWs and RWs provide the same functions as natural wetlands (NWs). To address these concerns, vegetation and soil characteristics of 35 wetlands were...

High-resolution mapping of wetland vegetation biomass and distribution with L-band radar in southeastern coastal Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, N. M.; Simard, M.; Byrd, K. B.; Windham-Myers, L.; Castaneda, E.; Twilley, R.; Bevington, A. E.; Christensen, A.

2017-12-01

Louisiana coastal wetlands account for approximately one third (37%) of the estuarine wetland vegetation in the conterminous United States, yet the spatial distribution of their extent and aboveground biomass (AGB) is not well defined. This knowledge is critical for the accurate completion of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. We generated high-resolution baselines maps of wetland vegetation extent and biomass at the Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins in coastal Louisiana using a multi-sensor approach. Optical satellite data was used within an object-oriented machine learning approach to classify the structure of wetland vegetation types, offering increased detail over currently available land cover maps that do not distinguish between wetland vegetation types nor account for non-permanent seasonal changes in extent. We mapped 1871 km2 of wetlands during a period of peak biomass in September 2015 comprised of flooded forested wetlands and leaf, grass and emergent herbaceous marshes. The distribution of aboveground biomass (AGB) was mapped using JPL L-band Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR). Relationships between time-series radar imagery and field data collected in May 2015 and September 2016 were derived to estimate AGB at the Wax Lake and Atchafalaya deltas. Differences in seasonal biomass estimates reflect the increased AGB in September over May, concurrent with periods of peak biomass and the onset of the vegetation growing season, respectively. This method provides a tractable means of mapping and monitoring biomass of wetland vegetation types with L-band radar, in a region threatened with wetland loss under projections of increasing sea-level rise and terrestrial subsidence. Through this, we demonstrate a method that is able to satisfy the IPCC 2013 Wetlands Supplement requirement for Tier 2/Tier 3 reporting of coastal wetland GHG inventories.

A Carbon Cycle Model for the Social-Ecological Process in Coastal Wetland: A Case Study on Gouqi Island, East China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanxia Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Coastal wetlands offer many important ecosystem services both in natural and in social systems. How to simultaneously decrease the destructive effects flowing from human activities and maintaining the sustainability of regional wetland ecosystems are an important issue for coastal wetlands zones. We use carbon credits as the basis for regional sustainable developing policy-making. With the case of Gouqi Island, a typical coastal wetlands zone that locates in the East China Sea, a carbon cycle model was developed to illustrate the complex social-ecological processes. Carbon-related processes in natural ecosystem, primary industry, secondary industry, tertiary industry, and residents on the island were identified in the model. The model showed that 36780 tons of carbon is released to atmosphere with the form of CO2, and 51240 tons of carbon is captured by the ecosystem in 2014 and the three major resources of carbon emission are transportation and tourism development and seawater desalination. Based on the carbon-related processes and carbon balance, we proposed suggestions on the sustainable development strategy of Gouqi Island as coastal wetlands zone.

A Carbon Cycle Model for the Social-Ecological Process in Coastal Wetland: A Case Study on Gouqi Island, East China

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Lihu; Zhu, Wenjia

2017-01-01

Coastal wetlands offer many important ecosystem services both in natural and in social systems. How to simultaneously decrease the destructive effects flowing from human activities and maintaining the sustainability of regional wetland ecosystems are an important issue for coastal wetlands zones. We use carbon credits as the basis for regional sustainable developing policy-making. With the case of Gouqi Island, a typical coastal wetlands zone that locates in the East China Sea, a carbon cycle model was developed to illustrate the complex social-ecological processes. Carbon-related processes in natural ecosystem, primary industry, secondary industry, tertiary industry, and residents on the island were identified in the model. The model showed that 36780 tons of carbon is released to atmosphere with the form of CO2, and 51240 tons of carbon is captured by the ecosystem in 2014 and the three major resources of carbon emission are transportation and tourism development and seawater desalination. Based on the carbon-related processes and carbon balance, we proposed suggestions on the sustainable development strategy of Gouqi Island as coastal wetlands zone. PMID:28286690

North American coastal carbon stocks and exchanges among the coupled ecosystems of tidal wetlands and estuaries

Science.gov (United States)

Windham-Myers, L.; Cai, W. J.

2017-12-01

The development of the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2) has recognized a significant role of aquatic ecosystems, including coastal zones, in reconciling some of the gaps associated with the North American carbon (C) budget. Along with a large community of coauthors, we report major C stocks and fluxes for tidal wetlands and estuaries of Canada, Mexico and the United States. We find divergent patterns between these coupled ecosystems, with tidal wetlands largely serving as CO2 sinks (net autotrophic), and open-water estuaries largely serving as CO2 sources (net heterotrophic). We summarized measurements across 4 continental regions - East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, West Coast, and High Latitudes - to assess spatial variability and datagaps in our understanding of coastal C cycling. Subtracting estuarine outgassing of 10 ± 10 Tg C yr-1 from the tidal wetland uptake of 23 ± 10 Tg C yr-1 leaves a net uptake of the combined system of 13 ± 14 Tg C yr-1. High uncertainty for net atmospheric C exchange in this combined coastal system is further complicated by spatially and temporally dynamic boundaries, as well as terrestrial C sources. Tidal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on earth and are capable of continuously accumulating organic C in their sediments as a result of environmental conditions that inhibit organic matter decomposition. Estuaries have more interannual variability in C dynamics than those of tidal wetlands, reflecting the estuarine balance of exchanges with terrestrial watersheds, tidal wetlands, and the continental shelf. Whereas tidal, subtidal and estuarine maps are of limited accuracy at larger scales, North America likely represents less than 1/10 of global distributions of coastal wetland habitats. Coupled land-ocean C flux models are increasingly robust but lacking much of the data needed for parameterization and validation. Accurate boundary maps and synoptic monitoring data on air-water CO2 exchange may be developed

Classifications for Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act site-specific projects: 2008 and 2009

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, William R.; Garber, Adrienne

2012-01-01

The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) funds over 100 wetland restoration projects across Louisiana. Integral to the success of CWPPRA is its long-term monitoring program, which enables State and Federal agencies to determine the effectiveness of each restoration effort. One component of this monitoring program is the analysis of high-resolution, color-infrared aerial photography at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Color-infrared aerial photography (9- by 9-inch) is obtained before project construction and several times after construction. Each frame is scanned on a photogrametric scanner that produces a high-resolution image in Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). By using image-processing software, these TIFF files are then orthorectified and mosaicked to produce a seamless image of a project area and its associated reference area (a control site near the project that has common environmental features, such as marsh type, soil types, and water salinities.) The project and reference areas are then classified according to pixel value into two distinct classes, land and water. After initial land and water ratios have been established by using photography obtained before and after project construction, subsequent comparisons can be made over time to determine land-water change. Several challenges are associated with the land-water interpretation process. Primarily, land-water classifications are often complicated by the presence of floating aquatic vegetation that occurs throughout the freshwater systems of coastal Louisiana and that is sometimes difficult to differentiate from emergent marsh. Other challenges include tidal fluctuations and water movement from strong winds, which may result in flooding and inundation of emergent marsh during certain conditions. Compensating for these events is difficult but possible by using other sources of imagery to verify marsh conditions for other

Discrimination of coastal wetland environments in the Amazon region based on multi-polarized L-band airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Souza-Filho, Pedro Walfir M.; Paradella, Waldir R.; Rodrigues, Suzan W. P.; Costa, Francisco R.; Mura, José C.; Gonçalves, Fabrício D.

2011-11-01

This study assessed the use of multi-polarized L-band images for the identification of coastal wetland environments in the Amazon coast region of northern Brazil. Data were acquired with a SAR R99B sensor from the Amazon Surveillance System (SIVAM) on board a Brazilian Air Force jet. Flights took place in the framework of the 2005 MAPSAR simulation campaign, a German-Brazilian feasibility study focusing on a L-band SAR satellite. Information retrieval was based on the recognition of the interaction between a radar signal and shallow-water morphology in intertidal areas, coastal dunes, mangroves, marshes and the coastal plateau. Regarding the performance of polarizations, VV was superior for recognizing intertidal area morphology under low spring tide conditions; HH for mapping coastal environments covered with forest and scrub vegetation such as mangrove and vegetated dunes, and HV was suitable for distinguishing transition zones between mangroves and coastal plateau. The statistical results for the classification maps expressed by kappa index and general accuracy were 83.3% and 0.734 for the multi-polarized color composition (R-HH, G-HV, B-VV), 80.7% and 0.694% for HH, 79.7% and 0.673% for VV, and 77.9% and 0.645% for HV amplitude image. The results indicate that use of multi-polarized L-band SAR is a valuable source of information aiming at the identification and discrimination of distinct geomorphic targets in tropical wetlands.

Analysis of fish movements between Great Lakes coastal wetlands and near shore habitat via otolith microchemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Great Lakes coastal wetlands are unique habitats with physical connections with near shore environments. This facilitates the exchange of energy between habitats in a principle known as habitat coupling. Coupling can be facilitated by movements of consumers; however, wetland us...

Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: Gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J Osland

Full Text Available Coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise are greatly influenced by biogeomorphic processes that affect wetland surface elevation. Small changes in elevation relative to sea level can lead to comparatively large changes in ecosystem structure, function, and stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH approach is being used globally to quantify the relative contributions of processes affecting wetland elevation change. Historically, SET-MH measurements have been obtained at local scales to address site-specific research questions. However, in the face of accelerated sea-level rise, there is an increasing need for elevation change network data that can be incorporated into regional ecological models and vulnerability assessments. In particular, there is a need for long-term, high-temporal resolution data that are strategically distributed across ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients. Here, we quantify the distribution of SET-MH stations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast (USA across political boundaries (states, wetland habitats, and ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients (i.e., gradients in temperature, precipitation, elevation, and relative sea-level rise. Our analyses identify areas with high SET-MH station densities as well as areas with notable gaps. Salt marshes, intermediate elevations, and colder areas with high rainfall have a high number of stations, while salt flat ecosystems, certain elevation zones, the mangrove-marsh ecotone, and hypersaline coastal areas with low rainfall have fewer stations. Due to rapid rates of wetland loss and relative sea-level rise, the state of Louisiana has the most extensive SET-MH station network in the region, and we provide several recent examples where data from Louisiana's network have been used to assess and compare wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise. Our findings represent the first attempt to examine spatial gaps in SET-MH coverage across abiotic gradients. Our

EnviroAtlas - Potential Wetland Areas - Contiguous United States

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The EnviroAtlas Potential Wetland Areas (PWA) dataset shows potential wetland areas at 30-meter resolution. Beginning two centuries ago, many wetlands were turned...

Ecological Security and Ecosystem Services in Response to Land Use Change in the Coastal Area of Jiangsu, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caiyao Xu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Urbanization, and the resulting land use/cover change, is a primary cause of the degradation of coastal wetland ecosystems. Reclamation projects are seen as a way to strike a balance between socioeconomic development and maintenance of coastal ecosystems. Our aim was to understand the ecological changes to Jiangsu’s coastal wetland resulting from land use change since 1977 by using remote sensing and spatial analyses. The results indicate that: (1 The area of artificial land use expanded while natural land use was reduced, which emphasized an increase in production-orientated land uses at the expense of ecologically important wetlands; (2 It took 34 years for landscape ecological security and 39 years for ecosystem services to regain equilibrium. The coastal reclamation area would recover ecological equilibrium only after a minimum of 30 years; (3 The total ecosystem service value decreased significantly from $2.98 billion per year to $2.31 billion per year from 1977 to 2014. Food production was the only one ecosystem service function that consistently increased, mainly because of government policy; (4 The relationship between landscape ecological security and ecosystem services is complicated, mainly because of the scale effect of landscape ecology. Spatial analysis of changing gravity centers showed that landscape ecological security and ecosystem service quality became better in the north than the south over the study period.

Phosphorus storage and mobilization in coastal Phragmites wetlands: Influence of local-scale hydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Karstens, Svenja; Buczko, Uwe; Glatzel, Stephan

2016-04-01

Coastal Phragmites wetlands are at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are of paramount importance for nutrient regulation. They can act both as sinks and sources for phosphorus, depending on environmental conditions, sediment properties as well as on antecedent nutrient loading and sorption capacity of the sediments. The Darss-Zingst Bodden Chain is a shallow lagoon system at the German Baltic Sea coast with a long eutrophication history. It is lined almost at its entire length by reed wetlands. In order to elucidate under which conditions these wetlands act as sources or sinks for phosphorus, in-situ data of chemo-physical characteristics of water and sediment samples were combined with hydrodynamic measurements and laboratory experiments. Small-scale basin structures within the wetland serve as sinks for fine-grained particles rich in phosphorus, iron, manganese and organic matter. Without turbulent mixing the bottom water and the sediment surface lack replenishment of oxygen. During stagnant periods with low water level, low turbulence and thus low-oxygen conditions phosphorus from the sediments is released. But the sediments are capable of becoming sinks again once oxygen is resupplied. A thin oxic sediment surface layer rich in iron and manganese adsorbs phosphorus quickly. We demonstrate that sediments in coastal Phragmites wetlands can serve both as sources and sinks of soluble reactive phosphorus on a very short time-scale, depending on local-scale hydrodynamics and the state of the oxic-anoxic sediment interface.

Controls of Carbon Preservation in Coastal Wetlands of Texas: Mangrove vs. Saltmarsh Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Sterne, A. M. E.; Louchouarn, P.; Norwood, M. J.; Kaiser, K.

2014-12-01

The estimated magnitude of the carbon (C) stocks contained in the first meter of US coastal wetland soils represents ~10% of the entire C stock in US soils (4 vs. 52 Pg, respectively). Because this stock extends to several meters below the surface for many coastal wetlands, it becomes paramount to understand the fate of C under ecosystem shifts, varying natural environmental constraints, and changing land use. In this project we analyze total hydrolysable carbohydrates, amino acids, phenols and stable isotopic data (δ13C) at two study sites located on the Texas coastline to investigate chemical compositions and the stage of decomposition in mangrove and marsh grass dominated wetlands. Carbohydrates are used as specific decomposition indicators of the polysaccharide component of wetland plants, whereas amino acids are used to identify the contribution of microbial biomass, and acid/aldehyde ratios of syringyl (S) and vanillyl (V) phenols (Ac/AlS,V) follow the decomposition of lignin. Preliminary results show carbohydrates account for 30-50 % of organic carbon in plant litter and surface sediments at both sites. Sharp declines of carbohydrate yields with depth occur parallel to increasing Ac/AlS,V ratios indicating substantial decomposition of both the polysaccharide and lignin components of litter detritus. Ecological differences (between marsh grass and mangrove dominated wetlands) are discussed to better constrain the role of litter biochemistry and ecological shifts on C preservation in these anoxic environments.

Are Predators Limiting Zebra Mussel Colonization of Unionid Mussels in Great Lake Coastal Wetlands?

Science.gov (United States)

de Szalay, F. A.; Bowers, R.

2005-05-01

Although many native mollusc populations have been eliminated in the Laurentian Great Lakes by the exotic zebra mussel, recent surveys have found abundant unionid (Bivalvia: Unionidae) populations in some coastal wetlands. Unionid burrowing in soft sediments and predation by fish have been shown to reduce numbers of attached zebra mussels, and we tested these factors in a Lake Erie coastal wetland. In 2002, we held live unionids (Leptodea fragilis, Quadrula quadrula) and Pyganodon grandis shells in exclosures with wire mesh bottoms that were buried to sediment depths of either 5, 10, or 20 cm. After 2 months, numbers of attached dreissenids on unionids were significantly higher inside all exclosure treatments than outside exclosures. This indicated that either unionid burrowing was prevented in all sediment depth treatments or molluscivores were excluded by exclosures. In 2004, we measured dreissenid colonization on Q. quadrula and PVC plates in bottomless exclosures with different mesh sizes. After 6 months, dreissenid numbers on PVC plates and on Q. quadrula in 2.5 cm X 2.5 cm and 5 cm X 10 cm mesh exclosures were significantly higher than in open exclosures. These data suggest that molluscivores are important in limiting dreissenids in Great Lake coastal wetlands.

Spatial configuration trends in coastal Louisiana from 1985 to 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Couvillion, Brady; Fischer, Michelle; Beck, Holly J.; Sleavin, William J.

2016-01-01

From 1932 to 2010, coastal Louisiana has experienced a net loss of 4877 km2 of wetlands. As the area of these wetlands has changed, so too has the spatial configuration of the landscape. The resulting landscape is a mosaic of patches of wetlands and open water. This study examined the spatial and temporal variability of trajectories of landscape configuration and the relation of those patterns to the trajectories of land change in wetlands during a 1985–2010 observation period. Spatial configuration was quantified using multi-temporal satellite imagery and an aggregation index (AI). The results of this analysis indicate that coastal Louisiana experienced a reduction in the AI of coastal wetlands of 1.07 %. In general, forested wetland and fresh marsh types displayed the highest aggregation and stability. The remaining marsh types, (intermediate, brackish, and saline) all experienced disaggregation during the time period, with increasing severity of disaggregation along an increasing salinity gradient. Finally, a correlation (r 2 = 0.5562) was found between AI and the land change rate for the subsequent period, indicating that fragmentation can increase the vulnerability of wetlands to further wetland loss. These results can help identify coastal areas which are susceptible to future wetland loss.

Wetland survey of selected areas in the K-24 Site Area of responsibility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosensteel, B.A.; Awl, D.J. [JAYCOR, Environmental Division, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

1995-07-01

In accordance with DOE Regulations for Compliance with Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements, wetland surveys were conducted in selected areas within the K-25 Area of Responsibility during the summer of 1994. These areas are Mitchell Branch, Poplar Creek, the K-770 OU, Duct Island Peninsula, the Powerhouse area, and the K-25 South Corner. Previously surveyed areas included in this report are the main plant area of the K-25 Site, the K-901 OU, the AVLIS site, and the K-25 South Site. Wetland determinations were based on the USACE methodology. Forty-four separate wetland areas, ranging in size from 0.13 to 4.23 ha, were identified. Wetlands were identified in all of the areas surveyed with the exception of the interior of the Duct Island Peninsula and the main plant area of the K-25 Site. Wetlands perform functions such as floodflow alteration, sediment stabilization, sediment and toxicant retention, nutrient transformation, production export, and support of aquatic species and wildlife diversity and abundance. The forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent wetlands identified in the K-25 area perform some or all of these functions to varying degrees.

Wetland survey of selected areas in the K-24 Site Area of responsibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosensteel, B.A.; Awl, D.J.

1995-07-01

In accordance with DOE Regulations for Compliance with Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements, wetland surveys were conducted in selected areas within the K-25 Area of Responsibility during the summer of 1994. These areas are Mitchell Branch, Poplar Creek, the K-770 OU, Duct Island Peninsula, the Powerhouse area, and the K-25 South Corner. Previously surveyed areas included in this report are the main plant area of the K-25 Site, the K-901 OU, the AVLIS site, and the K-25 South Site. Wetland determinations were based on the USACE methodology. Forty-four separate wetland areas, ranging in size from 0.13 to 4.23 ha, were identified. Wetlands were identified in all of the areas surveyed with the exception of the interior of the Duct Island Peninsula and the main plant area of the K-25 Site. Wetlands perform functions such as floodflow alteration, sediment stabilization, sediment and toxicant retention, nutrient transformation, production export, and support of aquatic species and wildlife diversity and abundance. The forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent wetlands identified in the K-25 area perform some or all of these functions to varying degrees

Denitrification potential and its relation to organic carbon quality in three coastal wetland soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodla, Syam K.; Wang, Jim J.; DeLaune, Ron D.; Cook, Robert L.

2008-01-01

Capacity of a wetland to remove nitrate through denitrification is controlled by its physico-chemical and biological characteristics. Understanding these characteristics will help better to guide beneficial use of wetlands in processing nitrate. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) quality and denitrification rate in Louisiana coastal wetlands. Composite soil samples of different depths were collected from three different wetlands along a salinity gradient, namely, bottomland forest swamp (FS), freshwater marsh (FM), and saline marsh (SM) located in the Barataria Basin estuary. Potential denitrification rate (PDR) was measured by acetylene inhibition method and distribution of carbon (C) moieties in organic C was determined by 13 C solid-state NMR. Of the three wetlands, the FM soil profile exhibited the highest PDR on both unit weight and unit volume basis as compared to FS and SM. The FM also tended to yield higher amount of N 2 O as compared to the FS and SM especially at earlier stages of denitrification, suggesting incomplete reduction of NO 3 - at FM and potential for emission of N 2 O. Saline marsh soil profile had the lowest PDR on the unit volume basis. Increasing incubation concentration from 2 to 10 mg NO 3 - -N L -1 increased PDR by 2 to 6 fold with the highest increase in the top horizons of FS and SM soils. Regression analysis showed that across these three wetland systems, organic C has significant effect in regulating PDR. Of the compositional C moieties, polysaccharides positively influenced denitrification rate whereas phenolics (likely phenolic adehydes and ketonics) negatively affected denitrification rate in these wetland soils. These results could have significant implication in integrated assessment and management of wetlands for treating nutrient-rich biosolids and wastewaters, non-point source agricultural runoff, and nitrate found in the diverted Mississippi River water used for coastal

Preliminary Evaluation of Critical Wave Energy Thresholds at Natural and Created Coastal Wetlands

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Shafer, Deborah

2003-01-01

This technical note presents an evaluation of the wave climate at eight natural and created coastal wetland sites in an effort to identify the existence of critical wave energy thresholds for long-term marsh stability...

Seawater and Freshwater Circulations through Coastal Forested Wetlands on a Caribbean Island

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luc Lambs

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Structure and composition of coastal forested wetlands are mainly controlled by local topography and soil salinity. Hydrology plays a major role in relation with tides, seaward, and freshwater inputs, landward. We report here the results of a two-year study undertaken in a coastal plain of the Guadeloupe archipelago (FWI. As elsewhere in the Caribbean islands, the study area is characterized by a micro-tidal regime and a highly seasonal climate. This work aimed at understanding groundwater dynamics and origin (seawater/freshwater both at ecosystems and stand levels. These hydrological processes were assessed through 18O/16O and 2H/1H isotopic analyses, and from monthly monitoring of water level and soil salinity at five study sites located in mangrove (3 and swamp forest (2. Our results highlight the importance of freshwater budget imbalance during low rainfall periods. Sustained and/or delayed dry seasons cause soil salinity to rise at the mangrove/swamp forest ecotone. As current models on climate change project decreasing rainfall amounts over the inner Caribbean region, one may expect for this area an inland progression of the mangrove forest to the expense of the nearby swamp forest.

Lake Superior Coastal Wetland Fish Assemblages and Habitat Conditions in Relation to Watershed Connectivity and Landcover

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The role of the coastal margin and the watershed context in defining the ecology of even very large lakes is increasingly being recognized and examined. Coastal wetlands are both important contributors to the biodiversity and productivity of large lakes and important mediators o...

Rising tides, rising gates: The complex ecogeomorphic response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise and human interventions

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Sandi, Steven G.; Rodríguez, José F.; Saintilan, Neil; Riccardi, Gerardo; Saco, Patricia M.

2018-04-01

Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to submergence due to sea-level rise, as shown by predictions of up to 80% of global wetland loss by the end of the century. Coastal wetlands with mixed mangrove-saltmarsh vegetation are particularly vulnerable because sea-level rise can promote mangrove encroachment on saltmarsh, reducing overall wetland biodiversity. Here we use an ecogeomorphic framework that incorporates hydrodynamic effects, mangrove-saltmarsh dynamics, and soil accretion processes to assess the effects of control structures on wetland evolution. Migration and accretion patterns of mangrove and saltmarsh are heavily dependent on topography and control structures. We find that current management practices that incorporate a fixed gate for the control of mangrove encroachment are useful initially, but soon become ineffective due to sea-level rise. Raising the gate, to counteract the effects of sea level rise and promote suitable hydrodynamic conditions, excludes mangrove and maintains saltmarsh over the entire simulation period of 100 years

Nutrient and salt relations of Pterocarpus officinalis L. in coastal wetlands of the Caribbean: assessment through leaf and soil analyses.

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Ernesto Medina; Elvira Cuevas; Ariel Lugo

2007-01-01

Pterocarpus officinalis L. is a dominant tree of freshwater coastal wetlands in the Caribbean and the Guiana regions. It is frequently associated with mangroves in areas with high rainfall and/or surface run-off. We hypothesized that P. officinalis is a freshwater swamp species that when occurring in association with mangroves occupies low-salinity soil microsites, or...

Importance of Small Isolated Wetlands for Herpetofaunal Diversity in Managed, Young Growth Forests in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, K.R.; Guynn, D.C. Jr.; Hanlin, H.G.

2002-01-01

Assessment and comparison of richness, abundance and difference of herpetofauna at five small isolated wetlands located within a commercial forest landscape in the South Carolina Coastal Plain. Data indicates small isolated wetlands are focal points of herpetofaunal richness and abundance in managed coastal plain forest and contribute more to regional biodiversity than is implied by their small size or ephemeral hydrology

HYPERSPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING, GPS, AND GIS APPLICATIONS IN OPPORTUNISTIC PLANT SPECIES MONITORING OF GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS

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Coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes (LGL) are among the most fragmented and disturbed ecosystems of the world, with a long history of human-induced disturbance. LGL wetlands have undergone losses in the biological diversity that coincides with an increase in the presen...

Chapter 16 - conservation and use of coastal wetland forests in Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Stephen P. Faulkner; Jim L. Chambers; William H. Conner; Richard F. Keim; John W. Day; Emile S. Gardiner; Melinda S. Hughes; Sammy L. King; Kenneth W. McLeod; Craig A. Miller; J. Andrew Nyman; Gary P. Shaffer

2007-01-01

The natural ecosystems of coastal Louisiana reflect the underlying geomorphic processes responsible for their formation. The majority of Louisiana's wetland forests are found in the lower reaches of the Mississipp Alluvial Valley and the Deltaic Plain. The sediments, water, and energy of the Mississippi River have shaped the Deltaic Plain as natural deltas have...

A Carbon Monitoring System Approach to US Coastal Wetland Carbon Fluxes: Progress Towards a Tier II Accounting Method with Uncertainty Quantification

Science.gov (United States)

Windham-Myers, L.; Holmquist, J. R.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Byrd, K. B.; Callaway, J.; Crooks, S.; Drexler, J. Z.; Feagin, R. A.; Ferner, M. C.; Gonneea, M. E.; Kroeger, K. D.; Megonigal, P.; Morris, J. T.; Schile, L. M.; Simard, M.; Sutton-Grier, A.; Takekawa, J.; Troxler, T.; Weller, D.; Woo, I.

2015-12-01

Despite their high rates of long-term carbon (C) sequestration when compared to upland ecosystems, coastal C accounting is only recently receiving the attention of policy makers and carbon markets. Assessing accuracy and uncertainty in net C flux estimates requires both direct and derived measurements based on both short and long term dynamics in key drivers, particularly soil accretion rates and soil organic content. We are testing the ability of remote sensing products and national scale datasets to estimate biomass and soil stocks and fluxes over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. For example, the 2013 Wetlands Supplement to the 2006 IPCC GHG national inventory reporting guidelines requests information on development of Tier I-III reporting, which express increasing levels of detail. We report progress toward development of a Carbon Monitoring System for "blue carbon" that may be useful for IPCC reporting guidelines at Tier II levels. Our project uses a current dataset of publically available and contributed field-based measurements to validate models of changing soil C stocks, across a broad range of U.S. tidal wetland types and landuse conversions. Additionally, development of biomass algorithms for both radar and spectral datasets will be tested and used to determine the "price of precision" of different satellite products. We discuss progress in calculating Tier II estimates focusing on variation introduced by the different input datasets. These include the USFWS National Wetlands Inventory, NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program, and combinations to calculate tidal wetland area. We also assess the use of different attributes and depths from the USDA-SSURGO database to map soil C density. Finally, we examine the relative benefit of radar, spectral and hybrid approaches to biomass mapping in tidal marshes and mangroves. While the US currently plans to report GHG emissions at a Tier I level, we argue that a Tier II analysis is possible due to national

Effects of salinity and flooding on post-hurricane regeneration potential in coastal wetland vegetation.

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Middleton, Beth A

2016-08-01

The nature of regeneration dynamics after hurricane flooding and salinity intrusion may play an important role in shaping coastal vegetation patterns. The regeneration potentials of coastal species, types and gradients (wetland types from seaward to landward) were studied on the Delmarva Peninsula after Hurricane Sandy using seed bank assays to examine responses to various water regimes (unflooded and flooded to 8 cm) and salinity levels (0, 1, and 5 ppt). Seed bank responses to treatments were compared using a generalized linear models approach. Species relationships to treatment and geographical variables were explored using nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Flooding and salinity treatments affected species richness even at low salinity levels (1 and 5 ppt). Maritime forest was especially intolerant of salinity intrusion so that species richness was much higher in unflooded and low salinity conditions, despite the proximity of maritime forest to saltmarsh along the coastal gradient. Other vegetation types were also affected, with potential regeneration of these species affected in various ways by flooding and salinity, suggesting relationships to post-hurricane environment and geographic position. Seed germination and subsequent seedling growth in coastal wetlands may in some cases be affected by salinity intrusion events even at low salinity levels (1 and 5 ppt). These results indicate that the potential is great for hurricanes to shift vegetation type in sensitive wetland types (e.g., maritime forest) if post-hurricane environments do not support the regeneration of extent vegetation. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. © Botanical Society of America (outside the USA) 2016.

Eten's Coastal Wetland, its geomorphology, water quality and biodiversity

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Rojas Carbajal, T. V.; Bartl, K.; Loayza Muro, R.; Abad, J. D.

2017-12-01

The Eten's wetland is located in the lower part of the Chancay-Lambayeque River basin at the Peruvian coast. This wetland contains salt and fresh marshes, swamps, lagoons and an estuary which is the result of Reque River's morphodynamics. It provides a great source of totora (Schoenoplectus californicus), a native plant that is used for knitting hats which are an ancient cultural expression in Lambayeque. UNESCO recognized this wetland as one of the ecosystems with the greatest biodiversity along the South Pacific Coast, providing a unique habitat for migratory birds, such as the Peruvian Tern (Sternula lorata). This bird has been classified as endangered in 2005, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). When the area of a wetland is reduced, the resting point function is affected leading to loss in biodiversity due to the habitat conditions are not the same. In 2005, Lambayeque's government established an area of 1377 Ha in order to preserve wetland's ecosystem and Eten's archeological value but wet areas were reduced to 200 Ha. This reduction was promoted by agriculture, urbanization and an inadequate urban waste disposal. The scope of the study is to assess the environmental impacts that affect Eten's wetland. Preliminary results of an assessment with remote sensing indicate that: 1) the Reque River's geomorphic activity was reduced by urbanization, thus, the connection between surface water bodies has been lost, leading the drying out of ponds, 2) the conversion of wet areas to agricultural land, and 3) the natural interaction between the Reque River and the Pacific Ocean was modified due to water control upstream, resulting in a dryer wetland during the last years. Furthermore, the aquatic biodiversity of the wetland was assessed through a biomonitoring method in order to study the impact of water contamination. Four benthic macroinvertebrate Families (Hydrophilidae, Baetidae, Planorbidae and Palaemonidae) were found. The quality of the

Blue Carbon Sequestration in Florida Coastal Wetlands - Response to Recent Climate Change and Holocene Climate Variability

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Vaughn, D.; Bianchi, T. S.; Osborne, T.; Shields, M. R.; Kenney, W.

2017-12-01

Intertidal forests and salt marshes represent a major component of Florida's coasts and are essential to the health and integrity of coastal Florida's ecological and economic systems. In addition, coastal wetlands have been recognized as highly efficient carbon sinks with their ability to store carbon on time scales from centuries to millennia. Although losses of salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass beds through both natural and anthropogenic forces are threatening their ability to act as carbon sinks globally, the poleward encroachment of mangroves into higher latitude salt marshes may lead to regional increases in carbon sequestration as mangroves store more carbon than salt marshes. For Florida, this encroachment of mangroves into salt marshes is prominent along the northern coasts where fewer freeze events have coincided with an increase in mangrove extent over the past several decades. Soil cores collected from a northeastern Florida wetland will allow us to determine whether the recent poleward encroachment of mangroves into northern Florida salt marshes has led to an increase in belowground carbon storage. The soil cores, which are approximately two to three meters in length, will also provide the first known record of carbon storage in a northern Florida wetland during the Holocene. Initial results from the top 40 cm, which represents 100 years based on dating of other northern Florida wetland cores, suggest more carbon is currently being stored within the transition between marsh and mangrove than in areas currently covered by salt marsh vegetation or mangroves. The transitional zone also has a much larger loss of carbon within the top 40 cm compared to the mangrove and marsh cores. Lignin-based degradation indices along with other biomarker data and 210Pb/137Cs ages will be presented to demonstrate how much of this loss of carbon may be related to degradation and how much may be related to changes in carbon sources.

Denitrification potential and its relation to organic carbon quality in three coastal wetland soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dodla, Syam K. [School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Wang, Jim J. [School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)], E-mail: jjwang@agctr.lsu.edu; DeLaune, Ron D. [Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute, School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Cook, Robert L. [Chemistry Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)

2008-12-15

Capacity of a wetland to remove nitrate through denitrification is controlled by its physico-chemical and biological characteristics. Understanding these characteristics will help better to guide beneficial use of wetlands in processing nitrate. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) quality and denitrification rate in Louisiana coastal wetlands. Composite soil samples of different depths were collected from three different wetlands along a salinity gradient, namely, bottomland forest swamp (FS), freshwater marsh (FM), and saline marsh (SM) located in the Barataria Basin estuary. Potential denitrification rate (PDR) was measured by acetylene inhibition method and distribution of carbon (C) moieties in organic C was determined by {sup 13}C solid-state NMR. Of the three wetlands, the FM soil profile exhibited the highest PDR on both unit weight and unit volume basis as compared to FS and SM. The FM also tended to yield higher amount of N{sub 2}O as compared to the FS and SM especially at earlier stages of denitrification, suggesting incomplete reduction of NO{sub 3}{sup -} at FM and potential for emission of N{sub 2}O. Saline marsh soil profile had the lowest PDR on the unit volume basis. Increasing incubation concentration from 2 to 10 mg NO{sub 3}{sup -}-N L{sup -1} increased PDR by 2 to 6 fold with the highest increase in the top horizons of FS and SM soils. Regression analysis showed that across these three wetland systems, organic C has significant effect in regulating PDR. Of the compositional C moieties, polysaccharides positively influenced denitrification rate whereas phenolics (likely phenolic adehydes and ketonics) negatively affected denitrification rate in these wetland soils. These results could have significant implication in integrated assessment and management of wetlands for treating nutrient-rich biosolids and wastewaters, non-point source agricultural runoff, and nitrate found in the diverted

An inventory of wetland non-passerine birds along a southeastern Brazilian coastal area

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D.C. Tavares

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the list of non-passerine birds of coastal environments of the Quissama municipality, northern Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. The surveys were conducted monthly between June 2011 and May 2012. Additional ad libitum observations were made between February 2008 and July 2012. We recorded 76 waterbird species of 15 families, of which Scolopacidae was the most representative, with 15 species. The high Nearctic shorebird species richness observed in coastal lagoons in Quissama (17 species is an evidence of the important role of the region as staging site for migratory birds at national level. Also, nine of the species recorded are threatened at regional and one is threatened at national level. It should be emphasized that three species considered locally extinct in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, the most extensively surveyed area in the State, were recorded in the present study. Additionally, we present a high number of previously unrecorded species in northern Rio de Janeiro, and report the first documented record of Stercorarius pomarinus in Rio de Janeiro State. The region has a notorious Waterbird richness including endangered and migratory species, when compared to other coastal areas of the state.

The value of wetlands in protecting southeast louisiana from hurricane storm surges.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbier, Edward B; Georgiou, Ioannis Y; Enchelmeyer, Brian; Reed, Denise J

2013-01-01

The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 have spurred global interest in the role of coastal wetlands and vegetation in reducing storm surge and flood damages. Evidence that coastal wetlands reduce storm surge and attenuate waves is often cited in support of restoring Gulf Coast wetlands to protect coastal communities and property from hurricane damage. Yet interdisciplinary studies combining hydrodynamic and economic analysis to explore this relationship for temperate marshes in the Gulf are lacking. By combining hydrodynamic analysis of simulated hurricane storm surges and economic valuation of expected property damages, we show that the presence of coastal marshes and their vegetation has a demonstrable effect on reducing storm surge levels, thus generating significant values in terms of protecting property in southeast Louisiana. Simulations for four storms along a sea to land transect show that surge levels decline with wetland continuity and vegetation roughness. Regressions confirm that wetland continuity and vegetation along the transect are effective in reducing storm surge levels. A 0.1 increase in wetland continuity per meter reduces property damages for the average affected area analyzed in southeast Louisiana, which includes New Orleans, by $99-$133, and a 0.001 increase in vegetation roughness decreases damages by $24-$43. These reduced damages are equivalent to saving 3 to 5 and 1 to 2 properties per storm for the average area, respectively.

Sources of atmospheric methane from coastal marine wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harriss, R.C.; Sebacher, D.I.; Bartlett, K.B.; Bartlett, D.S.

1982-01-01

Biological methanogenesis in wetlands is believed to be one of the major sources of global tropospheric methane. The present paper reports measurements of methane distribution in the soils, sediments, water and vegetation of coastal marine wetlands. Measurements, carried out in the salt marshes Bay Tree Creek in Virginia and Panacea in northwest Florida, reveal methane concentrations in soils and sediments to vary with depth below the surface and with soil temperature. The fluxes of methane from marsh soils to the atmosphere at the soil-air interface are estimated to range from -0.00067 g CH 4 /sq m per day (methane sink) to 0.024 g CH 4 /sq m per day, with an average value of 0.0066 g CH 4 /sq m per day. Data also demonstrate the important role of tidal waters percolating through marsh soils in removing methane from the soils and releasing it to the atmosphere. The information obtained, together with previous studies, provides a framework for the design of a program based on in situ and remote sensing measurements to study the global methane cycle

AN ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF INVASIVE AND AGRESSIVE PLANT SPECIES IN COASTAL WETLANDS OF THE LAURENTIAN GREAT LAKES: A COMBINED FIELD BASED AND REMOTE SENSING APPROACH

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The aquatic plant communities within coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes are among the most biologically diverse and productive systems of the world. Coastal wetlands have been especially impacted by landscape conversion and have undergone a marked decline in plant com...

The contrasting effects of nutrient enrichment on growth, biomass allocation and decomposition of plant tissue in coastal wetlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hayes, Matthew A.; Jesse, Amber; Tabet, Basam; Reef, Ruth; Keuskamp, Joost A.; Lovelock, Catherine E.

2017-01-01

Eutrophication of coastal waters can have consequences for the growth, function and soil processes of coastal wetlands. Our aims were to assess how nutrient enrichment affects growth, biomass allocation and decomposition of plant tissues of a common and widespread mangrove, Avicennia marina, and how

Impacts of Climatic Hazards on the Small Wetland Ecosystems (ponds: Evidence from Some Selected Areas of Coastal Bangladesh

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Lucy Faulkner

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Most climate related hazards in Bangladesh are linked to water. The climate vulnerable poor—the poorest and most marginalized communities living in remote villages along Bangladesh’s coastal zone that are vulnerable to climate change impacts and who possess low adaptive capacity are most affected by lack of access to safe water sources. Many climate vulnerable poor households depend on small isolated wetlands (ponds for daily drinking water needs and other domestic requirements, including cooking, bathing and washing. Similarly, the livelihoods of many of these households also depend on access to ponds due to activities of small-scale irrigation for rice farming, vegetable farming and home gardening. This is particularly true for those poorest and most marginalized communities living in Satkhira, one of the most vulnerable coastal districts in south-west Bangladesh. These households rely on pond water for vegetable farming and home gardening, especially during winter months. However, these pond water sources are highly vulnerable to climate change induced hazards, including flooding, drought, salinity intrusion, cyclone and storm surges, erratic rainfall patterns and variations in temperature. Cyclone Sidr and Cyclone Aila, which hit Bangladesh in 2007 and 2009 respectively, led to a significant number of such ponds being inundated with saline water. This impacted upon and resulted in wide scale implications for climate vulnerable poor households, including reduced availability of safe drinking water, and safe water for health and hygiene practices and livelihood activities. Those households living in remote areas and who are most affected by these climate impacts are dependent on water being supplied through aid, as well as travelling long distances to collect safe water for drinking purposes.

Integrating ecosystem services and climate change responses in coastal wetlands development plans for Bangladesh

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarwar, M.H.; Hein, L.G.; Rip, F.I.; Dearing, J.A.

2015-01-01

This study explores the integration of ecosystem services and climate change adaptation in development plans for coastal wetlands in Bangladesh. A new response framework for adaptation is proposed, based on an empirical analysis and consultations with stakeholders, using a modified version of the

Potential increase in coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise suggested by considering hydrodynamic attenuation effects

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, José F.; Saco, Patricia M.; Sandi, Steven; Saintilan, Neil; Riccardi, Gerardo

2017-07-01

The future of coastal wetlands and their ecological value depend on their capacity to adapt to the interacting effects of human impacts and sea-level rise. Even though extensive wetland loss due to submergence is a possible scenario, its magnitude is highly uncertain due to limited understanding of hydrodynamic and bio-geomorphic interactions over time. In particular, the effect of man-made drainage modifications on hydrodynamic attenuation and consequent wetland evolution is poorly understood. Predictions are further complicated by the presence of a number of vegetation types that change over time and also contribute to flow attenuation. Here, we show that flow attenuation affects wetland vegetation by modifying its wetting-drying regime and inundation depth, increasing its vulnerability to sea-level rise. Our simulations for an Australian subtropical wetland predict much faster wetland loss than commonly used models that do not consider flow attenuation.

Coastal vegetation invasion increases greenhouse gas emission from wetland soils but also increases soil carbon accumulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yaping; Chen, Guangcheng; Ye, Yong

2015-01-01

Soil properties and soil–atmosphere fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O from four coastal wetlands were studied throughout the year, namely, native Kandelia obovata mangrove forest vs. exotic Sonneratia apetala mangrove forest, and native Cyperus malaccensis salt marsh vs. exotic Spartina alterniflora salt marsh. Soils of the four wetlands were all net sources of greenhouse gases while Sonneratia forest contributed the most with a total soil–atmosphere CO 2 -equivalent flux of 137.27 mg CO 2 m −2 h −1 , which is 69.23%, 99.75% and 44.56% higher than that of Kandelia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively. The high underground biomass and distinctive root structure of Sonneratia might be responsible for its high greenhouse gas emission from the soil. Soils in Spartina marsh emitted the second largest amount of total greenhouse gases but it ranked first in emitting trace greenhouse gases. Annual average CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes from Spartina soil were 13.77 and 1.14 μmol m −2 h −1 , respectively, which are 2.08 and 1.46 times that of Kandelia, 1.03 and 1.15 times of Sonneratia, and 1.74 and 1.02 times of Cyperus, respectively. Spartina has longer growing season and higher productivity than native marshes which might increase greenhouse gas emission in cold seasons. Exotic wetland soils had higher carbon stock as compared to their respective native counterparts but their carbon stocks were offset by a larger proportion because of their higher greenhouse gas emissions. Annual total soil–atmosphere fluxes of greenhouse gases reduced soil carbon burial benefits by 8.1%, 9.5%, 6.4% and 7.2% for Kandelia, Sonneratia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively, which narrowed down the gaps in net soil carbon stock between native and exotic wetlands. The results indicated that the invasion of exotic wetland plants might convert local coastal soils into a considerable atmospheric source of greenhouse gases although they at the same time increase soil carbon accumulation

Coastal vegetation invasion increases greenhouse gas emission from wetland soils but also increases soil carbon accumulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yaping [Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian (China); Chen, Guangcheng [Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, Fujian (China); Ye, Yong, E-mail: yeyong.xmu@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian (China)

2015-09-01

Soil properties and soil–atmosphere fluxes of CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O from four coastal wetlands were studied throughout the year, namely, native Kandelia obovata mangrove forest vs. exotic Sonneratia apetala mangrove forest, and native Cyperus malaccensis salt marsh vs. exotic Spartina alterniflora salt marsh. Soils of the four wetlands were all net sources of greenhouse gases while Sonneratia forest contributed the most with a total soil–atmosphere CO{sub 2}-equivalent flux of 137.27 mg CO{sub 2} m{sup −2} h{sup −1}, which is 69.23%, 99.75% and 44.56% higher than that of Kandelia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively. The high underground biomass and distinctive root structure of Sonneratia might be responsible for its high greenhouse gas emission from the soil. Soils in Spartina marsh emitted the second largest amount of total greenhouse gases but it ranked first in emitting trace greenhouse gases. Annual average CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O fluxes from Spartina soil were 13.77 and 1.14 μmol m{sup −2} h{sup −1}, respectively, which are 2.08 and 1.46 times that of Kandelia, 1.03 and 1.15 times of Sonneratia, and 1.74 and 1.02 times of Cyperus, respectively. Spartina has longer growing season and higher productivity than native marshes which might increase greenhouse gas emission in cold seasons. Exotic wetland soils had higher carbon stock as compared to their respective native counterparts but their carbon stocks were offset by a larger proportion because of their higher greenhouse gas emissions. Annual total soil–atmosphere fluxes of greenhouse gases reduced soil carbon burial benefits by 8.1%, 9.5%, 6.4% and 7.2% for Kandelia, Sonneratia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively, which narrowed down the gaps in net soil carbon stock between native and exotic wetlands. The results indicated that the invasion of exotic wetland plants might convert local coastal soils into a considerable atmospheric source of greenhouse gases although they at the

Hurricane Matthew's Effects on Wetland Sources of Organic Matter to North Carolina Coastal Waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolph, J. C.; Osburn, C. L.; Paerl, H. W.; Hounshell, A.

2017-12-01

Increased frequency and intensity of storm events such as tropical cyclones will have a major impact on estuarine and coastal biogeochemical cycling. Here, we determined the sources of dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM) as part of a larger study to quantify the short-term (several months) response of carbon and nitrogen cycling in the Neuse River Estuary-Pamlico Sound (NRE-PS) ecosystem to floodwaters associated with Hurricane Matthew. Sampling was conducted weekly in both the NRE-PS (October 2016 to January 2017), the Neuse River (NR) (October to December 2016) and in freshwater wetlands of the Neuse River above head of tide in March 2017. Specific ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254) and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C-DOC) were used to determine the sources of DOM and POM transported to the NRE-PS in post-hurricane floodwaters. For DOM, SUVA254 values increased from 3.23 ±0.52 mg C L-1 m-1 in the NR to 4.14±0.52 mg C L-1 m-1 in the NRE and then declined to 3.63±0.32 mg C L-1 m-1 in PS. Combined with depleted δ13C-DOC values (-26 to -32‰) and elevated C:N values in the estuary and sound, these results confirm continued loading of fresh terrestrial organic matter into NRE-PS weeks after the storm. For POM, δ13C-POC and C:N ratio results likewise indicated a terrestrial source in floodwaters. SUVA254 values >3.5 mg C L-1 m-1 coupled with the depleted δ13C values and large C:N values were consistent with DOM primarily sourced from wetlands (e.g., wetland SUVA254 = 3.77±0.52 mg C L-1 m-1 in March 2017). We hypothesize that floodwaters connected riverine wetlands to the main channel of the NR, exporting DOM and POM into the NRE-PS. Our results indicate that upstream wetlands play a central and potentially significant role in organic matter enrichment and metabolism of estuarine and coastal waters, in light of increasing frequencies and intensities of tropical cyclones impacting coastal watersheds.

Forested Wetlands: Functions, Benefits and the Use of Best Management Practices

Science.gov (United States)

David J. Welsch; David L. Smart; James N. Boyer; Paul Minken; Howard C. Smith; Tamara L. McCandless

1995-01-01

Wetlands are complex and fascinating ecosystems that perform a variety of functions of vital importance to the environment and to the society whose very existence depends on the quality of the environment. Wetlands regulate water flow by detaining storm flows for short periods thus reducing Wetlands protect lake shore and coastal areas by buffering the erosive action...

Wetland Accretion Rates Along Coastal Louisiana: Spatial and Temporal Variability in Light of Hurricane Isaac’s Impacts

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Thomas A. Bianchette

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The wetlands of the southern Louisiana coast are disappearing due to a host of environmental stressors. Thus, it is imperative to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of wetland vertical accretion rates. A key question in accretion concerns the role of landfalling hurricanes as a land-building agent, due to their propensity to deposit significant volumes of inorganic sediments. Since 1996, thousands of accretion measurements have been made at 390 sites across coastal Louisiana as a result of a regional monitoring network, called the Coastal Reference Monitoring System (CRMS. We utilized this dataset to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of accretion by mapping rates during time periods before, around, and after the landfall of Hurricane Isaac (2012. This analysis is vital for quantifying the role of hurricanes as a land-building agent and for understanding the main mechanism causing heightened wetland accretion. The results show that accretion rates averaged about 2.89 cm/year from stations sampled before Isaac, 4.04 cm/year during the period encompassing Isaac, and 2.38 cm/year from sites established and sampled after Isaac. Accretion rates attributable to Isaac’s effects were therefore 40% and 70% greater than before and after the event, respectively, indicating the event’s importance toward coastal land-building. Accretion associated with Isaac was highest at sites located 70 kilometers from the storm track, particularly those near the Mississippi River and its adjacent distributaries and lakes. This spatial pattern of elevated accretion rates indicates that freshwater flooding from fluvial channels, rather than storm surge from the sea per se, is the main mechanism responsible for increased wetland accretion. This significance of riverine flooding has implications toward future coastal restoration policies and practices.

Wetlands and Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Smardon

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This editorial provides an overview of the special issue “Wetlands and Sustainability”. In particular, the special issue contains a review of Paul Keddy’s book “Wetland Ecology” with specific reference to wetland sustainability. It also includes papers addressing wetland data acquisition via radar and remote sensing to better understand wetland system dynamics, hydrologic processes linked to wetland stress and restoration, coastal wetlands land use conflict/management, and wetland utilization for water quality treatment.

Palynological reconstruction of environmental changes in coastal wetlands of the Florida Everglades since the mid-Holocene

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Qiang; Liu, Kam-biu; Platt, William J.; Rivera-Monroy, Victor H.

2015-05-01

Palynological, loss-on-ignition, and X-ray fluorescence data from a 5.25 m sediment core from a mangrove forest at the mouth of the Shark River Estuary in the southwestern Everglades National Park, Florida were used to reconstruct changes occurring in coastal wetlands since the mid-Holocene. This multi-proxy record contains the longest paleoecological history to date in the southwestern Everglades. The Shark River Estuary basin was formed 5700 cal yr BP in response to increasing precipitation. Initial wetlands were frequently-burned short-hydroperiod prairies, which transitioned into long-hydroperiod prairies with sloughs in which peat deposits began to accumulate continuously about 5250 cal yr BP. Our data suggest that mangrove communities started to appear after 3800 cal yr BP; declines in the abundance of charcoal suggested gradual replacement of fire-dominated wetlands by mangrove forest over the following 2650 yr. By 1150 cal yr BP, a dense Rhizophora mangle dominated mangrove forest had formed at the mouth of the Shark River. The mangrove-dominated coastal ecosystem here was established at least 2000 yr later than has been previously estimated.

Transplanting native dominant plants to facilitate community development in restored coastal plain wetlands.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Steven, Diane; Sharitz, Rebecca R.

2007-12-01

Abstract: Drained depressional wetlands are typically restored by plugging ditches or breaking drainage tiles to allow recovery of natural ponding regimes, while relying on passive recolonization from seed banks and dispersal to establish emergent vegetation. However, in restored depressions of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, certain characteristic rhizomatous graminoid species may not recolonize because they are dispersal-limited and uncommon or absent in the seed banks of disturbed sites. We tested whether selectively planting such wetland dominants could facilitate restoration by accelerating vegetative cover development and suppressing non-wetland species. In an operational-scale project in a South Carolina forested landscape, drained depressional wetlands were restored in early 2001 by completely removing woody vegetation and plugging surface ditches. After forest removal, tillers of two rhizomatous wetland grasses (Panicum hemitomon, Leersia hexandra) were transplanted into singlespecies blocks in 12 restored depressions that otherwise were revegetating passively. Presence and cover of all plant species appearing in planted plots and unplanted control plots were recorded annually. We analyzed vegetation composition after two and four years, during a severe drought (2002) and after hydrologic recovery (2004). Most grass plantings established successfully, attaining 15%–85% cover in two years. Planted plots had fewer total species and fewer wetland species compared to control plots, but differences were small. Planted plots achieved greater total vegetative cover during the drought and greater combined cover of wetland species in both years. By 2004, planted grasses appeared to reduce cover of non-wetland species in some cases, but wetter hydrologic conditions contributed more strongly to suppression of non-wetland species. Because these two grasses typically form a dominant cover matrix in herbaceous depressions, our results indicated that

Nekton communities in Hawaiian coastal wetlands: The distribution and abundance of introduced fish species

Science.gov (United States)

Richard Ames MacKenzie; Gregory L. Bruland

2012-01-01

Nekton communities were sampled from 38 Hawaiian coastal wetlands from 2007 to 2009 using lift nets, seines, and throw nets in an attempt to increase our understanding of the nekton assemblages that utilize these poorly studied ecosystems. Nekton were dominated by exotic species, primarily poeciliids (Gambusia affinis, Poecilia...

Measurement and modelling of evaporation from a coastal wetland in Maputaland, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. D. Clulow

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The surface renewal (SR method was used to determine the long-term (12 months total evaporation (ET from the Mfabeni Mire with calibration using eddy covariance during two window periods of approximately one week each. The SR method was found to be inexpensive, reliable and with low power requirements for unattended operation.

Despite maximum ET rates of up to 6.0 mm day⁻¹, the average summer (October to March ET was lower (3.2 mm day⁻¹ due to early morning cloud cover that persisted until nearly midday at times. This reduced the daily available energy, and the ET was lower than expected despite the available water and high average wind speeds. In winter (May to September, there was less cloud cover but the average ET was only 1.8 mm day⁻¹ due to plant senescence. In general ET was suppressed by the inflow of humid air (low vapour pressure deficit and the comparatively low leaf area index of the wetland vegetation. The accumulated ET over 12 months was 900 mm. Daily ET estimates were compared to the Priestley-Taylor model results and a calibration α = 1.0 (R² = 0.96 was obtained for the site. A monthly crop factor (K_c was determined for the standardised FAO-56 Penman-Monteith. However, K_c was variable in some months and should be used with caution for daily ET modelling.

These results represent not only some of the first long-term measurements of ET from a wetland in southern Africa, but also one of the few studies of actual ET in a subtropical peatland in the Southern Hemisphere. The study provides wetland ecologists and hydrologists with guidelines for the use of two internationally applied models for the estimation of wetland ET within a coastal, subtropical environment and shows that wetlands are not necessarily high water users.

A conceptual hydrologic model for a forested Carolina bay depressional wetland on the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Jennifer E. Pyzoha; Timothy J. Callahan; Ge Sun; Carl C. Trettin; Masato Miwa

2008-01-01

This paper describes how climate influences the hydrology of an ephemeral depressional wetland. Surface water and groundwater elevation data were collected for 7 years in a Coastal Plain watershed in South Carolina USA containing depressional wetlands, known as Carolina bays. Rainfall and temperature data were compared with water-table well and piezometer data in and...

A Mechanistically Informed User-Friendly Model to Predict Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Fluxes and Carbon Storage from Coastal Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Abdul-Aziz, O. I.; Ishtiaq, K. S.

2015-12-01

We present a user-friendly modeling tool on MS Excel to predict the greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and estimate potential carbon sequestration from the coastal wetlands. The dominant controls of wetland GHG fluxes and their relative mechanistic linkages with various hydro-climatic, sea level, biogeochemical and ecological drivers were first determined by employing a systematic data-analytics method, including Pearson correlation matrix, principal component and factor analyses, and exploratory partial least squares regressions. The mechanistic knowledge and understanding was then utilized to develop parsimonious non-linear (power-law) models to predict wetland carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes based on a sub-set of climatic, hydrologic and environmental drivers such as the photosynthetically active radiation, soil temperature, water depth, and soil salinity. The models were tested with field data for multiple sites and seasons (2012-13) collected from the Waquoit Bay, MA. The model estimated the annual wetland carbon storage by up-scaling the instantaneous predicted fluxes to an extended growing season (e.g., May-October) and by accounting for the net annual lateral carbon fluxes between the wetlands and estuary. The Excel Spreadsheet model is a simple ecological engineering tool for coastal carbon management and their incorporation into a potential carbon market under a changing climate, sea level and environment. Specifically, the model can help to determine appropriate GHG offset protocols and monitoring plans for projects that focus on tidal wetland restoration and maintenance.

Environmental evolution records reflected by radionuclides in the sediment of coastal wetlands: A case study in the Yellow River Estuary wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qidong; Song, Jinming; Li, Xuegang; Yuan, Huamao; Li, Ning; Cao, Lei

2016-10-01

Vertical profiles of environmental radionuclides ( 210 Pb, 137 Cs, 238 U, 232 Th, 226 Ra and 4 0 K) in a sediment core (Y1) of the Yellow River Estuary wetland were investigated to assess whether environmental evolutions in the coastal wetland could be recorded by the distributions of radionuclides. Based on 210 Pb and 137 Cs dating, the average sedimentation rate of core Y1 was estimated to be 1.0 cm y -1 . Vertical distributions of natural radionuclides ( 238 U, 232 Th, 226 Ra and 40 K) changed dramatically, reflecting great changes in sediment input. Concentrations of 238 U, 232 Th, 226 Ra and 40 K all had significant positive relationships with organic matter and clay content, but their distributions were determined by different factors. Factor analysis showed that 238 U was determined by the river sediment input while 226 Ra was mainly affected by the seawater erosion. Environmental changes such as river channel migrations and sediment discharge variations could always cause changes in the concentrations of radionuclides. High concentrations of 238 U and 226 Ra were consistent with high accretion rate. Frequent seawater intrusion decreased the concentration of 226 Ra significantly. The value of 238 U/ 226 Ra tended to be higher when the sedimentation rate was low and tide intrusion was frequent. In summary, environmental evolutions in the estuary coastal wetland could be recorded by the vertical profiles of natural radionuclides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determining the spatial variability of wetland soil bulk density, organic matter, and the conversion factor between organic matter and organic carbon across coastal Louisiana, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongqing; Piazza, Sarai C.; Sharp, Leigh A.; Stagg, Camille L.; Couvillion, Brady R.; Steyer, Gregory D.; McGinnis, Thomas E.

2016-01-01

Soil bulk density (BD), soil organic matter (SOM) content, and a conversion factor between SOM and soil organic carbon (SOC) are often used in estimating SOC sequestration and storage. Spatial variability in BD, SOM, and the SOM–SOC conversion factor affects the ability to accurately estimate SOC sequestration, storage, and the benefits (e.g., land building area and vertical accretion) associated with wetland restoration efforts, such as marsh creation and sediment diversions. There are, however, only a few studies that have examined large-scale spatial variability in BD, SOM, and SOM–SOC conversion factors in coastal wetlands. In this study, soil cores, distributed across the entire coastal Louisiana (approximately 14,667 km2) were used to examine the regional-scale spatial variability in BD, SOM, and the SOM–SOC conversion factor. Soil cores for BD and SOM analyses were collected during 2006–09 from 331 spatially well-distributed sites in the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System network. Soil cores for the SOM–SOC conversion factor analysis were collected from 15 sites across coastal Louisiana during 2006–07. Results of a split-plot analysis of variance with incomplete block design indicated that BD and SOM varied significantly at a landscape level, defined by both hydrologic basins and vegetation types. Vertically, BD and SOM varied significantly among different vegetation types. The SOM–SOC conversion factor also varied significantly at the landscape level. This study provides critical information for the assessment of the role of coastal wetlands in large regional carbon budgets and the estimation of carbon credits from coastal restoration.

Assessing the cumulative impacts of geographically isolated wetlands on watershed hydrology using the SWAT model coupled with improved wetland modules.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S; Yeo, I-Y; Lang, M W; Sadeghi, A M; McCarty, G W; Moglen, G E; Evenson, G R

2018-06-07

Despite recognizing the importance of wetlands in the Coastal Plain of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) in terms of ecosystem services, our understanding of wetland functions has mostly been limited to individual wetlands and overall catchment-scale wetland functions have rarely been investigated. This study is aimed at assessing the cumulative impacts of wetlands on watershed hydrology for an agricultural watershed within the Coastal Plain of the CBW using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). We employed two improved wetland modules for enhanced representation of physical processes and spatial distribution of riparian wetlands (RWs) and geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs). This study focused on GIWs as their hydrological impacts on watershed hydrology are poorly understood and GIWs are poorly protected. Multiple wetland scenarios were prepared by removing all or portions of the baseline GIW condition indicated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory geospatial dataset. We further compared the impacts of GIWs and RWs on downstream flow (i.e., streamflow at the watershed outlet). Our simulation results showed that GIWs strongly influenced downstream flow by altering water transport mechanisms in upstream areas. Loss of all GIWs reduced both water routed to GIWs and water infiltrated into the soil through the bottom of GIWs, leading to an increase in surface runoff of 9% and a decrease in groundwater flow of 7% in upstream areas. These changes resulted in increased variability of downstream flow in response to extreme flow conditions. GIW loss also induced an increase in month to month variability of downstream flow and a decrease in the baseflow contribution to streamflow. Loss of all GIWs was shown to cause a greater fluctuation of downstream flow than loss of all RWs for this study site, due to a greater total water storage capacity of GIWs. Our findings indicate that GIWs play a significant role in controlling hydrological

Factors influencing CO2 and CH4 emissions from coastal wetlands in the Liaohe Delta, Northeast China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, L.; Ye, S.; Wei, M.

2015-01-01

temperature and vegetation on CH4 emissions and ecosystem respiration (Reco) from five coastal wetlands in the Liaohe Delta, northeast China: two Phragmites australis (common reed) wetlands, two Suaeda salsa (sea blite) marshes and a rice (Oryza sativa) paddy. Throughout the growing season, the Suaeda...

Wetland education through cooperative programs between coastal Carolina University and Horry County public schools

Science.gov (United States)

Sharon L. Gilman

2000-01-01

Horry County, in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, isapproximately 50 percent wetlands. The Waccamaw Region (Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg Counties) has experienced a 58-percent population increase during theperiod from 1960 to 1990. Population growth trends suggest that from 1990 to 2020, the total daily population will increase by 125 percent, representing...

Tracing multi-habitat support of coastal fishes

Science.gov (United States)

Hydrologic linkages among coastal wetland and nearshore areas allow coastal fish to move among the habitats, which has led to a variety of habitat use patterns. In the Great Lakes, fine-scale microchemical analyses of yellow perch otoliths have revealed life-history categories th...

Spatial an temporal analysis of chloride concentrations in underground water in the coastal wetland of l'Albufera, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Puhakka, Evelina; Pascual-Aguilar, Juan Antonio; Andreu, Vicente

2010-05-01

Mediterranean coastal wetlands are of great interest for their richness in biodiversity. They are also fragile systems because they are exposed to various human pressures, such as farming systems and urban sprawl. Most Mediterranean coastal wetlands have a transient underground inter phase of continental and marine water. In many cases, the variations of the rain regime towards an increasing dryness and the overexploitation of aquiphers in these zones could favour the marine water intrusion, being a source of continental water salinisation and loss of its quality. This process can directly affect the ecosystems and produce loss of biodiversity. Thus, studies to assess the dynamics in time and space of the possible marine intrusion are necessary to evaluate coastal environment health and quality. The study has been applied to L'Albufera Natural Park, the largest Coastal Wetland in eastern Spain. Due to its importance, it has been included in the list of Wetlands of the RAMSAR Convention. In the area there is a complex relationship between the intrinsic natural importance (endemicity and biodiversity) and the human activities (traditional agriculture and hinterland industrial and settlement development). The methodological approach is based in the analysis of chloride concentrations time series of thirteen sample water points distributed in and around the boundaries of the Natural Park. All time series, between 1982 and 2008, have been analysed to establish trends both in time and space. Results show that in samples close to the see (between 1500 and 2000 metres) chloride concentrations are not too high, with values between 37 mg/l and 213 mg/l. Nonetheless, the shorter is the distance to the see the higher are the chloride levels, with values between 58 mg/l and 1131 mg/l. For longer distances, more than 2000 from the coast line, values are quite similar in most sample points, from 52 mg/l to 691 mg/l. Among all the thirteen time series analysed trends are detected

ALL THAT "PHRAG": BRINGING ENGINEERING, WETLAND ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY TO BEAR ON THE QUESTION OF COMMON REED IN GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS

Science.gov (United States)

Coastal wetlands are among the most fragmented and disturbed ecosystems and the Great Lakes are no exception. One possible result is the observed increase in the presence and dominance of invasive and other opportunistic plant species, such as the common reed (Phragmites australi...

An Initial Assessment of the Economic Value of Coastal and Freshwater Wetlands in West Asia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian V. Eppink

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Many countries in West Asia, defined in this study as the Arabic-speaking countries of the Arabian Peninsula plus Turkey and Iran, have enacted environmental conservation laws but regional underlying drivers of environment change, such as rising incomes and fast-growing populations, continue to put pressure on remaining wetlands. This paper aims to inform conservation efforts by presenting the first regional assessment of the economic value of coastal and freshwater wetlands in West Asia. Using scenario analysis we find that, dependent on the discount rate used, the present value of the regional economic loss of not protecting wetlands by 2050 is between US dollar 2.3 billion and US dollar 7.2 billion (expressed in 2007 US dollars. The method used for this assessment, however, is not suitable for expressing national realities adequately. We therefore suggest that detailed localized studies are conducted to improve insight into the drivers and the social and economic effects of wetland loss in West Asia.

A survey of the wetlands and floodplains of the borrow area and wetland/shorebird complex for the remedial action at the chemical plant area of the Weldon Spring Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Lonkhuyzen, R.; Yin, S.; Hlohowskyj, I.

1995-02-01

The US Department of Energy is conducting cleanup operations at the Weldon Spring site, St. Charles, Missouri, that will include development of a 77-ha (191-acre) soil borrow area. Eight wetlands, including riverine and palustrine emergent wetland types and totaling 0.9 ha (2.2 acres), will be eliminated during excavation of the borrow area. A 23-ha (57-acre) wetland/shorebird complex will be created at the Busch Conservation Area. The complex will include 2 ha (5 acres) of palustrine emergent wetland as mitigation for wetland losses in the borrow area.

Complex community of nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation bacteria in coastal sediments of the Mai Po wetland by PCR amplification of both 16S rRNA and pmoA genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Zhou, Zhichao; Gu, Ji-Dong

2015-02-01

In the present work, both 16S rRNA and pmoA gene-based PCR primers were employed successfully to study the diversity and distribution of n-damo bacteria in the surface and lower layer sediments at the coastal Mai Po wetland. The occurrence of n-damo bacteria in both the surface and subsurface sediments with high diversity was confirmed in this study. Unlike the two other known n-damo communities from coastal areas, the pmoA gene-amplified sequences in the present work clustered not only with some freshwater subclusters but also within three newly erected marine subclusters mostly, indicating the unique niche specificity of n-damo bacteria in this wetland. Results suggested vegetation affected the distribution and community structures of n-damo bacteria in the sediments and n-damo could coexist with sulfate-reducing methanotrophs in the coastal ecosystem. Community structures of the Mai Po n-damo bacteria based on 16S rRNA gene were different from those of either the freshwater or the marine. In contrast, structures of the Mai Po n-damo communities based on pmoA gene grouped with the marine ones and were clearly distinguished from the freshwater ones. The abundance of n-damo bacteria at this wetland was quantified using 16S rRNA gene PCR primers to be 2.65-6.71 × 10(5) copies/g dry sediment. Ammonium and nitrite strongly affected the community structures and distribution of n-damo bacteria in the coastal Mai Po wetland sediments.

Wetland Survey of Selected Areas in the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant Area of Responsibilty, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosensteel.

1997-01-01

This document was prepared to summarize wetland surveys performed in the Y- 1 2 Plant area of responsibility in June and July 1994. Wetland surveys were conducted in three areas within the Oak Ridge Y- 12 Plant area of responsibility in June and July 1994: the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) Operable Unit (OU), part of the Bear Creek Valley OU (the upper watershed of Bear Creek from the culvert under Bear Creek Road upstream through the Y-12 West End Environmental Management Area, and the catchment of Bear Creek North Tributary 1), and part of Chestnut Ridge OU 2 (the McCoy Branch area south of Bethel Valley Road). Using the criteria and methods set forth in the Wetlands Delineation Manual, 18 wetland areas were identified in the 3 areas surveyed; these areas were classified according to the system developed by Cowardin. Fourteen wetlands and one wetland/pond area that are associated with disturbed or remnant stream channels and seeps were identified in the UEFPC OU. Three wetlands were identified in the Bear Creek Valley OU portion of the survey area. One wetland was identified in the riparian zone of McCoy Branch in the southern portion of Chestnut Ridge OU 2

Understanding Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise Enhanced Inundation Using Real-Time Stage Monitoring, LiDAR, and Monte Carlo Simulation in Everglades National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, H.; Zhang, C.

2017-12-01

Coastal wetlands are one of the most productive ecological systems in the world, providing critical habitat area and valuable ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. However, due to their location in low lying areas, coastal wetlands are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise (SLR). Everglades National Park (ENP) encompasses the southern-most portion of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, and is the largest subtropical wetland in the USA. Water depths have shown to have a significant relationship to vegetation community composition and organization while also playing a crucial role in vegetation health throughout the Everglades. Live plants play a vital role in maintaining soil structure (i.e. elevation), and decreases in vegetation health can cause peat collapse or wetland loss resulting in dramatic habitat, organic soil, and elevation loss posing concerns for Everglades management and restoration. One suspected mechanism for peat collapse is enhanced inundation due to SLR, thus mapping and modeling water depths is a critical component to understanding the potential impacts of future SLR. Previous research in the Everglades focused on a conventional Water Depth Model (WDM) approach where a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is subtracted from a Water Table Elevation Model (WTEM). In this study, the conventional WDM approach is extended to a more rigorous WDM technique so that the accuracy and precision of the underlying data may be considered. Monte Carlo simulation is used to propagate probability distributions through our SLR depth model using our Random Forest-based LiDAR DEM, Empirical Bayesian Kriging-based WTEMs, uncertainties in vertical datums, soil accretion projections, and regional sea-level rise projections. Water depth maps were produced for the wet and dry seasons in April and October, which successfully revealed the potential spatial and temporal water depth variations due to future SLR. It is concluded that a more rigorous WDM technique helps

A computer model to forecast wetland vegetation changes resulting from restoration and protection in coastal Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Jenneke M.; Duke-Sylvester, Scott M.; Carter, Jacoby; Broussard, Whitney P.

2013-01-01

The coastal wetlands of Louisiana are a unique ecosystem that supports a diversity of wildlife as well as a diverse community of commercial interests of both local and national importance. The state of Louisiana has established a 5-year cycle of scientific investigation to provide up-to-date information to guide future legislation and regulation aimed at preserving this critical ecosystem. Here we report on a model that projects changes in plant community distribution and composition in response to environmental conditions. This model is linked to a suite of other models and requires input from those that simulate the hydrology and morphology of coastal Louisiana. Collectively, these models are used to assess how alternative management plans may affect the wetland ecosystem through explicit spatial modeling of the physical and biological processes affected by proposed modifications to the ecosystem. We have also taken the opportunity to advance the state-of-the-art in wetland plant community modeling by using a model that is more species-based in its description of plant communities instead of one based on aggregated community types such as brackish marsh and saline marsh. The resulting model provides an increased level of ecological detail about how wetland communities are expected to respond. In addition, the output from this model provides critical inputs for estimating the effects of management on higher trophic level species though a more complete description of the shifts in habitat.

Fringe wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lugo, A.E.

1990-01-01

Fringe wetlands are characterized by the dominance of few species, a clear species zonation, synchrony of ecological processes with episodic events, and simplicity in the structure of vegetation. The structure and ecosystem dynamics of fringe forested wetlands are presented with emphasis on saltwater wetlands because they have been studied more than freshwater ones. The study areas were Caribbean and Florida mangroves. Fringe wetlands are found on the water edge of oceans, inland estuaries, and lakes. Water motion in the fringe is bi-directional and perpendicular to the forest and due mostly to tidal energy in oceanic and estuarine fringes. in lakes, water moves in and out of the fringe under the influence of wind, waves, or seiches. some fringe forests are occasionally flushed by terrestrial runoff or aquifer discharge. In contrast, fringe forests located on small offshore islands or steep coastal shroes are isolated from terrestrial runoff or aquifer discharge, and their hydroperiod is controlled by tides and waves only. Literature reviews suggest that ecosystem parameters such as vegetation structure, tree growth, primary productivity, and organic matter in sediments respond proportionally to hydrologic energy. Human activity that impacts on fringe forested wetlands include harvesting of trees, oil pollution and eutrophication. 72 refs., 12 figs., 9 tabs

Restoration of freshwater Cypress-Tupelo Wetlands in the southeastern U.S. following severe hurricanes

Science.gov (United States)

Conner, William H.; Krauss, Ken W.; Shaffer, Gary P.

2012-01-01

Freshwater forested wetlands commonly occur in the lower Coastal Plain of the southeastern US with baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] L.C. Rich.) and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) often being the dominant trees. Extensive anthropogenic activities combined with eustatic sea-level rise and land subsidence have caused widespread hydrological changes in many of these forests. In addition, hurricanes (a common, although aperiodic occurrence) cause wide-spread damage from wind and storm surge events, with impacts exacerbated by human-mediated coastal modifications (e.g., dredging, navigation channels, etc.). Restoration of forested wetlands in coastal areas is important because emergent canopies can greatly diminish wind penetration, thereby reducing the wind stress available to generate surface waves and storm surge that are the major cause of damage to coastal ecosystems and their surrounding communities. While there is an overall paucity of large-scale restoration efforts within coastal forested wetlands of the southeastern US, we have determined important characteristics that should drive future efforts. Restoration efforts may be enhanced considerably if coupled with hydrological enhancement, such as freshwater, sediment, or sewage wastewater diversions. Large-scale restoration of coastal forests should be attempted to create a landscape capable of minimizing storm impacts and maximizing wetland sustainability in the face of climate change. Planting is the preferred regeneration method in many forested wetland sites because hydrological alterations have increased flooding, and planted seedlings must be protected from herbivory to enhance establishment. Programs identifying salt tolerance in coastal forest tree species need to be continued to help increase resilience to repetitive storm surge events.

Soil color indicates carbon and wetlands: developing a color-proxy for soil organic carbon and wetland boundaries on sandy coastal plains in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretorius, M L; Van Huyssteen, C W; Brown, L R

2017-10-13

A relationship between soil organic carbon and soil color is acknowledged-albeit not a direct one. Since heightened carbon contents can be an indicator of wetlands, a quantifiable relationship between color and carbon might assist in determining wetland boundaries by rapid, field-based appraisal. The overarching aim of this initial study was to determine the potential of top soil color to indicate soil organic carbon, and by extension wetland boundaries, on a sandy coastal plain in South Africa. Data were collected from four wetland types in northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Soil samples were taken to a depth of 300 mm in three transects in each wetland type and analyzed for soil organic carbon. The matrix color was described using a Munsell soil color chart. Various color indices were correlated with soil organic carbon. The relationship between color and carbon were further elucidated using segmented quantile regression. This showed that potentially maximal carbon contents will occur at values of low color indices, and predictably minimal carbon contents will occur at values of low or high color indices. Threshold values can thus be used to make deductions such as "when the sum of dry and wet Value and Chroma values is 9 or more, carbon content will be 4.79% and less." These threshold values can then be used to differentiate between wetland and non-wetland sites with a 70 to 100% certainty. This study successfully developed a quantifiable correlation between color and carbon and showed that wetland boundaries can be determined based thereon.

Studying the impact of climate change on coastal aquifers and adjacent wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Stigter, Tibor; Ribeiro, Luís.; Oliveira, Rodrigo; Samper, Javier; Fakir, Younes; Fonseca, Luís.; Monteiro, José Paulo; Nunes, João. Pedro; Pisani, Bruno

2010-05-01

program, assessing the impact of climate change on coastal groundwater resources and dependent ecosystems. These resources are often intensively exploited, potentially leading to saltwater intrusion and the degradation of groundwater and dependent wetlands. Climate change may increase this problem in Mediterranean regions, due to the combined effect of rising sea levels and decreasing aquifer recharge. CLIMWAT aims to address this problem by employing a multimethodological approach involving climate scenarios, surface and groundwater flow and transport modeling, as well as hydrochemical indicator and ecological diversity indices. Research is performed in three coastal areas: the Central Algarve in Portugal, the Ebro delta in Spain and the Atlantic Sahel in Morocco. The mean annual temperatures are 17.4 ° C, 17.2 ° C and 17.5 ° C, respectively, whereas mean annual rainfall is lower in the Atlantic Sahel (390 mm) than in the Ebro Delta (520 mm) and the Central Algarve (660 mm). Work package (WP) 1 involves the collection of existing data (in a GIS environment), baseline characterization and the selection of monitoring locations. These include wells and springs of official (water level/quality) monitoring networks, as well as additional observation points selected at strategic locations, including the wetlands receiving groundwater and adjacent aquifer sectors. In WP2 the climate scenarios are selected and integrated in hydrological models (SWAT, GISBALAN), which are developed and calibrated with existing data, prior to scenario modeling. The main focus of this WP is to estimate the evolution of surface runoff and groundwater recharge under climate change. Data on climate change scenarios and model projections are compiled from: (i) the PRUDENCE project; (ii) the ENSEMBLES project; (iii) IPCC scenarios and projections, AR4; (iv) AEMet (Spanish Meteorological Agency) for generation of regional scenarios of climate change in Spain. For Morocco, where runoff is

Hydrogeology and hydrology of the Punta Cabullones wetland area, Ponce, southern Puerto Rico, 2007-08

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Martínez, Jesús; Soler-López, Luis R.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Municipio Autónomo de Ponce and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, conducted a study of the hydrogeology and hydrology of the Punta Cabullones area in Ponce, southern Puerto Rico. (Punta Cabullones is also referred to as Punta Cabullón.) The Punta Cabullones area is about 9 square miles and is an ecological system made up of a wetland, tidal flats, saltflats, mangrove forests, and a small fringing reef located a short distance offshore. The swales or depressions between successive beach ridges became development avenues for saline to hypersaline wetlands. The Punta Cabullones area was designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a coastal barrier in the 1980s because of its capacity to act as a buffer zone to ameliorate the impacts of natural phenomenon such as storm surges. Since 2003, Punta Cabullones has been set aside for preservation as part of the mitigation effort mandated by Federal and State laws to compensate for the potential environmental effects that might be caused by the construction of the Las Américas Transshipment Port. Total rainfall measured during 2008 within the Punta Cabullones area was 36 inches, which is slightly greater than the long-term annual average of 32 inches for the coastal plain near Ponce. Two evapotranspiration estimates, 29 and 37 inches, were obtained for the subarea of the Punta Cabullones area that is underlain by fan-delta and alluvial deposits by using two variants of the Penman semi-empirical equation. The long-term water stage and chemical character of the wetland in Punta Cabullones are highly dependent on the seasonal and annual variations of both rainfall and sea-wave activity. Also, unseasonal short-term above-normal rainfall and sea-wave events resulting from passing storms may induce substantial changes in the water stage and the chemical character of the wetland. In general, tidal fluctuations exert a minor role in

Surrounding land cover types as predictors of palustrine wetland vegetation quality in conterminous USA

Science.gov (United States)

Stapanian, Martin A.; Gara, Brian; Schumacher, William

2018-01-01

The loss of wetland habitats and their often-unique biological communities is a major environmental concern. We examined vegetation data obtained from 380 wetlands sampled in a statistical survey of wetlands in the USA. Our goal was to identify which surrounding land cover types best predict two indices of vegetation quality in wetlands at the regional scale. We considered palustrine wetlands in four regions (Coastal Plains, North Central East, Interior Plains, and West) in which the dominant vegetation was emergent, forested, or scrub-shrub. For each wetland, we calculated weighted proportions of eight land cover types surrounding the area in which vegetation was assessed, in four zones radiating from the edge of the assessment area to 2 km. Using Akaike's Information Criterion, we determined the best 1-, 2- and 3-predictor models of the two indices, using the weighted proportions of the land cover types as potential predictors. Mean values of the two indices were generally higher in the North Central East and Coastal Plains than the other regions for forested and emergent wetlands. In nearly all cases, the best predictors of the indices were not the dominant surrounding land cover types. Overall, proportions of forest (positive effect) and agriculture (negative effect) surrounding the assessment area were the best predictors of the two indices. One or both of these variables were included as predictors in 65 of the 72 models supported by the data. Wetlands surrounding the assessment area had a positive effect on the indices, and ranked third (33%) among the predictors included in supported models. Development had a negative effect on the indices and was included in only 28% of supported models. These results can be used to develop regional management plans for wetlands, such as creating forest buffers around wetlands, or to conserve zones between wetlands to increase habitat connectivity.

The origin and disappearance of the late Pleistocene-early Holocene short-lived coastal wetlands along the Carmel coast, Israel

Science.gov (United States)

Sivan, Dorit; Greenbaum, Noam; Cohen-Seffer, Ronit; Sisma-Ventura, Guy; Almogi-Labin, Ahuva

The formation of short-lived backswamps along the Carmel coast of Israel coincides with the rapid global sea-level rise during the late Pleistocene-early Holocene transition. The current study shows that the wetland phenomena originated around 10,000 yr ago and dried up shortly before the local Pre-Pottery Neolithic humans settled on the wetland dark clay sediments 9430 cal yr BP. Palaeontological and stable-isotope data were used in this study to elucidate previously published sedimentological reconstruction obtained from a core drilled into the western trough of the Carmel coastal plain. The water body contained typical brackish calcareous fauna, with variable numerical abundance and low species richness of ostracods and foraminifera. The δ 18O and δ 13C of the ostracod Cyprideis torosa show close similarity to the present Pleistocene coastal aquifer isotopic values. This study therefore concludes that the wetlands were shallow-water bodies fed by groundwater, with no evidence of sea-water mixing. It seems that they developed as the result of high groundwater levels, transportation of sediments landward, and deposition of sand bars at the paleo-river mouths. It is still not fully understood why these wetlands deteriorated abruptly and disappeared within less than 1000 yr.

Managing for No Net Loss of Ecological Services: An Approach for Quantifying Loss of Coastal Wetlands due to Sea Level Rise.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassakian, Jennifer; Jones, Ann; Martinich, Jeremy; Hudgens, Daniel

2017-05-01

Sea level rise has the potential to substantially alter the extent and nature of coastal wetlands and the critical ecological services they provide. In making choices about how to respond to rising sea level, planners are challenged with weighing easily quantified risks (e.g., loss of property value due to inundation) against those that are more difficult to quantify (e.g., loss of primary production or carbon sequestration services provided by wetlands due to inundation). Our goal was to develop a cost-effective, appropriately-scaled, model-based approach that allows planners to predict, under various sea level rise and response scenarios, the economic cost of wetland loss-with the estimates proxied by the costs of future restoration required to maintain the existing level of wetland habitat services. Our approach applies the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model to predict changes in wetland habitats over the next century, and then applies Habitat Equivalency Analysis to predict the cost of restoration projects required to maintain ecological services at their present, pre-sea level rise level. We demonstrate the application of this approach in the Delaware Bay estuary and in the Indian River Lagoon (Florida), and discuss how this approach can support future coastal decision-making.

Monitoring Ecological and Environmental Changes in Coastal Wetlands in the Yellow River Delta from 1987 to 2010 Using Remote Sensing Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Kun; Zhao, Dong; Gan, Fuping; Xiao, Chenchao

2016-04-01

Many wetlands in the world have degraded rapidly in recent years, especially in China. The Yellow River Delta (YRD) is one of the largest deltas in China. The YRD Nature Reserve is one of China's most complete, broadest, and youngest wetland ecological systems in the warm-temperate zone. Most previous studies have placed particular emphasis on ecological environment or landscape of the YRD based on the distribution of wetlands. In recent years, with the rapid development of the city of Dongying, located in the YRD, the impacts of human activities are increasingly significant, so that monitoring changes in the wetlands has become especially important. In this research, we applied an improved Support Vector Machine (SVM) approach to wetland classification based on feature band set construction and optimization using seven Landsat images. By extracting waterlines, classifying wetlands and deriving landscape parameters, we have achieved high-frequency comprehensive monitoring of the wetlands in the YRD over a relatively long period. It offers a better estimate of wetland change trends than certain previous studies. From 1987 to 2010, the natural waterline primarily experienced erosion due to precipitation abnormalities, as well as coastal exploitation, as the co-analyzed meteorological data suggest. Meanwhile, the artificial waterline barely changed. The wetland area decreased rapidly from approximately 4,607 km2 to 2,714 km2 between 1987 and 2000. Ecological resilience and landscape diversity also decreased significantly during this period. The major impact factors were most likely urbanization, population expansion and the exploitation of the wetlands. After 2000, ecological resilience exhibited a positive trend. However, because newly built aquatic farms and salt works caused serious damages and threatened the natural beach landscape, the landscape fragmentation of muddy and sandy beaches increased after 2000. According to the results, more effective policies and

Essential coastal habitats for fish in the Baltic Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraufvelin, Patrik; Pekcan-Hekim, Zeynep; Bergström, Ulf

2018-01-01

Many coastal and offshore fish species are highly dependent on specific habitat types for population maintenance. In the Baltic Sea, shallow productive habitats in the coastal zone such as wetlands, vegetated flads/lagoons and sheltered bays as well as more exposed rocky and sandy areas are utili...

Effects of Spartina alterniflora invasion on biogenic elements in a subtropical coastal mangrove wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiaoqing; Yang, Jun; Liu, Lemian; Tian, Yuan; Yu, Zheng

2015-02-01

The invasion by exotic cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) has become one of the most serious and challenging environmental and ecological problems in coastal China because it can have adverse effects on local native species, thereby changing ecosystem processes, functions, and services. In this study, 300 surface sediments were collected from 15 stations in the Jiulong River Estuary, southeast China, across four different seasons, in order to reveal the spatiotemporal variability of biogenic elements and their influencing factors in the subtropical coastal mangrove wetland. The biogenic elements including carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur (C, N, and S) were determined by an element analyzer, while the phosphorus (P) was determined by a flow injection analyzer. The concentrations of biogenic elements showed no significant differences among four seasons except total phosphorus (TP); however, our ANOVA analyses revealed a distinct spatial pattern which was closely related with the vegetation type and tidal level. Values of total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) in the surface sediment of mangrove vegetation zones were higher than those in the cordgrass and mudflat zones. The concentrations of TC, TN, TP, and total sulfur (TS) in the high tidal zones were higher than those in the middle and low tidal zones. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that tidal level, vegetation type, and season had some significant influence on the distribution of biogenic elements in the Jiulong River Estuary, by explaining 18.2, 7.7, and 4.9 % of total variation in the four biogenic elements, respectively. In conclusion, S. alterniflora invasion had substantial effects on the distributions of biogenic elements in the subtropical coastal wetland. If regional changes in the Jiulong River Estuary are to persist and much of the mangrove vegetation was to be replaced by cordgrass, there would be significant decreases on the overall storage of C and N in this coastal zone. Therefore, the native

Comprehensive Sediment Management to Improve Wetland Sustainability in Coastal Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, S.; Freeman, A. M.; Raynie, R.

2016-02-01

Human intervention has impaired the Mississippi River's ability to deliver sediment to its deltaic wetlands, and as a consequence acute land loss in coastal Louisiana has resulted in an unprecedented ecocatastrophe. Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost approximately 5,000 square kilometers of coastal land, and is continuing to lose land at the rate of approximately 43 square kilometers/year. This extreme rate of land loss threatens a range of key national assets and important communities. Coastal communities across the world as well as in Louisiana have realized the importance of sediment for the continuation of their very existence in these productive but vulnerable regions. Ecological restoration can only be undertaken on a stable coastline, for which sedimentological restoration is needed. A large-scale effort to restore coastal Louisiana is underway, guided by Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. This 50-year, $50-billion plan prescribes 109 protection and restoration projects to reduce land loss, maintain and restore coastal environments and sustain communities. Nowhere else has a restoration and protection program of this scale been developed or implemented, and critical to its success is the optimized usage of limited fluvial and offshore sediment resources, and a keen understanding of the complex interactions of various geological/geophysical processes in ecosystem restoration. A comprehensive sediment management plan has been developed to identify and delineate potential sediment sources for restoration, and to provide a framework for managing sediment resources wisely, cost effectively, and in a systematic manner. The Louisiana Sediment Management Plan provides regional strategies for improved comprehensive management of Louisiana's limited sediment resources. Adaptive management via a robust system-wide monitoring plays an important role along with a regional approach for the efficient management of sediment resources.

Responses of Isolated Wetland Herpetofauna to Upland Forest Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, K.R.; Hanlin, H.G.; Wigley, T.B.; Guynn, D.C. Jr.

2002-01-01

Measurement of responses of herpetofauna at isolated wetlands in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina to disturbance of adjacent loblolly pine forest. Many species of isolated wetland herpetofauna in the Southeastern Coastal Plain may tolerate some disturbance in adjacent upland stands. Responses of isolated wetland herpetofauna to upland silviculture and the need for adjacent forested buffers likely depend on the specific landscape context in which the wetlands occur and composition of the resident herpetofaunal community

Levee Presence and Wetland Areas within the 100-Year Floodplain of the Wabash Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, R. R.; Dong, Q.; Nardi, F.; Grantham, T.; Annis, A.

2016-12-01

Wetlands have declined over the past century due to land use changes and water management activities in the United States. Levees have been extensively built to provide protection against flooding events, and can fundamentally alter the water distribution and hydrologic dynamics within floodplains. Although levees can reduce wetlands in many places, it is unclear how much wetland areas are impacted at a basin-scale. This study explores the relationship between wetlands, levee presence, and other important hydrologic metrics within a 100-year floodplain. We estimated total wetland area, levee length, floodplain area and other variables, in discrete 12-digit hydrologic units (HUC-12) of the Wabash Basin (n=854) and examined the relationship between these variables using non-parametric statistical tests. We found greater areas of wetland habitat in HUC12 units that contain levees compared to those without levees when we aggregated the results across the entire basin. Factors such as stream order, mean annual flow, and HUC12 area are not correlated with the wetland area in HUC-12 units that contain levees. In addition, median wetland area in HUC12 units with levees is surprisingly consistent regardless of maximum stream order. Visual observations of wetland distributions indicate that wetland presence may be dependent on its location relative to levees. These results indicate that refined geospatial analyses may be necessary to explore the complex influence of levees on wetland habitat, and that additional basins should be explored to develop more generalized trends. This information is preliminary and subject to revision.

Characterization of labile organic carbon in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain: Relationships to carbon functionalities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dodla, Syam K. [School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Wang, Jim J., E-mail: jjwang@agcenter.lsu.edu [School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); DeLaune, Ronald D. [Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)

2012-10-01

Adequate characterization of labile organic carbon (LOC) is essential to the understanding of C cycling in soil. There has been very little evaluation about the nature of LOC characterizations in coastal wetlands, where soils are constantly influenced by different redox fluctuations and salt water intrusions. In this study, we characterized and compared LOC fractions in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain using four different methods including 1) aerobically mineralizable C (AMC), 2) cold water extractable C (CWEC), 3) hot water extractable C (HWEC), and 4) salt extractable C (SEC), as well as acid hydrolysable C (AHC) which includes both labile and slowly degradable organic C. Molecular organic C functional groups of these wetland soils were characterized by {sup 13}C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The LOC and AHC increased with soil organic C (SOC) regardless of wetland soil type. The LOC estimates by four different methods were positively and significantly linearly related to each other (R{sup 2} = 0.62-0.84) and with AHC (R{sup 2} = 0.47-0.71). The various LOC fractions accounted for {<=} 4.3% of SOC whereas AHC fraction represented 16-49% of SOC. AMC was influenced positively by O/N-alkyl and carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C, whereas CWEC and SEC fractions were influenced only positively by carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C in SOC. On the other hand, HWEC fraction was found to be only influenced positively by carbonyl C, and AHC positively by O/N-alkyl and alkyl C but negatively by aromatic C groups in SOC. Overall these relations suggested different contributions of various molecular organic C moieties to LOC in these wetlands from those often found for upland soils. The presence of more than 50% non-acid hydrolysable C suggested the dominance of relatively stable SOC pool that would be sequestered in these Mississippi River deltaic plain coastal wetland soils. The results have important implications to the

Floodplain and Wetland Assessment for the Mortandad Wetland Enhancement and the DP Dissipater Projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hathcock, Charles Dean [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2017-03-31

This floodplain and wetland assessment was prepared in accordance with 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1022 Compliance with Floodplain and Wetland Environmental Review Requirements, which was promulgated to implement the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requirements under Executive Order 11988 Floodplain Management and Executive Order 11990 Wetlands Protection. According to 10 CFR 1022, a 100-year floodplain is defined as “the lowlands adjoining inland and coastal waters and relatively flat areas and flood prone areas of offshore islands” and a wetland is defined as “an area that is inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, including swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.” In this action, DOE is proposing two projects to improve wetland and floodplain function at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The proposed work will comply with corrective action requirements under the Settlement Agreement and Stipulated Final Compliance Order (Settlement Agreement)1 Number HWB-14-20. The first project is located in Technical Areas (TA)-03 in upper Mortandad Canyon. The upper Mortandad wetlands have existing stormwater controls that need to be rehabilitated. Head-cut formation is occurring at the downstream portion of the wetland. This project will repair damages to the wetland and reduce the future erosion potential. The second project is located in TA-21 in Delta Prime (DP) Canyon. The intent of the DP Dissipater Project in DP Canyon is to install stormwater control structures in DP Canyon to retain low channel flows and reduce downstream sediment transport as well as peak flows during low and moderate storm events. Due to increased erosion, the stream bank in this area has unstable vertical walls within the stream channel. The DOE prepared this floodplain and wetland

The mangrove tangle: short-term bio-physical interactions in coastal mangroves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Horstman, Erik

2014-01-01

Mangroves are coastal wetland ecosystems in the upper intertidal area. Salt-tolerant mangrove vegetation dwells on fine substrates in sheltered, low-energy coastal environments such as estuaries and lagoons. At the interface between land and sea, mangroves provide a plethora of regulating, habitat

Predictive occurrence models for coastal wetland plant communities: Delineating hydrologic response surfaces with multinomial logistic regression

Science.gov (United States)

Snedden, Gregg A.; Steyer, Gregory D.

2013-02-01

Understanding plant community zonation along estuarine stress gradients is critical for effective conservation and restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems. We related the presence of plant community types to estuarine hydrology at 173 sites across coastal Louisiana. Percent relative cover by species was assessed at each site near the end of the growing season in 2008, and hourly water level and salinity were recorded at each site Oct 2007-Sep 2008. Nine plant community types were delineated with k-means clustering, and indicator species were identified for each of the community types with indicator species analysis. An inverse relation between salinity and species diversity was observed. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) effectively segregated the sites across ordination space by community type, and indicated that salinity and tidal amplitude were both important drivers of vegetation composition. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) were used to predict the probability of occurrence of the nine vegetation communities as a function of salinity and tidal amplitude, and probability surfaces obtained from the MLR model corroborated the CCA results. The weighted kappa statistic, calculated from the confusion matrix of predicted versus actual community types, was 0.7 and indicated good agreement between observed community types and model predictions. Our results suggest that models based on a few key hydrologic variables can be valuable tools for predicting vegetation community development when restoring and managing coastal wetlands.

Vulnerability of the Nile Delta coastal areas to inundation by sea level rise.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassaan, M A; Abdrabo, M A

2013-08-01

Sea level changes are typically caused by several natural phenomena, including ocean thermal expansion, glacial melt from Greenland and Antarctica. Global average sea level is expected to rise, through the twenty-first century, according to the IPCC projections by between 0.18 and 0.59 cm. Such a rise in sea level will significantly impact coastal area of the Nile Delta, consisting generally of lowland and is densely populated areas and accommodates significant proportion of Egypt's economic activities and built-up areas. The Nile Delta has been examined in several previous studies, which worked under various hypothetical sea level rise (SLR) scenarios and provided different estimates of areas susceptible to inundation due to SLR. The paper intends, in this respect, to identify areas, as well as land use/land cover, susceptible to inundation by SLR based upon most recent scenarios of SLR, by the year 2100 using GIS. The results indicate that about 22.49, 42.18, and 49.22 % of the total area of coastal governorates of the Nile Delta would be susceptible to inundation under different scenarios of SLR. Also, it was found that 15.56 % of the total areas of the Nile Delta that would be vulnerable to inundation due to land subsidence only, even in the absence of any rise in sea level. Moreover, it was found that a considerable proportion of these areas (ranging between 32.32 and 53.66 %) are currently either wetland or undeveloped areas. Furthermore, natural and/or man-made structures, such as the banks of the International Coastal Highway, were found to provide unintended protection to some of these areas. This suggests that the inundation impact of SLR on the Nile Delta is less than previously reported.

Soil physicochemical conditions, denitrification rates, and nosZ abundance in North Carolina Coastal Plain restored wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Ever since the United States adopted a national policy of wetland “No Net Loss”, a variety of measures have been aimed at restoring wetland biogeochemical function to former wetland areas. Nitrogen is a key element controlled by properly functioning wetlands, particularly when they are located adjac...

Direct and indirect controls on organic matter decomposition in four coastal wetland communities along a landscape salinity gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Stagg, Camille L.; Baustian, Melissa M.; Perry, Carey L.; Carruthers, Tim J.B.; Hall, Courtney T.

2018-01-01

Coastal wetlands store more carbon than most ecosystems globally. As sea level rises, changes in flooding and salinity will potentially impact ecological functions, such as organic matter decomposition, that influence carbon storage. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control organic matter loss in coastal wetlands at the landscape scale. As sea level rises, how will the shift from fresh to salt-tolerant plant communities impact organic matter decomposition? Do long-term, plant-mediated, effects of sea-level rise differ from direct effects of elevated salinity and flooding?We identified internal and external factors that regulated indirect and direct pathways of sea-level rise impacts, respectively, along a landscape-scale salinity gradient that incorporated changes in wetland type (fresh, oligohaline, mesohaline and polyhaline marshes). We found that indirect and direct impacts of sea-level rise had opposing effects on organic matter decomposition.Salinity had an indirect effect on litter decomposition that was mediated through litter quality. Despite significant variation in environmental conditions along the landscape gradient, the best predictors of above- and below-ground litter decomposition were internal drivers, initial litter nitrogen content and initial litter lignin content respectively. Litter decay constants were greatest in the oligohaline marsh and declined with increasing salinity, and the fraction of litter remaining (asymptote) was greatest in the mesohaline marsh. In contrast, direct effects of salinity and flooding were positive. External drivers, salinity and flooding, stimulated cellulytic activity, which was highest in the polyhaline marsh.Synthesis. Our results indicate that as sea level rises, initial direct effects of salinity will stimulate decay of labile carbon, but over time as plant communities shift from fresh to polyhaline marsh, litter decay will decline, yielding greater potential for long-term carbon storage

Food Web Response to Habitat Restoration in Various Coastal Wetland Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

James, W. R.; Nelson, J. A.

2017-12-01

Coastal wetland habitats provide important ecosystem services, including supporting coastal food webs. These habitats are being lost rapidly. To combat the effects of these losses, millions of dollars have been invested to restore these habitats. However, the relationship between restoring habitat and restoring ecosystem functioning is poorly understood. Analyzing energy flow through food web comparisons between restored and natural habitats can give insights into ecosystem functioning. Using published stable isotope values from organisms in restored and natural habitats, we assessed the food web response of habitat restoration in salt marsh, mangrove, sea grass, and algal bed ecosystems. We ran Bayesian mixing models to quantify resource use by consumers and generated habitat specific niche hypervolumes for each ecosystem to assess food web differences between restored and natural habitats. Salt marsh, mangrove, and sea grass ecosystems displayed functional differences between restored and natural habitats. Salt marsh and mangrove food webs varied in the amount of each resource used, while the sea grass food web displayed more variation between individual organisms. The algal bed food web showed little variation between restored and natural habitats.

Resilience from coastal protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing, Lesley C

2015-10-28

Coastal areas are important residential, commercial and industrial areas; but coastal hazards can pose significant threats to these areas. Shoreline/coastal protection elements, both built structures such as breakwaters, seawalls and revetments, as well as natural features such as beaches, reefs and wetlands, are regular features of a coastal community and are important for community safety and development. These protection structures provide a range of resilience to coastal communities. During and after disasters, they help to minimize damages and support recovery; during non-disaster times, the values from shoreline elements shift from the narrow focus on protection. Most coastal communities have limited land and resources and few can dedicate scarce resources solely for protection. Values from shore protection can and should expand to include environmental, economic and social/cultural values. This paper discusses the key aspects of shoreline protection that influence effective community resilience and protection from disasters. This paper also presents ways that the economic, environmental and social/cultural values of shore protection can be evaluated and quantified. It presents the Coastal Community Hazard Protection Resilience (CCHPR) Index for evaluating the resilience capacity to coastal communities from various protection schemes and demonstrates the use of this Index for an urban beach in San Francisco, CA, USA. © 2015 The Author(s).

Monitoring man's impact in the coastal zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benton, A.R. Jr.; Snell, W.W.

1979-01-01

The paper examines the monitoring of man's impact in the coastal zone. Color infrared photography shows destroyed or degraded wetlands or beaches, and makes possible relevant linear or aerial measurements with aerial photography. It can also categorize the environmental impacts which have accrued as the result of completion of water development projects. Aerial photography of the Texas coastal zone illustrates the nature and degree of damage likely to occur as a result of construction or maintenance projects. It is concluded that the method of assigning realistic values to unit areas of wetlands and beaches will make it feasible to incorporate the cost of estuarine damages into the cost estimates of water development schemes

Dissolved organic matter dynamics in the oligo/meso-haline zone of wetland-influenced coastal rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Maie, Nagamitsu; Sekiguchi, Satoshi; Watanabe, Akira; Tsutsuki, Kiyoshi; Yamashita, Youhei; Melling, Lulie; Cawley, Kaelin M.; Shima, Eikichi; Jaffé, Rudolf

2014-08-01

Wetlands are key components in the global carbon cycle and export significant amounts of terrestrial carbon to the coastal oceans in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Conservative behavior along the salinity gradient of DOC and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) has often been observed in estuaries from their freshwater end-member (salinity = 0) to the ocean (salinity = 35). While the oligo/meso-haline (salinity DOC and CDOM optical properties determined by UV absorbance at 254 nm (A254) and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) along the lower salinity range (salinity DOC and A254 was observed, while these parameters showed similar conservative behavior for the third. Three distinct EEM-PARAFAC models established for each of the rivers provided similar spectroscopic characteristics except for some unique fluorescence features observed for the Judan River. The distribution patterns of PARAFAC components suggested that the inputs from plankton and/or submerged aquatic vegetation can be important in the Bekanbeushi River. Further, DOM photo-products formed in the estuarine lake were also found to be transported upstream. In the Harney River, whereas upriver-derived terrestrial humic-like components were mostly distributed conservatively, some of these components were also derived from mangrove inputs in the oligo/meso-haline zone. Interestingly, fluorescence intensities of some terrestrial humic-like components increased with salinity for the Judan River possibly due to changes in the dissociation state of acidic functional groups and/or increase in the fluorescence quantum yield along the salinity gradient. The protein-like and microbial humic-like components were distributed differently between three wetland rivers, implying that interplay between loss to microbial degradation and inputs from diverse sources are different for the three wetland-influenced rivers. The results presented here

Flora characteristics of Chenier Wetland in Bohai Bay and biogeographic relations with adjacent wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yanyun; Lu, Zhaohua; Liu, Jingtao; Hu, Shugang

2017-12-01

A key step towards the restoration of heavily disturbed fragile coastal wetland ecosystems is determining the composition and characteristics of the plant communities involved. This study determined and characterized the community of higher plants in the Chenier wetland of Bohai Bay using a combination of field surveys, quadrat approaches, and multivariate statistical analyses. This community was then compared to other adjacent wetlands (Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Laizhouwan, Jiaozhouwan, and Yellow River Delta wetland) located near the Huanghai and Bohai Seas using principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Results showed a total of 56 higher plant species belonging to 52 genera from 20 families in Chenier wetland, the majority of which were dicotyledons. Single-species families were predominant, while larger families, including Gramineae, Compositae, Leguminosae, and Chenopodiaceae contained a higher number of species (each⩾6 species). Cosmopolitan species were also dominant with apparent intrazonality. Abundance (number of species) of temperate species was twice that of tropical taxa. Species number of perennial herbs, such as Gramineae and Compositae, was generally higher. Plant diversity in the Chenier wetland, based on the Shannon-Wiener index, was observed to be between the Qinhuangdao and Laizhouwan indices, while no significant difference was found in other wetlands using the Simpson index. Despite these slight differences in diversity, PCoA based on species abundance and composition of the wetland flora suggest that the Bohai Chenier community was highly similar to the coastal wetlands in Tianjin and Laizhouwan, further suggesting that these two wetlands could be important breeding grounds and resources for the restoration of the plant ecosystem in the Chenier wetland.

Predictive occurrence models for coastal wetland plant communities: delineating hydrologic response surfaces with multinomial logistic regression

Science.gov (United States)

Snedden, Gregg A.; Steyer, Gregory D.

2013-01-01

Understanding plant community zonation along estuarine stress gradients is critical for effective conservation and restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems. We related the presence of plant community types to estuarine hydrology at 173 sites across coastal Louisiana. Percent relative cover by species was assessed at each site near the end of the growing season in 2008, and hourly water level and salinity were recorded at each site Oct 2007–Sep 2008. Nine plant community types were delineated with k-means clustering, and indicator species were identified for each of the community types with indicator species analysis. An inverse relation between salinity and species diversity was observed. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) effectively segregated the sites across ordination space by community type, and indicated that salinity and tidal amplitude were both important drivers of vegetation composition. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) were used to predict the probability of occurrence of the nine vegetation communities as a function of salinity and tidal amplitude, and probability surfaces obtained from the MLR model corroborated the CCA results. The weighted kappa statistic, calculated from the confusion matrix of predicted versus actual community types, was 0.7 and indicated good agreement between observed community types and model predictions. Our results suggest that models based on a few key hydrologic variables can be valuable tools for predicting vegetation community development when restoring and managing coastal wetlands.

Environmental literacy in agriculture and coastal areas

Science.gov (United States)

Pujianti, N.; Munandar, A.; Surakusumah, W.

2018-05-01

This research aim to investigate the environmental literacy of junior high school students in agricultural and coastal areas in Subang based on knowledge, cognitive skill and attitudes toward to environment. This research used descriptive method. The subjects of the research were 7 grade students of junior high school and involved 62 participants in agriculture area and 64 participants in coastal area. The instrument of environment literacy adapted from Middle School Environment Literacy Survey (MSELS) and adapted to the context of agricultural and coastal area. The results showed that: environmental literacy in agricultural areas is 169.30 with moderate category and environmental literacy in the coastal area is 152.61 in the moderate category.

HYDROGEOMORPHIC INFLUENCES ON MACROPHYTES AS HABITAT IN GREAT LAKES WETLANDS

Science.gov (United States)

We used rapid survey techniques to map saubmergerd, floating and emergent vegetation in 10 coastal wetlands of Lake Superior. Density and structure of plant beds in "bay," "main channel," and "side channel" areas was evaluated from cover indices and presence/dominance by growth f...

Bat Response To Carolina Bays and Wetland Restoration in the Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Jennifer M. Menzel; Michael A. Menzel; John C. Kilgo; W. Mark Ford; John W. Edwards

2005-01-01

Bat activity in the southeastern United States is concentrated over riparian areas and wetland habitats. The restoration and creation of wetlands for mitigation purposes is becoming common in the Southeast. Understanding the effects of these restoration efforts on wetland flora and fauna is thus becoming increasingly important. Because bats (Order: Chiroptera) consist...

Dramatic decline of the bearded reedling, Panurus biarmicus, in Spanish Mediterranean wetlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belenguer Barrionuevo, R.

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The apparent stability of the bearded reedling in Spanish inland wetlands contrasts with its threatened status in Spanish coastal wetlands. The species has already disappeared from some coastal areas in Catalonia and its situation is critical in the region of Valencia. In 2013 we studied the breeding populations in three wetlands in Valencia using two methods: census by exhaustive search of individuals (territory mapping and distance sampling using line transects. We estimated the trend of these populations from data obtained in previous censuses (2005 and 2006, and assessed their viability in the medium and short term using count–based population viability analysis (PVA. Results were alarming in the three studied wetlands, especially in the Albufera de Valencia, where only one breeding pair was found. The percentage of decrease of estimated pairs was similar in all wetlands: ca. 90% between 2005 and 2013. Results from the PVAs predicted a 90% probability of reaching the quasi–extinction threshold before 2024 or 2028 for the largest population of bearded reedling in the Valencia region, El Hondo, while for the Santa Pola population this threshold would be reached before 2016 or 2017. The parallel trend and generalized decline in the Spanish coastal wetlands suggests that these Mediterranean wetlands probably share some specific factors that have adversely affected its populations. Given that all these natural spaces are surrounded by intensively irrigated crops that are subjected to the intense use of pesticides, we hypothesize that these products could have had a detrimental effect on the bearded reedling. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the healthiest populations are situated in Iberian inland wetlands that are surrounded by dry crops, where the use of pesticides is less intense. We propose cataloguing the species as Endangered at regional level.

Dramatic decline of the bearded reedling, Panurus biarmicus, in Spanish Mediterranean wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belenguer Barrionuevo, R.; Lopez-Iborra, G. M.; Dies, J.I.; Castany i Alvaro, J.

2016-07-01

The apparent stability of the bearded reedling in Spanish inland wetlands contrasts with its threatened status in Spanish coastal wetlands. The species has already disappeared from some coastal areas in Catalonia and its situation is critical in the region of Valencia. In 2013 we studied the breeding populations in three wetlands in Valencia using two methods: census by exhaustive search of individuals (territory mapping) and distance sampling using line transects. We estimated the trend of these populations from data obtained in previous censuses (2005 and 2006), and assessed their viability in the medium and short term using count–based population viability analysis (PVA). Results were alarming in the three studied wetlands, especially in the Albufera de Valencia, where only one breeding pair was found. The percentage of decrease of estimated pairs was similar in all wetlands: ca. 90% between 2005 and 2013. Results from the PVAs predicted a 90% probability of reaching the quasi–extinction threshold before 2024 or 2028 for the largest population of bearded reedling in the Valencia region, El Hondo, while for the Santa Pola population this threshold would be reached before 2016 or 2017. The parallel trend and generalized decline in the Spanish coastal wetlands suggests that these Mediterranean wetlands probably share some specific factors that have adversely affected its populations. Given that all these natural spaces are surrounded by intensively irrigated crops that are subjected to the intense use of pesticides, we hypothesize that these products could have had a detrimental effect on the bearded reedling. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the healthiest populations are situated in Iberian inland wetlands that are surrounded by dry crops, where the use of pesticides is less intense. We propose cataloguing the species as Endangered at regional level. (Author)

The Cottonwood Lake study area, a long-term wetland ecosystem monitoring site

Science.gov (United States)

Mushet, David M.; Euliss, Ned H.

2012-01-01

The Cottonwood Lake study area is one of only three long-term wetland ecosystem monitoring sites in the prairie pothole region of North America; the other two are Orchid Meadows in South Dakota and St. Denis in Saskatchewan. Of the three, Cottonwood Lake has, by far, the longest continuous data-collection record. Research was initiated at the study area in 1966, and intensive investigations of the hydrology, chemistry, and biology of prairie pothole wetlands continue at the site today. This fact sheet describes the study area, provides an overview of wetland ecology research that has been conducted at the site in the past, and provides an introduction to current work being conducted at the study area by USGS scientists.

Effect of reclamation on soil organic carbon pools in coastal areas of eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianguo; Yang, Wenhui; Li, Qiang; Pu, Lijie; Xu, Yan; Zhang, Zhongqi; Liu, Lili

2018-06-01

The coastal wetlands of eastern China form one of the most important carbon sinks in the world. However, reclamation can significantly alter the soil carbon pool dynamics in these areas. In this study, a chronosequence was constructed for four reclamation zones in Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, eastern China (reclaimed in 1951, 1974, 1982, and 2007) and a reference salt marsh to identify both the process of soil organic carbon (SOC) evolution, as well as the effect of cropping and soil properties on SOC with time after reclamation. The results show that whereas soil nutrient elements and SOC increased after reclamation, the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe), pH, and bulk density decreased within 62 years following reclamation and agricultural amendment. In general, the soil's chemical properties remarkably improved and SOC increased significantly for approximately 30 years after reclamation. Reclamation for agriculture (rice and cotton) significantly increased the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in the top 60 cm, especially in the top 0-30 cm. However, whereas the highest concentration of SOCD in rice-growing areas was in the top 0-20 cm of the soil profile, it was greater at a 20-60 cm depth in cottongrowing areas. Reclamation also significantly increased heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) levels in the 0-30 cm layer, thereby enhancing the stability of the soil carbon pool. SOC can thus increase significantly over a long time period after coastal reclamation, especially in areas of cultivation, where coastal SOC pools in eastern China tend to be more stable.

Effect of reclamation on soil organic carbon pools in coastal areas of eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianguo; Yang, Wenhui; Li, Qiang; Pu, Lijie; Xu, Yan; Zhang, Zhongqi; Liu, Lili

2018-04-01

The coastal wetlands of eastern China form one of the most important carbon sinks in the world. However, reclamation can significantly alter the soil carbon pool dynamics in these areas. In this study, a chronosequence was constructed for four reclamation zones in Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, eastern China (reclaimed in 1951, 1974, 1982, and 2007) and a reference salt marsh to identify both the process of soil organic carbon (SOC) evolution, as well as the effect of cropping and soil properties on SOC with time after reclamation. The results show that whereas soil nutrient elements and SOC increased after reclamation, the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe), pH, and bulk density decreased within 62 years following reclamation and agricultural amendment. In general, the soil's chemical properties remarkably improved and SOC increased significantly for approximately 30 years after reclamation. Reclamation for agriculture (rice and cotton) significantly increased the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in the top 60 cm, especially in the top 0-30 cm. However, whereas the highest concentration of SOCD in rice-growing areas was in the top 0-20 cm of the soil profile, it was greater at a 20-60 cm depth in cottongrowing areas. Reclamation also significantly increased heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) levels in the 0-30 cm layer, thereby enhancing the stability of the soil carbon pool. SOC can thus increase significantly over a long time period after coastal reclamation, especially in areas of cultivation, where coastal SOC pools in eastern China tend to be more stable.

Preliminary assessment of coastal erosion and local community adaptation in Sayung coastal area, central Java – Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Marfai, Muh Aris

2012-01-01

Dynamic environment in coastal area, especially due to coastal erosion process, has negative impact on human environment. Sayung coastal area, located in Central Java-Indonesia, has experienced severe impact of coastal erosion. As the result of the coastal erosion, hundreds of settlement located in coastal area has been destructed. Moreover, fishponds as the land use dominated in the coastal area also has been severely destroyed. Besides the coastal erosion, increasing of inundated area due t...

Local and regional scale exchanges of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) between tidal wetlands and their adjacent coastal waters

Science.gov (United States)

Osburn, C. L.; Joshi, I.; Lebrasse, M. C.; Oviedo-Vargas, D.; Bianchi, T. S.; Bohnenstiehl, D. R.; D'Sa, E. J.; He, R.; Ko, D.; Arellano, A.; Ward, N. D.

2017-12-01

The contribution of blue carbon from tidal wetlands to the coastal ocean in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) represents a terrestrial-aquatic linkage of increasing importance. DOC flux results will be presented from local (tidal creek) and regional (bays) scale studies in which various combinations of field observations, ocean-color satellite observations, and the outputs of high-resolution hydrodynamic models were used to estimate DOC export. The first project was located in Bald Head Creek, a tributary to the Cape Fear River estuary in eastern North Carolina (NC). DOC fluxes were computed using a bathymetric data collected via unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and a numerical hydrodynamic model (SCHISM) based on the relationships between colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption, DOC concentration, and salinity taken from field observations. Model predictions estimated an annual net export of DOC at 54 g C m-2 yr-1 from the tidal creek to the adjacent estuary. Carbon stable isotope (δ13C) values were used to estimate the contribution of wetland carbon to this export. In the second project, DOC fluxes from the Apalachicola Bay, FL, Barataria Bay, LA, were based on the development of algorithms between DOC and CDOM absorption derived from the VIIRS ocean color sensor. The Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) was used to compute salt flux estimates from each bay to the Louisiana-Texas shelf. The relationship between salinity and CDOM was used to estimate net annual DOC exports of 8.35 x 106 g C m-2 y-1 (Apalachicola Bay) and 7.14 x 106 g C m-2 yr-1 (Barataria Bay). These values approximate 13% and 9% of the annual loads of DOC from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, respectively. CDOM and lignin were used in a mixing model to estimate wetland-derived DOC were 2% for Apalachicola Bay and 13% for Barataria Bay, the latter having one of the highest rates of relative sea level rise in North America. Results from our project demonstrated the utility

Use of the Cumbrian coastal area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-12-01

The primary objective of the research was to establish the recreational usage made of the Cumbrian coastal area. Observations of the numbers of adults and children in each area included in the study were undertaken, as well as an interview survey among adults which identified patterns of use by different groups. The interview survey comprised 7070 interviews, 80% of which were with residents of, rather than visitors to, Cumbria. Additional investigations and analyses were conducted to: determine hours of occupancy at coastal areas; observe usage made of particular areas outside the locations and times of the main survey; assess the usage made of coastal areas and inland waterways by members of the public likely to be excluded from the main study (eg. bird watchers, water-sport participants). (author)

In-situ Geotechnical Characterization of Wetland Channel Cross Sections in Coastal Louisiana Using a Portable Free-fall Penetrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Bilici, C.; Stark, N.; Ghose Hajra, M.

2016-02-01

Broader comprehension of sediment dynamics in wetland channels is essential to protect and restore wetland areas in a sustainable manner. This study focused on a wetland channel located west of Lake Borgne in coastal Louisiana. In-situ tests were performed using a portable free fall penetrometer (PFFP), targeting the characterization of wetland channel sediment characteristics and dynamics. Data were collected at 102 locations along 3 cross-channel transects. Results indicated distinct variations in sediment properties across the channel. Sediments located centrally in the channel were soft and exhibited a similar sediment strength along the channel (0.75 - 3.5 kPa at 20 cm below channel bed surface; 4 - 10 kPa at 100 cm). The sediment strength near the channel banks increased up to 20 kPa at 20 cm below channel bed, while sediment samples did not indicate a significant variation in sediment type. Thus, surficial sediments located at the center of channel appeared less consolidated than at the channel banks. This likely resulted from erosion removing looser sediments due to differences in channel flow patterns or wake waves from boat activity. Furthermore, the thickness of a loose sediment top layer varied for the opposing banks of transects. This may be related to local changes in channel shape. Particularly in meandering parts of the channels, loose sediment layers were limited up to a thickness of 5 cm at the outer bank of individual meanders, while it reached a thickness of 15 cm at the inner bank. This matched the expectations of erosion at the outer banks and deposition on the inner banks. At some locations, asymmetric sediment layers on opposing banks of channel transects were likely related to local channel tributaries. These tributaries may act as a sediment sink or source affecting sedimentation in the investigated channel.

Effectiveness of vegetation on phosphorus removal from reclaimed water by a subsurface flow wetland in a coastal area

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Baoqing Shan; Liang Ao; Chunming Hu; Jiayu Song

2011-01-01

This work was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and influence factors of vegetation on phosphorus (P) removal from reclaimed water in constructed wetlands.Comparisons were conducted between one pilot scale subsurface flow wetland (P-SSFW) and two demonstration subsurface flow wetlands,which were series-wound and named as first subsurface flow wetland (F-SSFW),and second subsurface flow wetland (S-SSFW),respectively.The three wetlands had the same vegetation and substrate,but different pH values,total dissolved solids (TDS) and P loads.Results showed that the P content in the vegetation shoots of the F-SSFW was 2.16 mg/g,while 2.31 mg/g in the S-SSFW and 2.69 mg/g in the P-SSFW.These differences were likely caused by the higher pH and TDS in the reclaimed water.The P content also differed among the tissues of the plant,which were 5.94-6.44 mg/g,2.20-2.77 mg/g,1.31-1.46mg/g and 1.53-1.88 mg/g in the flowers,leaves,stems,and roots,respectively.The greatest discrepancy was observed in the leaves,indicating that the environment of the wetlands had the greatest influence on the leaves.When the total phosphorus (TP) load was lower,the proportion of P removed by vegetation assimilation was 16.17% in the P-SSFW,12.90% in the F-SSFW and 13.29% in the S-SSFW.However,the relative removal efficiency by vegetation among the three wetlands did not vary greatly from that observed in other studies.Moreover,the influence of pH,TDS and TP load was not as great as the influence of the vegetation species,type of substrate,influent style or climate.

Design of a semi-autonomous boat for measurements of coastal sedimentation and erosion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Smith

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Measurement of sediment deposition and erosion in coastal areas is a challenge due to soft shifting sediments, but is critical to assessing loss or restoration of coastal sediments and wetlands. The aim of this project was to design and construct a semi-autonomous boat with water depth measuring capabilities. It was intended to map the depth of coastal wetlands to determine erosion rates and assess coastal restoration effects. Depth-measuring equipment was incorporated into an autonomous pontoon boat powered by solar panels. The propulsion system consisted of two paddlewheels and two-way motors to allow movement and positioning for measurements. Modifications included a lightweight, hard coating on the pontoons and powder-coating the frame to extend their usable life. A microcontroller controlled the boat and captured depth data from sensors and location data with a GPS system. The depth measuring system consisted of a pulley and counter system that completed each measurement in less than 45 seconds. This allowed the boat to take approximately 400 measurements per day. Net accuracy was approximately 3 cm in the tested configuration. The boat can continually measure the depth of specified areas in the wetlands; with this data, the change in depth can be monitored to see the effects of restoration projects.

Application of remote sensing data to land use and land cover assessment in the Tubarao River coastal plain, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

1982-01-01

By means of aerial photography and MSS-LANDSAT data a land use/land cover classification was applied to the Tubarao River coastal plain. The following classes were identified: coal related areas, permanently flooded wetlands, periodically flooded wetlands, agricultural lands, bare soils, water bodies, urban areas, forestlands.

Rapid Stable Isotope Turnover of Larval Fish in a Lake Superior Coastal Wetland: Implications for Diet and Life History Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Trophic linkages of larval fish in Lake Superior coastal wetlands, rivers and embayments can be identified using naturally occurring differences in the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (15N:14N, ?15N) and carbon (13C:12C, ?13C). We sampled pelagic fish larvae weekly during sprin...

Understanding Coastal Carbon Cycling by Linking Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, Jordan G.; Troxler, Tiffany G.; Najjar, Raymond G.

2014-09-01

The coastal zone, despite occupying a small fraction of the Earth's surface area, is an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle. Coastal wetlands, including mangrove forests, tidal marshes, and seagrass meadows, compose a domain of large reservoirs of biomass and soil C [Fourqurean et al., 2012; Donato et al., 2011; Pendleton et al., 2012; Regnier et al., 2013; Bauer et al., 2013]. These wetlands and their associated C reservoirs (2 to 25 petagrams C; best estimate of 7 petagrams C [Pendleton et al., 2012]) provide numerous ecosystem services and serve as key links between land and ocean.

Potential inundated coastal area estimation in Shanghai with multi-platform SAR and altimetry data

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Guanyu; Yang, Tianliang; Zhao, Qing; Kubanek, Julia; Pepe, Antonio; Dong, Hongbin; Sun, Zhibin

2017-09-01

As global warming problem is becoming serious in recent decades, the global sea level is continuously rising. This will cause damages to the coastal deltas with the characteristics of low-lying land, dense population, and developed economy. Continuously reclamation costal intertidal and wetland areas are making Shanghai, the mega city of Yangtze River Delta, more vulnerable to sea level rise. In this paper, we investigate the land subsidence temporal evolution of patterns and processes on a stretch of muddy coast located between the Yangtze River Estuary and Hangzou Bay with differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR) analyses. By exploiting a set of 31 SAR images acquired by the ENVISAT/ASAR from February 2007 to May 2010 and a set of 48 SAR images acquired by the COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) sensors from December 2013 to March 2016, coherent point targets as long as land subsidence velocity maps and time series are identified by using the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) algorithm. With the DInSAR constrained land subsidence model, we predict the land subsidence trend and the expected cumulative subsidence in 2020, 2025 and 2030. Meanwhile, we used altimetrydata and densely distributed in the coastal region are identified (EEMD) algorithm to obtain the average sea level rise rate in the East China Sea. With the land subsidence predictions, sea level rise predictions, and high-precision digital elevation model (DEM), we analyze the combined risk of land subsidence and sea level rise on the coastal areas of Shanghai. The potential inundated areas are mapped under different scenarios.

Mid term monitoring of heavy metals content in soils of Mediterranean coastal wetlands. La Albufera de Valencia Natural Park, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Pascual-Aguilar, Juan Antonio; Andreu, Vicente; Gimeno-García, Eugenia

2014-05-01

Coastal wetlands, in general, and Mediterranean ones, in particular, suffer from differente anthropogenic pressures that may affect their intrinsic environmental and ecological functions. Most, if not all, Mediterranean wetlands are not natural spaces were preservation of habitat and wildlife is the only management policy achieved, bur rather their terriroty is a combination of land units with different activities and influences, such as farming, environmental protection and connectivities with urban and industrial areas. Therefore, the need of periodical monitoring is required whenever pressures and environmental health of wetlands is assessed, particularly of those processes that affect the interconnection of environmental compartiments involving water, soils and biota. In agro-ecological protected wetlands soils play and important role because they are potential sources of pollutants due to farming practices. In this case, presence of heavy metals in soils is and indicator of both environmental health and anthtopogenic direct (farming activities) and indirect (neighbour urban areas) pressures. In this work a mid term (17 year) monitoring of seven heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) in soils of coastal Mediterranean wetlands (La Albufera Natural Park, Spain) are analyzed. Two monitoring campaings were achieved in 1991 and 2008. In both cases the same 20 points were visited which were distributed in the natural park according two four different sectors of potential anthropogenic pressure and land use. At each point two soil samples were collected at differente depths (0 to 20 cm and 20 to 40 cm). The selected metals were analyzed to determine its total and extractable fractions by treatment with EDTA. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, using graphite furnace when necessary, was used for the determination of metals. In general, there is a reduction of metal contents in the study area in both dates. The trend of metals according to average concentration (mg

Study on Ecological Risk Assessment of Guangxi Coastal Zone Based on 3s Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Z.; Luo, H.; Ling, Z. Y.; Huang, Y.; Ning, W. Y.; Tang, Y. B.; Shao, G. Z.

2018-05-01

This paper takes Guangxi coastal zone as the study area, following the standards of land use type, divides the coastal zone of ecological landscape into seven kinds of natural wetland landscape types such as woodland, farmland, grassland, water, urban land and wetlands. Using TM data of 2000-2015 such 15 years, with the CART decision tree algorithm, for analysis the characteristic of types of landscape's remote sensing image and build decision tree rules of landscape classification to extract information classification. Analyzing of the evolution process of the landscape pattern in Guangxi coastal zone in nearly 15 years, we may understand the distribution characteristics and change rules. Combined with the natural disaster data, we use of landscape index and the related risk interference degree and construct ecological risk evaluation model in Guangxi coastal zone for ecological risk assessment results of Guangxi coastal zone.

Working group report on wetlands, wildlife and fisheries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maltby, L.

1990-01-01

A workshop was held to discuss the impacts of climatic change on wetlands, wildlife and fisheries. Impacts that could occur as a result of climatic change include: sea level rise affecting coastal wetlands by inundation, erosion and saltwater intrusion; temperature rise/moisture balance changes on other wetlands; lake level changes affecting shoreline wetlands; vegetation species/community modification of biological systems; and changes in values derived from wetlands impacting socio-economic systems. The Great Lakes shoreline is considered to be at high risk, and it is predicted that there will be profound effects on the ecological and socio-economic value of the Great Lakes wetlands. Presentations were given on wildlife as biological indicators, modelling the effects of climate warming on the stream habitats of brook trout, and the effects of an altered water regime on Great Lakes coastal wetlands. It was concluded that a fundamental research program of an interdisciplinary nature be established to determine current linkages of climatic variables to the function, distribution and productivity of wetlands and associated fish and wildlife resources. A national wetlands monitoring network should be established to trace the influence of climatic variables on wetlands and fish, to identify environmental indicators for reporting and to complement other monitoring programs

China's natural wetlands: past problems, current status, and future challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Shuqing An; Harbin Li; Baohua Guan; Changfang Zhou; Zhongsheng Wang; Zifa Deng; Yingbiao Zhi; Yuhong Liu; Chi Xu; Shubo Fang; Jinhui Jiang; Hongli Li

2007-01-01

Natural wetlands, occupying 3.8% of China's land and providing 54.9% of ecosystem services, are unevenly distributed among eight wetland regions. Natural wetlands in China suffered great loss and degradation (e.g., 23.0% freshwater swamps, 51.2% coastal wetlands) because of the wetland reclamation during China's long history of civilization, and the...

The surface elevation table and marker horizon technique: A protocol for monitoring wetland elevation dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

James C. Lynch,; Phillippe Hensel,; Cahoon, Donald R.

2015-01-01

The National Park Service, in response to the growing evidence and awareness of the effects of climate change on federal lands, determined that monitoring wetland elevation change is a top priority in North Atlantic Coastal parks (Stevens et al, 2010). As a result, the NPS Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) in collaboration with colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have developed a protocol for monitoring wetland elevation change and other processes important for determining the viability of wetland communities. Although focused on North Atlantic Coastal parks, this document is applicable to all coastal and inland wetland regions. Wetlands exist within a narrow range of elevation which is influenced by local hydrologic conditions. For coastal wetlands in particular, local hydrologic conditions may be changing as sea levels continue to rise. As sea level rises, coastal wetland systems may respond by building elevation to maintain favorable hydrologic conditions for their survival. This protocol provides the reader with instructions and guidelines on designing a monitoring plan or study to: A) Quantify elevation change in wetlands with the Surface Elevation Table (SET). B) Understand the processes that influence elevation change, including vertical accretion (SET and Marker Horizon methods). C) Survey the wetland surface and SET mark to a common reference datum to allow for comparing sample stations to each other and to local tidal datums. D) Survey the SET mark to monitor its relative stability. This document is divided into two parts; the main body that presents an overview of all aspects of monitoring wetland elevation dynamics, and a collection of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that describes in detail how to perform or execute each step of the methodology. Detailed instruction on the installation, data collection, data management and analysis are provided in this report

Modeling the impacts of climate variability and hurricane on carbon sequestration in a coastal forested wetland in South Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Zhaohua Dai; Carl C. Trettin; Changsheng Li; Ge Sun; Devendra M. Amatya; Harbin Li

2013-01-01

The impacts of hurricane disturbance and climate variability on carbon dynamics in a coastal forested wetland in South Carolina of USA were simulated using the Forest-DNDC model with a spatially explicit approach. The model was validated using the measured biomass before and after Hurricane Hugo and the biomass inventories in 2006 and 2007, showed that the Forest-DNDC...

Climatic change and variability: The effects of an altered water regime on Great Lakes coastal wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mortsch, L.

1990-01-01

Wetlands of Canada are disappearing at a rapid rate due to urban encroachment and agricultural land drainage. Climatic change may be another threat to their continued viability. Wetlands perform numerous functions such as providing wildlife habitat, enhancing water quality, providing recreation opportunities and supporting commercial activities. Impact scenarios of global warming on Great Lakes hydrology and wetland ecosystem response to water level changes are tabulated. Wetland response to lower annual water levels depends on the type of wetland, its geomorphology and bathymetry. Marshes and open water wetland adapt more readily to lower levels than swamps. Swamps are less resilient since trees cannot regenerate and colonize quickly. Enclosed and barrier beach wetlands are more prone to drying out and loosing wetland vegetation during low water periods. In open shoreline wetlands, the areal extent could increase if there is a gentle slope and other suitable conditions. Precambrian Shield wetlands are located in areas of irregular slope and rocky substrate, and would have fewer sites for successful colonization. 15 refs., 2 tabs

Assessment of the content, structure, and source of soil dissolved organic matter in the coastal wetlands of Jiaozhou Bay, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Min; Zi, Yuanyuan; Wang, Qinggai; Wang, Sen; Cui, Guolu; Kong, Fanlong

2018-02-01

The contents and the spectral analysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in four typical wetlands, such as naked tidal, suaeda salsa, reed and spartina, were conducted to investigate the content, structure, and source of DOM in coastal wetland soil. The soil samples were obtained from Jiaozhou Bay in January, April, July, and October of 2014. Results showed that the DOM contents in soil of four typical wetland were in order of spartina wetland > naked tidal > suaeda salsa wetland > reed wetland in horizontal direction, and decreased with the increase of soil depth on vertical section. In addition, the DOM contents changed with the seasons, in order of spring > summer > autumn > winter. The structural characteristics of DOM in Jiaozhou Bay wetland, such as aromaticity, hydrophobicity, molecular weight, polymerization degree of benzene ring carbon frame structure and so on were in order of spartina wetland > naked tidal > suaeda salsa wetland > reed wetland in the horizontal direction. On the vertical direction, they showed a decreasing trend with the increase of soil depth. The results of three dimensional fluorescence spectra and fluorescence spectrum parameters (FI, HIX, and BIX) indicated that the DOM in Jiaozhou Bay was mainly derived from the biological activities. The contents and structure of DOM had certain relevance, but the contents and source as well as the structure and source of DOM had no significant correlation. The external pollution including domestic sewage, industrial wastewater, and aquaculture sewage affected the correlation among the content, structure and source of DOM by influencing the percentage of non-fluorescent substance in DOM and disturbing the determination of protein-like fluorescence.

Degradation State and Sequestration Potential of Carbon in Coastal Wetlands of Texas: Mangrove Vs. Saltmarsh Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Sterne, A. M. E.; Kaiser, K.; Louchouarn, P.; Norwood, M. J.

2015-12-01

The estimated magnitude of the organic carbon (OC) stocks contained in the first meter of US coastal wetland soils represents ~10% of the entire OC stock in US soils (4 vs. 52 Pg, respectively). Because this stock extends to several meters below the surface for many coastal wetlands, it becomes paramount to understand the fate of OC under ecosystem shifts, varying natural environmental constraints, and changing land use. In this project we analyze the major classes of biochemicals including total hydrolysable neutral carbohydrates, enantiomeric amino acids, phenols, and cutins/suberins at two study sites located on the Texas coastline to investigate chemical composition and its controls on organic carbon preservation in mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and saltmarsh grass (Spartina alterniflora) dominated wetlands. Results show neutral carbohydrates and lignin contribute 30-70% and 10-40% of total OC, respectively, in plant litter and surface sediments at both sites. Sharp declines of carbohydrate yields with depth occur parallel to increasing Ac/AlS,V ratios indicating substantial decomposition of both the polysaccharide and lignin components of litter detritus. Contrasts in the compositions and relative abundances of all previously mentioned compound classes are further discussed to examine the role of litter biochemistry in OC preservation. For example, the selective preservation of cellulose over hemicellulose in sediments indicates macromolecular structure plays a key role in preservation between plant types. It is concluded that the chemical composition of litter material controls the composition and magnitude of OC stored in sediments. Ultimately, as these ecosystems transition from one dominant plant type to another, as is currently observed along the Texas coastline, there is the potential for OC sequestration efficiency to shift due to the changing composition of OC input to sediments.

An inventory of wetland non-passerine birds along a southeastern Brazilian coastal area

OpenAIRE

D.C. Tavares; S. Siciliano

2013-01-01

This paper presents the list of non-passerine birds of coastal environments of the Quissama municipality, northern Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. The surveys were conducted monthly between June 2011 and May 2012. Additional ad libitum observations were made between February 2008 and July 2012. We recorded 76 waterbird species of 15 families, of which Scolopacidae was the most representative, with 15 species. The high Nearctic shorebird species richness observed in coastal lagoo...

Coastal Risk Management in a Changing Climate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Existing coastal management and defense approaches are not well suited to meet the challenges of climate change and related uncertanities. Professionals in this field need a more dynamic, systematic and multidisciplinary approach. Written by an international group of experts, "Coastal Risk...... Management in a Changing Climate" provides innovative, multidisciplinary best practices for mitigating the effects of climate change on coastal structures. Based on the Theseus program, the book includes eight study sites across Europe, with specific attention to the most vulnerable coastal environments...... such as deltas, estuaries and wetlands, where many large cities and industrial areas are located. Integrated risk assessment tools for considering the effects of climate change and related uncertainties. Presents latest insights on coastal engineering defenses. Provides integrated guidelines for setting up...

A conceptual approach to integrate management of ecosystem service and disservice in coastal wetlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon Knight

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Management of coastal wetlands is increasingly difficult because of increasing pressure arising from anthropogenic causes. These include sea level and climate change as well as coastline development caused by population growth and demographic shifts, for example, amenity migration where people move to coastal communities for lifestyle reasons. Management of mangroves and salt marshes is especially difficult because maintaining ecosystem values, including the goods and services provided, is countered by the potential of enhancing or even creating ecosystem disservices, such as unpleasant odour and mosquito hazards. Here we present, explain and apply a conceptual model aimed at improving understanding of management choices that primarily focus on mitigation of disservice while enabling improvement in ecosystem services. The model was developed after more than 30 years of habitat management following modification of a salt marsh to control mosquito production. We discuss the application of the model in a mangrove forest known to produce mosquitoes and outline the benefits arising from using the model.

A comparison of resident fish assemblages in managed and unmanaged coastal wetlands in North Carolina and South Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Kelly F.; Jennings, Cecil A.

2014-01-01

The dominant fish species within impounded coastal wetlands in the southeastern US may be different from the species that dominate natural marshes. We tested the hypothesis that resident fish assemblages inhabiting impounded coastal wetlands in South Carolina would differ from resident assemblages in natural marshes of the southeastern United States. We used rarefied species richness, Shannon's H' diversity,J' evenness, Morisita's index of similarity, and the percent similarity index to compare resident fish assemblages from two impoundments to 12 open-marsh resident fish assemblages from previously published studies in North and South Carolina. We used rotenone to sample fish assemblages in impoundments. The assemblages in natural marsh habitat had been sampled with rotenone and seines. We classified comparisons yielding a similarity index ≥0.50 as moderately similar and those with an index ≥0.75 as very similar. Fifty-three percent of the among-impoundment comparisons (Morisita's index) were at least moderately similar, whereas 7% of impoundment—natural marsh comparisons were moderately similar. A difference in tidal influence was the only parameter in the best-fitting model describing the observed Morisita's indices. The index of similarity decreased by 63% when tidal influence differed between compared assemblages. Species richness and diversity were greater in impoundments than natural marshes, but evenness was similar between habitat types. Our results support the hypothesis that resident fish assemblages in impounded wetlands and natural marshes are different, and suggest that a degree of tidal influence is the most important factor behind the difference.

Identifying spatially integrated floodplains/riparian areas and wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Floodplain delineation may play an important role in managing wetlands and riparian areas at multiple scales - local, state, and federal. This poster demonstrates multiple GIS-based approaches to delimiting floodplains and contrasts these with observed flooding events from a majo...

Risk Perception and Vulnerability of Wetlands Areas on South ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Canadian specialists are contributing to research examining the risks to and vulnerability of wetland areas along the Atlantic coast of South America. These areas along the coastline protect ecosystems provide flood control, stabilize shorelines, replenish groundwater, and purify water. They also act as reservoirs of ...

Integrated Assessment of Coastal Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, R. J.

2016-12-01

Coastal areas are experiencing change due to a range of natural and human-induced drivers. Of particular concern is climate change, particularly sea-level rise (SLR). In low gradient coastal areas, small changes in water levels can have profound consequences. Hence SLR is rightly considered a major threat. However, to properly diagnose a problem and find sustainable solutions, a systems approach is essential as the impacts of SLR will be modified by the other drivers. This paper will consider these issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective drawing on examples from around the world.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Coastal GIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy Nyerges

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This special issue of the ISPRS International Journal of Geographic Information about “Coastal GIS” is motivated by many circumstances. More than one-half of the world’s human population lives in coastal areas (within 200 kilometers of coast as of 2000 [1]. The trend toward coastal habitation is expected to continue in the US with the total being 75 percent by 2025, meaning that coastal human–environment interactions will likely increase and intensify [2]. Geographic information systems (GIS are being developed and used by technical specialists, stakeholder publics, and executive/policy decision makers for improving our understanding and management of coastal areas, separately and together as more organizations focus on improving the sustainability and resilience of coastal systems. Coastal systems—defined as the area of land closely connected to the sea, including barrier islands, wetlands, mudflats, beaches, estuaries, cities, towns, recreational areas, and maritime facilities, the continental seas and shelves, and the overlying atmosphere—are subject to complex and dynamic interactions among natural and human-driven processes. Coastal systems are crucial to regional and national economies, hosting valued human-built infrastructure and providing ecosystem services that sustain human well-being. This special issue of IJGI about coastal GIS presents a collection of nine papers that address many of the issues mentioned above. [...

Wetlands and ski resorts in the French Alps: main issues and innovative ideas for the preservation of wetlands in ski areas

Science.gov (United States)

Gaucherand, S.; Evette, A.; François, H.; Paccard, P.; Perretier, C.; Wlerick, L.

2009-04-01

This presentation is a synthesis of a symposium held last October in Cemagref, Grenoble with contributions from scientists as well as lift operators, NGO's, and administrations. In the context of global change, ski resorts must rethink their development models. The diversification of the touristic offer is encouraged and the specificity of the mountain territory is at the heart of a sustainable development. In this context, the preservation of interesting and fragile habitats such as wetlands is topical. Wetlands have many recognized functions: flooding reduction, water remediation, fertilization, biodiversity conservation… In mountain areas, wetlands are small and scattered. They are of special interest in particular for their role in biodiversity conservation and for their cultural and recreational benefits. However, in ski areas, wetlands can interact with the ski activity. Indeed, wetlands can speed up snow melting in spring and they often occupy ledges, which are strategic positions for the establishment of ski resort's facilities. The development of ski resorts can lead to the destruction or the deterioration of wetlands because of hydrologic interferences, fill in, pollution, etc. However, a few judicious steps can be taken to reduce or suppress these negative effects. In the Alps, geographical and administrative tools have been developed to help the decisions of ski-resort's administrators. Meetings between lift-operators, administrators of protected areas scientists and NGO's have also proved efficient when done at an early stage of a project, as shown by the example of the ski-resort "Les Saisies".

Vulnerability of inter-tropical littoral areas. Preface

Science.gov (United States)

Charvis, Philippe; Gubert, Flore; Ménard, Frédéric

2017-10-01

The coastal area is defined as the interface between land and sea. It is a transition zone where land is affected by its proximity to the sea, and the coastal sea is affected by its proximity to the land. Its components are diverse and include river deltas, coastal plains, wetlands, beaches and dunes, reefs, mangrove forests, lagoons, and other coastal features. Coastal areas contribute to a small proportion of the total land area in the Earth system, but they provide a wide variety of ecosystem services (e.g., food through fish production, sand mining, flooding and erosion protection, recreational benefits, etc.) and are home to a large and growing proportion of the world's population.

Risk Analysis of Coastal hazard Considering Sea-level Rise and Local Environment in Coastal Area

Science.gov (United States)

Sangjin, P.; Lee, D. K.; KIM, H.; Ryu, J. E.; Yoo, S.; Ryoo, H.

2014-12-01

Recently, natural hazards has been more unpredictable with increasing frequency and strength due to climate change. Especially, coastal areas would be more vulnerable in the future because of sea-level rise (SLR). In case of Korea, it is surrounded by oceans and has many big cities at coastal area, thus a hazard prevention plan in coastal area is absolutely necessary. However, prior to making the plan, finding areas at risk would be the first step. In order to find the vulnerable area, local characteristics of coastal areas should also be considered along with SLR. Therefore, the objective of the research is to find vulnerable areas, which could be damaged by coastal hazards considering local environment and SLR of coastal areas. Spatial scope of the research was set up as 1km from the coastline according to the 'coastal management law' in Korea. The assessment was done up to the year of 2050, and the highest sea level rise scenario was used. For risk analysis, biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics were considered as to represent local characteristics of coastal area. Risk analysis was carried out through the combination of 'possibility of hazard' and the 'level of damages', and both of them reflect the above-mentioned regional characteristics. Since the range of inundation was narrowed down to the inundation from typhoon in this research, the possibility of inundation caused by typhoon was estimated by using numerical model, which calculated the height of storm surge considering wave, tide, sea-level pressure and SLR. Also the level of damage was estimated by categorizing the socioeconomic character into four factors; human, infrastructure, ecology and socioeconomic. Variables that represent each factor were selected and used in damage estimation with their classification and weighting value. The result shows that the urban coastal areas are more vulnerable and hazardous than other areas because of socioeconomic factors. The east and the south coast are

STUDY ON ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF GUANGXI COASTAL ZONE BASED ON 3S TECHNOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Zhong

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper takes Guangxi coastal zone as the study area, following the standards of land use type, divides the coastal zone of ecological landscape into seven kinds of natural wetland landscape types such as woodland, farmland, grassland, water, urban land and wetlands. Using TM data of 2000–2015 such 15 years, with the CART decision tree algorithm, for analysis the characteristic of types of landscape’s remote sensing image and build decision tree rules of landscape classification to extract information classification. Analyzing of the evolution process of the landscape pattern in Guangxi coastal zone in nearly 15 years, we may understand the distribution characteristics and change rules. Combined with the natural disaster data, we use of landscape index and the related risk interference degree and construct ecological risk evaluation model in Guangxi coastal zone for ecological risk assessment results of Guangxi coastal zone.

Barrier-island and estuarine-wetland physical-change assessment after Hurricane Sandy

Science.gov (United States)

Plant, Nathaniel G.; Smith, Kathryn E.L.; Passeri, Davina L.; Smith, Christopher G.; Bernier, Julie C.

2018-04-03

IntroductionThe Nation’s eastern coast is fringed by beaches, dunes, barrier islands, wetlands, and bluffs. These natural coastal barriers provide critical benefits and services, and can mitigate the impact of storms, erosion, and sea-level rise on our coastal communities. Waves and storm surge resulting from Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall along the New Jersey coast on October 29, 2012, impacted the U.S. coastline from North Carolina to Massachusetts, including Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia, and the Delmarva coastal system. The storm impacts included changes in topography, coastal morphology, geology, hydrology, environmental quality, and ecosystems.In the immediate aftermath of the storm, light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys from North Carolina to New York documented storm impacts to coastal barriers, providing a baseline to assess vulnerability of the reconfigured coast. The focus of much of the existing coastal change assessment is along the ocean-facing coastline; however, much of the coastline affected by Hurricane Sandy includes the estuarine-facing coastlines of barrier-island systems. Specifically, the wetland and back-barrier shorelines experienced substantial change as a result of wave action and storm surge that occurred during Hurricane Sandy (see also USGS photograph, http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/sandy/photo-comparisons/virginia.php). Assessing physical shoreline and wetland change (land loss as well as land gains) can help to determine the resiliency of wetland systems that protect adjacent habitat, shorelines, and communities.To address storm impacts to wetlands, a vulnerability assessment should describe both long-term (for example, several decades) and short-term (for example, Sandy’s landfall) extent and character of the interior wetlands and the back-barrier-shoreline changes. The objective of this report is to describe several new wetland vulnerability assessments based on the detailed physical changes

Environmental Analysis of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, Its Surrounding Wetlands, and Selected Land Uses. Volume 2.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-02-01

CHAPTER 1: PRELIMINARY MODELING OF THE LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN ECOSYSTEM BY COMPUTER SIMULATIONS Janes H. Stone and Linda A. Deegan ...related to the extent and productivity of intertidal wetlands ( Craig et al. 1979). The role of coastal wetlands in estuarine areas has been well documented...site arid a bottomland harlwood stt c ill I Iouisiana swamp. Amer. J. Bot. 63 (10):1354-1364. Craig , N. J., R. E. Turner, aird J. W. Day, Jr. 197

Restoring Tides to Avoid Methane Emissions in Degraded Wetlands: A Potent and Untapped Climate Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeger, K. D.; Crooks, S.; Moseman-Valtierra, S.; Tang, J.

2016-12-01

To date, activity related to carbon (C) management in coastal marine ecosystems (sometimes referred to as "Blue Carbon") has been concerned primarily with preserving existing C stocks or creating new wetlands to increase CO2 uptake and sequestration. Here we show that the globally-widespread occurrence of hydrologically-altered, degraded wetlands, and associated enhanced GHG emissions, presents an opportunity to reduce an anthropogenic GHG emission through restoration. We model the climatic forcing associated with carbon sinks in natural wetlands and with GHG emissions in altered and degraded wetlands, as well as compile geographic data on tidal restrictions to show that substantial methane (CH4) and CO2 emission reductions can be achieved through restoration of saline tidal flows in diked, impounded and tidally-restricted coastal wetlands. Despite high rates of carbon storage in coastal ecosystems, tidal restoration has dramatically greater potential per unit area as a climate intervention than most other ecosystem management actions. We argue that such emissions reductions represent avoided anthropogenic emissions, equivalent in concept to reduced fossil fuel emissions. Once the emissions have been avoided, the benefit of that action cannot be eliminated, even if emissions resume in the future due to degradation of the ecosystem. The avoided emissions therefore have inherent "permanence", obviating concerns associated with vulnerability of C stocks in land-use based interventions that enhance C sequestration in wood or soil. Further, emissions reductions are likely to be rapid, and given the high radiative efficiency of avoided CH4, wetland tidal restorations can provide near-term climate benefit. The U.S. has recently initiated an effort to include coastal wetlands in the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, and the analysis presented here indicates that tidally restricted wetlands meet the primary criteria for inventoried ecosystems in that

A Regional Guidebook for Applying the Hydrogeomorphic Approach to Assessing Wetland Functions of Depression Wetlands in the Upper Des Plaines River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

2006-05-01

Wetlands and Coastal Ecology Branch; Dr. David J. Tazik, Chief, Eco- system Evaluation and Engineering Division; and Dr. Edwin A. Theriot, Direc- tor, EL...wetlands (Euliss and Mushet 1996, Azous and Horner 2001, Bhaduri et al. 1997) and nutrient loading into those wetlands. The overall LU score is...Euliss, N. H., and Mushet , D. M. (1996). “Water-level fluctuation in wetlands as a function of landscape condition in the prairie pothole region

An Effort to Map and Monitor Baldcypress Forest Areas in Coastal Louisiana, Using Landsat, MODIS, and ASTER Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Spruce, Joseph P.; Sader, Steve; Smoot, James

2012-01-01

This presentation discusses a collaborative project to develop, test, and demonstrate baldcypress forest mapping and monitoring products for aiding forest conservation and restoration in coastal Louisiana. Low lying coastal forests in the region are being negatively impacted by multiple factors, including subsidence, salt water intrusion, sea level rise, persistent flooding, hydrologic modification, annual insect-induced forest defoliation, timber harvesting, and conversion to urban land uses. Coastal baldcypress forests provide invaluable ecological services in terms of wildlife habitat, forest products, storm buffers, and water quality benefits. Before this project, current maps of baldcypress forest concentrations and change did not exist or were out of date. In response, this project was initiated to produce: 1) current maps showing the extent and location of baldcypress dominated forests; and 2) wetland forest change maps showing temporary and persistent disturbance and loss since the early 1970s. Project products are being developed collaboratively with multiple state and federal agencies. Products are being validated using available reference data from aerial, satellite, and field survey data. Results include Landsat TM- based classifications of baldcypress in terms of cover type and percent canopy cover. Landsat MSS data was employed to compute a circa 1972 classification of swamp and bottomland hardwood forest types. Landsat data for 1972-2010 was used to compute wetland forest change products. MODIS-based change products were applied to view and assess insect-induced swamp forest defoliation. MODIS, Landsat, and ASTER satellite data products were used to help assess hurricane and flood impacts to coastal wetland forests in the region.

30 CFR 256.25 - Areas near coastal States.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Areas near coastal States. 256.25 Section 256... SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Call for Information and Nominations § 256.25 Areas near coastal States. (a) At the time information is solicited for leasing of areas within 3...

Wetlands of the Gulf Coast

Science.gov (United States)

2001-01-01

This set of images from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer highlights coastal areas of four states along the Gulf of Mexico: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and part of the Florida panhandle. The images were acquired on October 15, 2001 (Terra orbit 9718)and represent an area of 345 kilometers x 315 kilometers.The two smaller images on the right are (top) a natural color view comprised of red, green, and blue band data from MISR's nadir(vertical-viewing) camera, and (bottom) a false-color view comprised of near-infrared, red, and blue band data from the same camera. The predominantly red color of the false-color image is due to the presence of vegetation, which is bright at near-infrared wavelengths. Cities appear as grey patches, with New Orleans visible at the southern edge of Lake Pontchartrain, along the left-hand side of the images. The Lake Pontchartrain Bridge runs approximately north-south across the middle of the lake. The distinctive shape of the Mississippi River Delta can be seen to the southeast of New Orleans. Other coastal cities are visible east of the Mississippi, including Biloxi, Mobile and Pensacola.The large image is similar to the true-color nadir view, except that red band data from the 60-degree backward-looking camera has been substituted into the red channel; the blue and green data from the nadir camera have been preserved. In this visualization, green hues appear somewhat subdued, and a number of areas with a reddish color are present, particularly near the mouths of the Mississippi, Pascagoula, Mobile-Tensaw, and Escambia Rivers. Here, the red color is highlighting differences in surface texture. This combination of angular and spectral information differentiates areas with aquatic vegetation associated with poorly drained bottom lands, marshes, and/or estuaries from the surrounding surface vegetation. These wetland regions are not as well differentiated in the conventional nadir views.Variations in ocean color are apparent in

Integrated subsurface water solutions for coastal environments through integrated pump&treat and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Perdikaki, Martha; Kallioras, Andreas; Christoforidis, Christophoros; Iossifidis, Dimitris; Zafeiropoulos, Anastasios; Dimitriadis, Klisthenis; Makropoulos, Christos; Raat, Klaasjan; van den Berg, Gerard

2016-04-01

Coastal wetlands in semi-arid regions, as in Circum-Mediterranean, are considered important ecosystems that provide valuable services to human population and the environment, such as: flood protection, erosion control, wildlife habitat, water quality, recreation and carbon sequestration. Un-managed surface and groundwater exploitation in these areas usually leads to deterioration of such sensitive ecosystems by means of water resources degradation and/or increased salinity. Groundwater usually plays a vital role for the sustainability of these hydrological systems, as the underlying aquifers operate as regulators for both quantity and quality of their waters. Multi-layer and multi-objective Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) systems can be proved effective groundwater engineered solutions for the restoration of deteriorated coastal wetlands in semi- and arid regions. The plain of Marathon is a typical Mediterranean environment that hosts a naturally occurring -and today degraded- coastal wetland with the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem linked to a typical coastal hydrogeological system of a semi-arid region; and therefore can serve as a model for similar systems world-wide. The geo-hydrological setting of the area involves a multi-layer aquifer system consisting of (i) an upper un-consolidated formation of depositional unit dominated mostly by fluvial sediments and (ii) the surrounding and underlying karstified marbles; both being linked to the investigated wetland and also subjected to seawater encroachment. A smart engineered MAR system via an optimised Pump & Treat system integrated with an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) scheme in this area would include the abstraction of brackish groundwater from the deeper karst aquifer at a location close to the shoreline and direct treatment with Reverse Osmosis (RO). for desalination. Two-fold re-use scheme of the purified effluent can then be engineered for (i) the restoration of the coastal wetland; and (ii

Assessment of marine debris on the coastal wetland of Martil in the North-East of Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Alshawafi, Adel; Analla, Mohamed; Alwashali, Ebrahim; Aksissou, Mustapha

2017-04-15

Plastic waste at the coastal wetland in Martil beach in the North-East of Morocco is one of the problems that have appeared recently. This study aims to characterize the marine debris in the coast of Martil during the year 2015. The sampling is seasonally by type and size. The result shows, for the macro debris, the abundance of plastic (57%), lumber and paper (21.93%), cloth and fabric (7.8%), glass (5.42%), metal (4.40%), and rubber (3.4%). Micro debris is also present in the area in several forms such as wood, plants, and others by 75,63%. This was followed by the foam (26,95%), line (7,8%), and the film (1,23%). The seasonal variation (S1: January-March and S3: July to September) are the most polluted months of the year. The sources of marine debris are mainly tourism (beach users), land (run off), and commercial fishing in the four seasons of the year. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acoustic profiling and surface imaging of the coastal area near the subduction zone: the eastern coastal area of Boso Peninsula, Central Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Furuyama, S.; Sato, T.

2016-12-01

The plate motion of the Philippine Sea plate and the Pacific plate influences geology of coastal area in the Pacific side in Japan and sometime causes extensive damage of human activity, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake. It is important to understand the geological structures in a coastal area for disaster prevention. Especially, rapid equipment of geoinformations is highly demanded in the Kanto region where covers capital Tokyo area. Geological Survey of Japan investigated the eastern coastal area in Boso Peninsula, eastern part of the Kanto region, Japan within two years from 2014 to 2015. We obtained seismic sections of ca. 1100 km in total length with a boomer and multi-channel streamer (24 channel with 3.125 m spacing) and report the geological significance of the subsurface structures. The survey area is divided into the northern part of Kujukuri area, the southern part of Kujukuri area, the coastal part of Kujukuri area based on topography and geological structures. In these Kujukuri areas, two strata that show distinct stratification bounded by distinct unconformity distribute and we define them as the Kujukuri A Unit and the Kujukuri B Unit, in ascending order. The lower sequence has some folds and normal faults. These folds that deformed the Kujukuri B Unit extend toward north-northeast in the northern part of Kujukuri area. They contributed to development of wide shelf distributed in this area. In the southern part of Kujukuri area, a lot of faults deformed the Kujukuri B Unit and some of them displaced the Kujukuri A Unit over 10 msec (two way travel). Normal faults developed in the Kujukuri B Unit over 10 msec made grabens and half grabens in the coastal part of Kujukuri area and these grabens and half grabens could make the lowland in the Kujukuri coastal area. The combination of these geological structures identified in the Kujukuri areas could reflect the transition of stress field associated with the subduction of the Philippine Sea plate

Interactions Between Wetlands and Tidal Inlets

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sanchez, Alejandro

2008-01-01

This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) presents numerical simulations investigating how the loss of wetlands in estuaries modifies tidal processes in inlet navigation channels...

EFFECTS OF A COASTAL GOLF COMPLEX ON WATER QUALITY, PERIPHYTON, AND SEAGRASS.

Science.gov (United States)

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a golf course complex on water quality, colonized periphyton and seagrass meadows in adjacent freshwater, near-coastal and wetland areas. The environmental impact of the recreational facility, which uses spray wastewater...

Coastal Sea Level and Estuary Tide Modeling in Bangladesh Using SAR, Radar and GNSS-R Altimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Y.; Shum, C. K.; Sun, J.; Li, D.; Shang, K.; Yi, Y.; Calmant, S.; Ballu, V.; Chu, P.; Johnson, J.; Park, J.; Bao, L.; Kuo, C. Y.; Wickert, J.

2017-12-01

Bangladesh, located at the confluence of three large rivers - Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, is a low-lying country. It is prone to monsoonal flooding, potentially aggravated by more frequent and intensified cyclones resulting from anthropogenic climate change. Its coastal estuaries, the Sundarbans wetlands, have the largest Mangrove forest in the world, and exhibits complex tidal dynamics. In order to study flood hazards, ecological or climate changes over floodplains, it is fundamentally important to know the water level and water storage capacity in wetlands. Inaccurate or inadequate information about wetland water storage will cause significant errors in hydrological simulation and modeling for understanding ecological and economic implications. However, in most areas, the exact knowledge of water level change and the flow patterns is lacking due to insufficient monitoring of water level gauging stations on private and public lands within wetlands or floodplains, due to the difficulty of physical access to the sites and logistics in data gathering. Usage of satellite all-weather remote sensing products provides an alternative approach for monitoring the water level variation over floodplains or wetlands. In this study, we used a combination of observations from satellite radar altimetry (Envisat/Jason-2/Altika/Sentinel-3), L-band synthetic aperture radar (ALOS-1/-2) backscattering coefficients inferred water level, GNSS-R altimetry from two coastal/river GNSS sites, for measuring coastal and estuary sea-level and conducting estuary ocean tide modeling in the Bangladesh delta including the Sundarbans wetlands.

Evaluation of Wetland Hydrology in Formerly Irrigated Areas

Science.gov (United States)

2017-07-01

and Mr. Dave VanBaren (Senior Environmental Specialist and Environmental Specialist - California Department of Fish and Wildlife/Gray Lodge...applications has been shown to alter vegetation and soil characteristics (e.g., color , redox features, and salt content) of affected areas (Ekstein...reference sites if necessary. The examination of wetland hydrology in the absence of water additions in combination with analysis of rainfall normality

RS- and GIS-based study on landscape pattern change in the Poyang Lake wetland area, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaoling; Li, Hui; Bao, Shuming; Wu, Zhongyi; Fu, Weijuan; Cai, Xiaobin; Zhao, Hongmei; Guo, Peng

2006-10-01

As wetland has been recognized as an important component of ecosystem, it is received ever-increasing attention worldwide. Poyang Lake wetlands, the international wetlands and the largest bird habitat in Asia, play an important role in biodiversity and ecologic protection. However, with the rapid economic growth and urbanization, landscape patterns in the wetlands have dramatically changed in the past three decades. To better understand the wetland landscape dynamics, remote sensing, geographic information system technologies, and the FRAGSTATS landscape analysis program were used to measure landscape patterns. Statistical approach was employed to illustrate the driving forces. In this study, Landsat images (TM and ETM+) from 1989 and 2000 were acquired for the wetland area. The landscapes in the wetland area were classified as agricultural land, urban, wetland, forest, grassland, unused land, and water body using a combination of supervised and unsupervised classification techniques integrated with Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Landscape indices, which are popular for the quantitative analysis of landscape pattern, were then employed to analyze the landscape pattern changes between the two dates in a GIS. From this analysis an understanding of the spatial-temporal patterns of landscape evolution was generated. The results show that wetland area was reduced while fragmentation was increased over the study period. Further investigation was made to examine the relationship between landscape metrics and some other parameters such as urbanization to address the driving forces for those changes. The urban was chosen as center to conduct buffer analysis in a GIS to study the impact of human-induced activities on landscape pattern dynamics. It was found that the selected parameters were significantly correlated with the landscape metrics, which may well indicate the impact of human-induced activities on the wetland landscape pattern dynamics and account for the driving

Prospects of solar energy in the coastal areas of Nigeria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emetere, Moses E., E-mail: moses.emetere@covenantuniversity.edu.ng; Akinyemi, Marvel L., E-mail: samuel.sanni@covenantuniversity.edu.ng [Department of Physics, Covenant University Canaan land, P.M.B 1023, Ota (Nigeria)

2016-02-01

The climatic factors in the coastal areas are cogent in planning a stable and functional solar farm. The experiment performed in this study entails a day-to-day solar radiation pattern in coastal areas. The results show that the solar radiation pattern in coastal region portends danger to the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) module and its lifecycle. The efficiency of the PV module was tested in the harmattan where dust is a major hindrance. The results were related to meteorological parameters which influences the solar radiation over an area. The solar radiation pattern in coastal areas was traced to the solar sectional shading theory which was summarized and explained.

Mapping paddy rice planting area in rice-wetland coexistent areas through analysis of Landsat 8 OLI and MODIS images.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuting; Xiao, Xiangming; Qin, Yuanwei; Dong, Jinwei; Zhang, Geli; Kou, Weili; Jin, Cui; Wang, Jie; Li, Xiangping

2016-04-01

Accurate and up-to-date information on the spatial distribution of paddy rice fields is necessary for the studies of trace gas emissions, water source management, and food security. The phenology-based paddy rice mapping algorithm, which identifies the unique flooding stage of paddy rice, has been widely used. However, identification and mapping of paddy rice in rice-wetland coexistent areas is still a challenging task. In this study, we found that the flooding/transplanting periods of paddy rice and natural wetlands were different. The natural wetlands flood earlier and have a shorter duration than paddy rice in the Panjin Plain, a temperate region in China. We used this asynchronous flooding stage to extract the paddy rice planting area from the rice-wetland coexistent area. MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) data was used to derive the temperature-defined plant growing season. Landsat 8 OLI imagery was used to detect the flooding signal and then paddy rice was extracted using the difference in flooding stages between paddy rice and natural wetlands. The resultant paddy rice map was evaluated with in-situ ground-truth data and Google Earth images. The estimated overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient were 95% and 0.90, respectively. The spatial pattern of OLI-derived paddy rice map agrees well with the paddy rice layer from the National Land Cover Dataset from 2010 (NLCD-2010). The differences between Rice Landsat and Rice NLCD are in the range of ±20% for most 1-km grid cell. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of the phenology-based paddy rice mapping algorithm, via integrating MODIS and Landsat 8 OLI images, to map paddy rice fields in complex landscapes of paddy rice and natural wetland in the temperate region.

Modeling natural wetlands: A new global framework built on wetland observations

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, E.; Romanski, J.; Olefeldt, D.

2015-12-01

Natural wetlands are the world's largest methane (CH4) source, and their distribution and CH4 fluxes are sensitive to interannual and longer-term climate variations. Wetland distributions used in wetland-CH4 models diverge widely, and these geographic differences contribute substantially to large variations in magnitude, seasonality and distribution of modeled methane fluxes. Modeling wetland type and distribution—closely tied to simulating CH4 emissions—is a high priority, particularly for studies of wetlands and CH4 dynamics under past and future climates. Methane-wetland models either prescribe or simulate methane-producing areas (aka wetlands) and both approaches result in predictable over- and under-estimates. 1) Monthly satellite-derived inundation data include flooded areas that are not wetlands (e.g., lakes, reservoirs, and rivers), and do not identify non-flooded wetlands. 2) Models simulating methane-producing areas overwhelmingly rely on modeled soil moisture, systematically over-estimating total global area, with regional over- and under-estimates, while schemes to model soil-moisture typically cannot account for positive water tables (i.e., flooding). Interestingly, while these distinct hydrological approaches to identify wetlands are complementary, merging them does not provide critical data needed to model wetlands for methane studies. We present a new integrated framework for modeling wetlands, and ultimately their methane emissions, that exploits the extensive body of data and information on wetlands. The foundation of the approach is an existing global gridded data set comprising all and only wetlands, including vegetation information. This data set is augmented with data inter alia on climate, inundation dynamics, soil type and soil carbon, permafrost, active-layer depth, growth form, and species composition. We investigate this enhanced wetland data set to identify which variables best explain occurrence and characteristics of observed

Associations between the molecular and optical properties of dissolved organic matter in the Florida Everglades, a model coastal wetland system

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Sasha; Jaffe, Rudolf; Cawley, Kaelin; Dittmar, Thorsten; Stubbins, Aron

2015-11-01

Optical properties are easy-to-measure proxies for dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition, source and reactivity. However, the molecular signature of DOM associated with such optical parameters remains poorly defined. The Florida coastal Everglades is a subtropical wetland with diverse vegetation (e.g., sawgrass prairies, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows) and DOM sources (e.g., terrestrial, microbial and marine). As such, the Everglades is an excellent model system from which to draw samples of diverse origin and composition to allow classically-defined optical properties to be linked to molecular properties of the DOM pool. We characterized a suite of seasonally- and spatially-collected DOM samples using optical measurements (EEM-PARAFAC, SUVA254, S275-295, S350-400, SR, FI, freshness index and HIX) and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). Spearman’s rank correlations between FTICR-MS signal intensities of individual molecular formulae and optical properties determined which molecular formulae were associated with each PARAFAC component and optical index. The molecular families that tracked with the optical indices were generally in agreement with conventional biogeochemical interpretations. Therefore, although they represent only a small portion of the bulk DOM pool, absorbance and fluorescence measurements appear to be appropriate proxies for the aquatic cycling of both optically-active and associated optically-inactive DOM in coastal wetlands.

Incidence and distribution of heavy metals in soils of a Mediterranean coastal wetland (L'Albufera de Valencia, Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Andreu, V.; Gimeno, E.; Fernandez-Despiau, E.; Pascual, J. A.

2012-04-01

One of the most important issues in environmental conservation nowadays is the preservation of wetlands, mainly the coastal ones. This becomes more imperative in the Mediterranean. These particular ecosystems have suffered during the last decades an increasing human pressure. This has been reflected through the intensification of agriculture and construction of infrastructures in their surroundings or even draining part of them. As a result, the density of population and its residues affect them in a first place. This work has been developed in the Natural Park of La Albufera (Valencia, Spain), which includes a coastal lagoon, marshlands, dunes and pinewoods, surrounded by rice fields in its not urbanized part. In spite of this great ecological value, it suffers impacts derived from the high human and industrial occupation, and of the hydrological contributions from the connected irrigation systems. In addition, this park is one of the most important wetland in Europe, included in the RAMSAR agreement, being a key point for migratory birds and contains in its area one of the most important zones on rice production in Europe. In the park area, 28 sampling zones were selected to determine the degree of heavy metals incidence in soils. Total concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were evaluated. Their distribution in the surficial and sub-surficial horizons was determined together with their spatial distribution, and the possible sources of contamination. Zn, Cr and Cu show the highest concentrations in all land uses and zones. Cr is the metal that present maximum concentration in the studied area (254.93 ppm), being almost the only metal studied that exceeds the limits established by the Spanish an EU legislation. Co and Ni shows a tendency to accumulate below the 30 cm depth, the other metal studied continue with the cumulative trend in surface horizons. All the studied metals, except Co have highly significant correlations with the available phosphorous

Across Hydrological Interfaces from Coastal Watersheds to the Open Lake: Finding Landscape Signals in the Great Lakes Coastal Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Over the past decade, our group has been working to bring coastal ecosystems into integrated basin-lakewide monitoring and assessment strategies for the Great Lakes. We have conducted a wide range of research on coastal tributaries, coastal wetlands, semi-enclosed embayments an...

Modeled CO2 Emissions from Coastal Wetland Transitions to Other Land Uses: Tidal Marshes, Mangrove Forests, and Seagrass Beds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine E. Lovelock

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The sediments of coastal wetlands contain large stores of carbon which are vulnerable to oxidation once disturbed, resulting in high levels of CO2 emissions that may be avoided if coastal ecosystems are conserved or restored. We used a simple model to estimate CO2 emissions from mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and tidal marshes based on known decomposition rates for organic matter in these ecosystems under either oxic or anoxic conditions combined with assumptions of the proportion of sediment carbon being deposited in either oxic or anoxic environments following a disturbance of the habitat. Our model found that over 40 years after disturbance the cumulative CO2 emitted from tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds were ~70–80% of the initial carbon stocks in the top meter of the sediment. Comparison of our estimates of CO2 emissions with empirical studies suggests that (1 assuming 50% of organic material moves to an oxic environment after disturbance gives rise to estimates that are similar to CO2 emissions reported for tidal marshes; (2 field measurements of CO2 emissions in disturbed mangrove forests were generally higher than our modeled emissions that assumed 50% of organic matter was deposited in oxic conditions, suggesting higher proportions of organic matter may be exposed to oxic conditions after disturbance in mangrove ecosystems; and (3 the generally low observed rates of CO2 emissions from disturbed seagrasses compared to our estimates, assuming removal of 50% of the organic matter to oxic environments, suggests that lower proportions may be exposed to oxic conditions in seagrass ecosystems. There are significant gaps in our knowledge of the fate of wetland sediment carbon in the marine environment after disturbance. Greater knowledge of the distribution, form, decomposition, and emission rates of wetland sediment carbon after disturbance would help to improve models.

Accumulation of {sup 137}Cs in wetlands and their importance in radioecological risk assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stark, K; Nylen, T; Wallberg, P [Stockholm University, Dept. of Systems Ecology, SE (Sweden)

2004-07-01

Wetlands function as nurseries and feeding areas for both terrestrial and aquatic species and are habitats for many endangered species such as frogs, salamanders and snakes. Wetlands alter the hydrology of streams and rivers, enhance sediment deposition and work as a filter to coastal waters retaining nutrients as well as contaminants. Due to the lack of easily identifiable direct pathways to humans wetland ecosystems have generally been neglected within radioecological research. There is a large diversity of wetlands and some of them can accumulate and function as sinks for radionuclides. In Sweden wetlands are among the ecosystems where the highest activity concentrations have accumulated after the Chernobyl accident. This paper summarizes factors that are important to the accumulation of radionuclides in wetlands. As an example, one wetland ecosystem in Sweden contaminated by {sup 137}Cs due to the Chernobyl accident will be described in more detail. The average activity concentration in this wetland is 1.1 MBq/m{sup 2}, i.e. 10 times higher than in the surrounding areas. Soil and sediment samples were collected and the {sup 137}Cs activity concentrations were measured. A budget calculation of {sup 137}Cs in the wetland area was conducted, indicating that the accumulation of {sup 137}Cs is still ongoing seventeen years after the accident. High activity concentrations are likely to remain in this ecosystem for a long time, resulting in long-term exposure for organisms living there. The maximum external {sup 137}Cs dose rate to frogs was estimated to 96 mGy/year. Hence, identification and consideration of wetlands that accumulate radionuclides to a high extent are important in radioecological risk assessments for the protection of plants and animals from ionizing radiation. (author)

Bat response to carolina bays and wetland restoration in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menzel, Jennifer M.; Michael A. Menzel; John C. Kilgo; W. Mark Ford; ; John W. Edwards.

2005-09-01

Abstract: Bat activity in the southeastern United States is concentrated over riparian areas and wetland habitats. The restoration and creation of wetlands for mitigation purposes is becoming common in the Southeast. Understanding the effects of these restoration efforts on wetland flora and fauna is thus becoming increasingly important. Because bats (Order: Chiroptera) consist of many species that are of conservation concern and are commonly associated with wetland and riparian habitats in the Southeast (making them a good general indicator for the condition of wetland habitats), we monitored bat activity over restored and reference Carolina bays surrounded by pine savanna (Pinus spp.) or mixed pine-hardwood habitat types at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. In order to determine how wetland restoration efforts affected the bat community, we monitored bat activity above drained Carolina bays pre- and post-restoration. Our results indicate that bat activity was greater over reference (i.e., undrained) than drained bays prior to the restorative efforts. One year following combined hydrologic and vegetation treatment, however, bat activity was generally greater over restored than reference bays. Bat activity was also greater over both reference and restored bays than in random, forested interior locations. We found significantly more bat activity after restoration than prior to restoration for all but one species in the treatment bays, suggesting that Carolina bay restoration can have almost immediate positive impacts on bat activity.

Geoid determination in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Song, HongZhi

Coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico are important for many reasons. This part of the United States provides vital coastal habitats for many marine species; the area has seen-ever increasing human settlement along the coast, ever increasing infrastructure for marine transportation of the nation's imports and exports through Gulf ports, and ever increasing recreational users of coastal resources. These important uses associated with the Gulf coast are subject to dynamic environmental and physical changes including: coastal erosion (Gulf-wide rates of 25 square miles per year), tropical storm surges, coastal subsidence, and global sea level rise. Coastal land subsidence is a major component of relative sea level rise along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. These dynamic coastal changes should be evident in changes to the geoid along the coast. The geoid is the equipotential gravity surface of the earth, which the best fits the global mean sea level. The geoid is not only been seen as the most natural shape of the Earth, but also it serves as the reference surface for most of the height systems. By using satellites (GRACE mission) scientists have been able to measure the large scale geoid for the Earth. A small scale geoid model is required to monitor local events such as flooding, for example, flooding created by storm surges from hurricanes such as Katrina (2005), Rita (2005), and Ike (2008). The overall purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the local coastal geoid. The more precise geoid will enable to improve coastal flooding predictions, and will enable more cost effective and accurate measurement of coastal topography using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). The main objective of this study is to devise mathematical models and computational methods to achieve the best possible precision for evaluation of the geoid in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. More specifically, the numerical objectives of this study are 1) to obtain a

What Role do Nor'Easters have on the Jamaica Bay Wetlands Sediment Budget?

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, R. C.; Bentley, S. J.; Wang, H.; Smith, J.

2017-12-01

The wetlands of Jamaica Bay, located on the outskirts of Queens, New York, have lost over half their surface area in the last 50 years due both anthropogenic and natural causes, including channel dredging, urban drainage construction, and greater tidal amplitudes partially due to rising local sea levels. Superstorm Sandy made landfall in 2014 as a powerful coastal geomorphic agent, highlighting the vulnerability of that region to large cyclonic storms that are more commonly encountered along coastal reaches of southeastern North America. After this event, research aimed at quantifying the geomorphic impact of Superstorm Sandy and to evaluate the record of past documented major winter storms on Jamaica Bay's wetlands. 12 sediment cores were collected from the surface of remaining wetlands in August 2014 by the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center; the cores have been analyzed for Pb-210/Cs-137 geochronology, organic content, and water content to establish chronology of mineral sediment supply to the wetlands over the past 120 years. Most cores were found to be organic-rich, marked with periodic cm-scale beds with increased mineral content. Historic storm data, dating as far back as the late 1800's, were used to identify hurricanes and major winter storms determined by the National Weather Service passing within 100 km of the study area. Likely storm-event deposits in each core were identified as layers with mineral content higher than the core mean plus one standard deviation, and were matched to historic events via radioisotope geochronology, incorporating age-model uncertainty. Overall, 22 out of the 35 defined storm layers match the timing of historic strong storms (within uncertainty ranging from 2 to 5 years) from 1894 to Superstorm Sandy in 2014. Our findings show that over multidecadal timescales, nor'easters and winter storms play a role in the vertical accretion of sediment in the Jamaica Bay wetlands, but are substantially less important than sediment

Ecological health status of the Lagos wetland ecosystems: Implications for coastal risk reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Agboola, Julius I.; Ndimele, Prince E.; Odunuga, Shakirudeen; Akanni, Adeniran; Kosemani, Bosede; Ahove, Michael A.

2016-12-01

Lagos, a major urban agglomeration in the world is characterized by wetlands and basin for upstream rivers such as Ogun, Oshun and Yewa Rivers. Ongoing environmental pressures exerted by large-scale land reclamation for residential quarters, refuse and sewage dumping, and other uses, however, are suspected to have had a substantial impact on ecological health of the Lagos wetland ecosystems over the last few decades. To determine the impact of these pressures, we examined spatial changes in three wetlands areas- Badore/Langbasa (BL), Festac/Iba/Ijegun (FI) and Ologe/Otto-Awori (OO) through field sample collection and analyses of surface water, sediments, air-water interface gas fluxes and vegetations. Surface water conductivity, total suspended solids (TSS), alkalinity, chloride, biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate, phosphate and heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Na, Mn, Pb, Cd, K and Ni) exhibited relative spatial stability while other water quality parameters varied significantly (P International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are indications of steady rise in greenhouse gas levels in Lagos since air CO2 value at BL have reached global threshold of 400 ppm with OO and FI closely approaching. We conclude that the Lagos wetland ecosystems, especially OO and FI still have some semblance of natural habitat. However, further destruction and unwise use of the resources could cause damage to physical, chemical, geological and biological processes in nature, which could result to grave socio-economic and cultural consequences to the local communities whose livelihood and lifestyle depend on these valued wetlands.

Land Use in Korean Tidal Wetlands: Impacts and Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sun-Kee; Koh, Chul-Hwan; Harris, Richard R.; Kim, Jae-Eun; Lee, Jeom-Sook; Ihm, Byung-Sun

2010-05-01

The coastal landscapes in southwestern Korea include a diverse array of tidal wetlands and salt marshes. These coastal zones link the ecological functions of marine tidal wetlands and freshwater ecosystems with terrestrial ecosystems. They are rich in biological diversity and play important roles in sustaining ecological health and processing environmental pollutants. Korean tidal wetlands are particularly important as nurseries for economically important fishes and habitats for migratory birds. Diking, draining, tourism, and conversion to agricultural and urban uses have adversely affected Korean tidal wetlands. Recent large development projects have contributed to further losses. Environmental impact assessments conducted for projects affecting tidal wetlands and their surrounding landscapes should be customized for application to these special settings. Adequate environmental impact assessments will include classification of hydrogeomorphic units and consideration of their responses to biological and environmental stressors. As is true worldwide, Korean laws and regulations are changing to be more favorable to the conservation and protection of tidal wetlands. More public education needs to be done at the local level to build support for tidal wetland conservation. Some key public education points include the role of tidal wetlands in maintaining healthy fish populations and reducing impacts of nonpoint source pollution. There is also a need to develop procedures for integrating economic and environmental objectives within the overall context of sustainable management and land uses.

Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Export from Watersheds to Coastal Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, R. F.; Gardner, G. B.; Peri, F.

2016-02-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from terrestrial plants and soils is transported by surface waters and groundwaters to coastal ocean waters. Along the way, photochemical and biological degradation can remove DOM, and in situ processes such as phytoplankton leaching and sediment sources can add to the DOM in the river water. Wetlands, especially coastal wetlands can add significant amounts of DOM that is carried by rivers and is exported through estuaries to coastal systems. We will present observational data from a variety of coastal systems (San Francisco Bay, Boston Harbor, Chesapeake Bay, Hudson River, the Mississippi River, and a small salt marsh in the Gulf of Mexico). High resolution measurements of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) can be correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) so can be used to estimate DOC in specific systems and seasons. Gradients in CDOM/DOC combined with water fluxes can be used to estimate DOC fluxes from a variety of coastal watersheds to coastal systems. Influences of land use, system size, residence time, DOM quality, and photochemical and biological degradation will be discussed. The significance of coastal wetlands in the land-to-ocean export of DOC will be emphasized.

Climate change: Potential impacts and interactions in wetlands of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Burkett, Virginia; Kusler, Jon

2000-01-01

Wetlands exist in a transition zone between aquatic and terrestrial environments which can be altered by subtle changes in hydrology. Twentieth century climate records show that the United States is generally experiencing a trend towards a wetter, warmer climate; some climate models suggest that his trend will continue and possibly intensify over the next 100 years. Wetlands that are most likely to be affected by these and other potential changes (e.g., sea-level rise) associated with atmospheric carbon enrichment include permafrost wetlands, coastal and estuarine wetlands, peatlands, alpine wetlands, and prairie pothote wetlands. Potential impacts range from changes in community structure to changes in ecological function, and from extirpation to enhancement. Wetlands (particularly boreal peatlands) play an important role in the global carbon cycle, generally sequestering carbon in the form of biomass, methane, dissolved organic material and organic sediment. Wetlands that are drained or partially dried can become a net source of methane and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, serving as a positive biotic feedback to global warming. Policy options for minimizing the adverse impacts of climate change on wetland ecosystems include the reduction of current anthropogenic stresses, allowing for inland migration of coastal wetlands as sea-level rises, active management to preserve wetland hydrology, and a wide range of other management and restoration options.

Mercury and methylmercury dynamics in a coastal plain watershed, New Jersey, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Barringer, J.L.; Riskin, M.L.; Szabo, Z.; Reilly, P.A.; Rosman, R.; Bonin, J.L.; Fischer, J.M.; Heckathorn, H.A.

2010-01-01

The upper Great Egg Harbor River watershed in New Jersey's Coastal Plain is urbanized but extensive freshwater wetlands are present downstream. In 2006-2007, studies to assess levels of total mercury (THg) found concentrations in unfiltered streamwater to range as high as 187 ng/L in urbanized areas. THg concentrations were pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and nitrate decreased with flushing of soils after rain. Most of the river's flow comes from groundwater seepage; unfiltered groundwater samples contained up to 177 ng/L of THg in urban areas where there is a history of well water with THg that exceeds the drinking water standard (2,000 ng/L). THg concentrations were lower (<25 ng/L) in unfiltered groundwater from downstream wetland areas. In addition to higher THg concentrations (mostly particulate), concentrations of chloride were higher in streamwater and groundwater from urban areas than in those from downstream wetland areas. Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in unfiltered streamwater ranged from 0.17 ng/L at a forest/wetlands site to 2.94 ng/L at an urban site. The percentage of THg present as MeHg increased as the percentage of forest + wetlands increased, but also was high in some urban areas. MeHg was detected only in groundwater <1 m below the water/sediment interface. Atmospheric deposition is presumed to be the main source of Hg to the wetlands and also may be a source to groundwater, where wastewater inputs in urban areas are hypothesized to mobilize Hg deposited to soils. ?? 2010 US Government.

Exploring drivers of wetland hydrologic fluxes across parameters and space

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, C. N.; Cheng, F. Y.; Mclaughlin, D. L.; Basu, N. B.; Lang, M.; Alexander, L. C.

2017-12-01

Depressional wetlands provide diverse ecosystem services, ranging from critical habitat to the regulation of landscape hydrology. The latter is of particular interest, because while hydrologic connectivity between depressional wetlands and downstream waters has been a focus of both scientific research and policy, it remains difficult to quantify the mode, magnitude, and timing of this connectivity at varying spatial and temporary scales. To do so requires robust empirical and modeling tools that accurately represent surface and subsurface flowpaths between depressional wetlands and other landscape elements. Here, we utilize a parsimonious wetland hydrology model to explore drivers of wetland water fluxes in different archetypal wetland-rich landscapes. We validated the model using instrumented sites from regions that span North America: Prairie Pothole Region (south-central Canada), Delmarva Peninsula (Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain), and Big Cypress Swamp (southern Florida). Then, using several national scale datasets (e.g., National Wetlands Inventory, USFWS; National Hydrography Dataset, USGS; Soil Survey Geographic Database, NRCS), we conducted a global sensitivity analysis to elucidate dominant drivers of simulated fluxes. Finally, we simulated and compared wetland hydrology in five contrasting landscapes dominated by depressional wetlands: prairie potholes, Carolina and Delmarva bays, pocosins, western vernal pools, and Texas coastal prairie wetlands. Results highlight specific drivers that vary across these regions. Largely, hydroclimatic variables (e.g., PET/P ratios) controlled the timing and magnitude of wetland connectivity, whereas both wetland morphology (e.g., storage capacity and watershed size) and soil characteristics (e.g., ksat and confining layer depth) controlled the duration and mode (surface vs. subsurface) of wetland connectivity. Improved understanding of the drivers of wetland hydrologic connectivity supports enhanced, region

Delineation of wetland areas from high resolution WorldView-2 data by object-based method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, N; Hamid, J R A; Adnan, N A; Jaafar, M

2014-01-01

Various classification methods are available that can be used to delineate land cover types. Object-based is one of such methods for delineating the land cover from satellite imageries. This paper focuses on the digital image processing aspects of discriminating wetland areas via object-based method using high resolution satellite multispectral WorldView-2 image data taken over part of Penang Island region. This research is an attempt to improve the wetland area delineation in conjunction with a range of classification techniques which can be applied to satellite data with high spatial and spectral resolution such as World View 2. The intent is to determine a suitable approach to delineate and map these wetland areas more appropriately. There are common parameters to take into account that are pivotal in object-based method which are the spatial resolution and the range of spectral channels of the imaging sensor system. The preliminary results of the study showed object-based analysis is capable of delineating wetland region of interest with an accuracy that is acceptable to the required tolerance for land cover classification

Assessment of Coastal Ecosystem Services for Conservation Strategies in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Min Gon; Kang, Hojeong; Choi, Sung-Uk

2015-01-01

Despite the fact that scientific and political consideration for ecosystem services has dramatically increased over the past decade, few studies have focused on marine and coastal ecosystem services for conservation strategies. We used an ecosystem services approach to assess spatial distributions of habitat risks and four ecosystem services (coastal protection, carbon storage, recreation, and aesthetic quality), and explored the tradeoffs among them in coastal areas of South Korea. Additionally, we analyzed how the social and ecological characteristics in coastal areas interact with conservation and development policies by using this approach. We found strong negative associations between the habitat risks and ecosystem services (aquaculture, carbon storage, recreation, and aesthetic quality) across the coastal counties. Our results showed that the intensity of the habitat risks and the provision of ecosystem services were significantly different between reclamation-dominated and conservation-dominated counties, except for coastal vulnerability. A generalized linear model suggested that reclamation projects were dependent on economic efficiency, whereas demographic pressures and habitat conditions influenced the designation of protected areas at a county level. The ecosystem services approach provided guidelines to achieve both sustainable development and environment conservation. By using the approach, we can select the priority areas for developments while we can minimize the degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As cultural ecosystem services are evenly distributed throughout coastal areas of South Korea, decision makers may employ them to improve the conditions of coastal wetlands outside of protected areas.

Assessment of Coastal Ecosystem Services for Conservation Strategies in South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Min Gon; Kang, Hojeong; Choi, Sung-Uk

2015-01-01

Despite the fact that scientific and political consideration for ecosystem services has dramatically increased over the past decade, few studies have focused on marine and coastal ecosystem services for conservation strategies. We used an ecosystem services approach to assess spatial distributions of habitat risks and four ecosystem services (coastal protection, carbon storage, recreation, and aesthetic quality), and explored the tradeoffs among them in coastal areas of South Korea. Additionally, we analyzed how the social and ecological characteristics in coastal areas interact with conservation and development policies by using this approach. We found strong negative associations between the habitat risks and ecosystem services (aquaculture, carbon storage, recreation, and aesthetic quality) across the coastal counties. Our results showed that the intensity of the habitat risks and the provision of ecosystem services were significantly different between reclamation-dominated and conservation-dominated counties, except for coastal vulnerability. A generalized linear model suggested that reclamation projects were dependent on economic efficiency, whereas demographic pressures and habitat conditions influenced the designation of protected areas at a county level. The ecosystem services approach provided guidelines to achieve both sustainable development and environment conservation. By using the approach, we can select the priority areas for developments while we can minimize the degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As cultural ecosystem services are evenly distributed throughout coastal areas of South Korea, decision makers may employ them to improve the conditions of coastal wetlands outside of protected areas. PMID:26221950

Peat wetland as a natural filter of effluents from adjacent industrial areas

OpenAIRE

József DEZSO; Gabriella TÓTH; Dénes LÓCZY

2015-01-01

The main objective of the project is the study of a peat wetland functioning as recipient of effluents from former and present-day industrial activities. The investigation was focused on heavy metal contaminations and their probable mobilization or fixation. The studied peatbog is a typical Eastern European wetland, located in Hungary on the border between medium mountains (Bakony Mountains) and a Neogene basin (the Sárrét, an area under nature conservation). Watercourses and prevailing air c...

Diffusion of tritiated water in coastal areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, M.; Kasai, A.; Imai, T.; Amano, H.; Yanase, N.

1980-01-01

The diffusion of tritiated water discharged by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute at shore line has been investigated. In continuous discharge, the concentration of tritiated water in samples taken at a point downstream fluctuates largely. To reveal the cause, dye diffusion experiments were made in the coastal area. The shapes of dye cloud were photographed by a remote-control camera suspended from a captive balloon as color pictures. The movement of dye is so complex that a three-dimensional model must be employed to assess the diffusion in coastal areas

Drivers, trends, and potential impacts of long-term coastal reclamation in China from 1985 to 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Bo; Wu, Wenting; Yang, Zhaoqing; Zhou, Yunxuan

2016-03-01

Driven by rapid economic development, population growth, and urbanization, China has experienced severe coastal land reclamation over the last decades, which resulted in significant loss of coastal wetland and wildlife habitat, and degradation of marine ecosystems. This study used advanced remote-sensing techniques to analyze the spatial and temporal distributions of coastal reclamation in China and investigated the relationships between coastal land reclamation and coastal economy, population growth, and urbanization. Analysis of long-term Landsat images time series from 1985 to 2010 in 5-year intervals, in combination with remotely sensed image techniques, indicated a sharp increasing trend of land reclamation after 2005, which accounted for over 35% of China’s total reclamation during the 25-year period since 1985. High-intensity coastal reclamation in China was mainly driven by the booming economy associated with urbanization and industrial development in the coastal region. Analysis indicated that coastal land reclamation is closely correlated with the GDP per capita in China. Study results of Landsat images showed that 754,697 ha of coastal wetlands have been reclaimed across all coastal provinces and metropolises from 1985 to 2010, at an annual rate of 5.9%. Coastal areas within the three major economic zones (Bohai Bay, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta) were found to generally have higher reclamation rates. For example, the built-up area in Shanghai, which is located in the Yangtze River Delta, increased more than five times from 1985 to 2010. Approximately 35% of the reclamation occurred in Bohai Bay, in which the CRI between 2005 and 2010 was three times higher than the average CRI over the 25-year period.

Pre-Construction Biogeochemical Analysis of Mercury in Wetlands Bordering the Hamilton Army Airfield (HAAF) Wetlands Restoration Site. Part 2

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Best, Elly P; Fredrickson, Herbert L; Hintelmann, Holger; Clarisse, Olivier; Dimock, Brian; Lutz, Charles H; Lotufo, Gui R; Millward, Rod N; Bednar, Anthony J; Furey, John S

2007-01-01

...) is working with the San Francisco Basin Regional Water Board, California State Coastal Conservancy, and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to reconstruct wetlands at the former...

Hurricane storm surge and amphibian communities in coastal wetlands of northwestern Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Gunzburger, M.S.; Hughes, W.B.; Barichivich, W.J.; Staiger, J.S.

2010-01-01

Isolated wetlands in the Southeastern United States are dynamic habitats subject to fluctuating environmental conditions. Wetlands located near marine environments are subject to alterations in water chemistry due to storm surge during hurricanes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of storm surge overwash on wetland amphibian communities. Thirty-two wetlands in northwestern Florida were sampled over a 45-month period to assess amphibian species richness and water chemistry. During this study, seven wetlands were overwashed by storm surge from Hurricane Dennis which made landfall 10 July 2005 in the Florida panhandle. This event allowed us to evaluate the effect of storm surge overwash on water chemistry and amphibian communities of the wetlands. Specific conductance across all wetlands was low pre-storm (marine habitats are resistant to the effects of storm surge overwash. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Temporal-spatial variations and driving factors analysis of coastal reclamation in China

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Weiqing; Hu, Beibei; He, Mengxuan; Liu, Baiqiao; Mo, Xunqiang; Li, Hongyuan; Wang, Zhongliang; Zhang, Yu

2017-05-01

Coastal reclamation is the gain of land from the sea or coastal wetlands for agricultural purposes, industrial use or port expansions. Large-scale coastal land reclamation can have adverse effects on the coastal environment, including loss of marine habitats and deterioration of coastal water quality. In recent decades, coastal land reclamation has occurred extensively to meet the increasing needs of rapid economic development and urbanization in China. The overall objective of this study is to understand the coastal reclamation status of China from 1979 to 2014 and analyzed its driving factors for mitigating negative ecological effects. The data of coastal reclamation were done with the ERDAS Imagine V9.2 platform and ArcGIS software based on remote images including Landsat, SPOT, ZY-2 and ZY-3. Potential driving factors for sea reclamation were selected based on statistics bulletins and the knowledge of experts in coastal management. In order to understand the relationships among possible impact factors and coastal reclamation, the Partial Least-Squares Regression models was constructed. The analysis results indicated that the total area of reclamation was 11162.89 km2 based on remote sensing images between 1979 and 2014. Shandong Province is the largest reclamation area, reaching 2736.54 km2, and the reclamation is mainly concentrated in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Liaoning, where the reclamation areas were all more than 1000 km2. According to the remote sensing images, there are three coastal reclamation hotspot regions including Bohai bay (in which is located Liaoning, Tianjin and Hebei), Jiangsu province coastal area and Hangzhou bay (in Zhejiang province). A large scale land reclamation plan of more than 5880 km2 has been made by local government and 2469 km2 has approved by the State Council. From the analyzed results, there is a significant collinearity between these indicators, and no significant correlation between the area of reclamation and selected

Restoring coastal wetlands that were ditched for mosquito control: a preliminary assessment of hydro-leveling as a restoration technique

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Thomas J.; Tiling, Ginger; Leasure, Pamela S.

2007-01-01

The wetlands surrounding Tampa Bay, Florida were extensively ditched for mosquito control in the 1950s. Spoil from ditch construction was placed adjacent to the wetlands ditches creating mound-like features (spoil-mounds). These mounds represent a loss of 14% of the wetland area in Tampa Bay. Spoil mounds interfere with tidal flow and are locations for non-native plants to colonize (e.g., Schinus terebinthifolius). Removal of the spoil mounds to eliminate exotic plants, restore native vegetation, and re-establish natural hydrology is a restoration priority for environmental managers. Hydro-leveling, a new technique, was tested in a mangrove forest restoration project in 2004. Hydro-leveling uses a high pressure stream of water to wash sediment from the spoil mound into the adjacent wetland and ditch. To assess the effectiveness of this technique, we conducted vegetation surveys in areas that were hydro-leveled and in non-hydro-leveled areas 3 years post-project. Adult Schinus were reduced but not eliminated from hydro-leveled mounds. Schinus seedlings however were absent from hydro-leveled sites. Colonization by native species was sparse. Mangrove seedlings were essentially absent (≈2 m−2) from the centers of hydro-leveled mounds and were in low density on their edges (17 m−2) in comparison to surrounding mangrove forests (105 m−2). Hydro-leveling resulted in mortality of mangroves adjacent to the mounds being leveled. This was probably caused by burial of pneumatophores during the hydro-leveling process. For hydro-leveling to be a useful and successful restoration technique several requirements must be met. Spoil mounds must be lowered to the level of the surrounding wetlands. Spoil must be distributed further into the adjacent wetland to prevent burial of nearby native vegetation. Finally, native species may need to be planted on hydro-leveled areas to speed up the re-vegetation process.

Coastal Massachusetts Submerged Aquatic Beds 1994-1996 Geodatabase

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) at NOAA Office for Coastal Management partnered with The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Wetlands...

Coastal Massachusetts Submerged Aquatic Beds 1994-1996 Biotic

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) at NOAA Office for Coastal Management partnered with The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Wetlands...

Coastal Massachusetts Submerged Aquatic Beds 1994-1996 Substrate

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) at NOAA Office for Coastal Management partnered with The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Wetlands...

Coastal Massachusetts Submerged Aquatic Beds 1994-1996 Geoform

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) at NOAA Office for Coastal Management partnered with The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Wetlands...

Associations between the molecular and optical properties of dissolved organic matter in the Florida Everglades, a model coastal wetland system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sasha eWagner

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Optical properties are easy-to-measure proxies for dissolved organic matter (DOM composition, source and reactivity. However, the molecular signature of DOM associated with such optical parameters remains poorly defined. The Florida coastal Everglades is a subtropical wetland with diverse vegetation (e.g., sawgrass prairies, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and DOM sources (e.g., terrestrial, microbial and marine. As such, the Everglades is an excellent model system from which to draw samples of diverse origin and composition to allow classically-defined optical properties to be linked to molecular properties of the DOM pool. We characterized a suite of seasonally- and spatially-collected DOM samples using optical measurements (EEM-PARAFAC, SUVA254, S275-295, S350-400, SR, FI, freshness index and HIX and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS. Spearman’s rank correlations between FTICR-MS signal intensities of individual molecular formulae and optical properties determined which molecular formulae were associated with each PARAFAC component and optical index. The molecular families that tracked with the optical indices were generally in agreement with conventional biogeochemical interpretations. Therefore, although they represent only a small portion of the bulk DOM pool, absorbance and fluorescence measurements appear to be appropriate proxies for the aquatic cycling of both optically-active and associated optically-inactive DOM in coastal wetlands.

Comparison of the quantitative determination of soil organic carbon in coastal wetlands containing reduced forms of Fe and S

Science.gov (United States)

Passos, Tassia R. G.; Artur, Adriana G.; Nóbrega, Gabriel N.; Otero, Xosé L.; Ferreira, Tiago O.

2016-06-01

The performance of the Walkley-Black wet oxidation chemical method for soil organic carbon (SOC) determination in coastal wetland soils (mangroves, coastal lagoons, and hypersaline tidal flats) was evaluated in the state of Ceará along the semiarid coast of Brazil, assessing pyrite oxidation and its effects on soil C stock (SCS) quantification. SOC determined by the chemical oxidation method (CWB) was compared to that assessed by means of a standard elemental analyzer (CEA) for surficial samples (mangroves, whereas lower values were found in the other settings. CWB values were higher than CEA values. Significant differences in SCS calculations based on CWB and CEA were recorded for the coastal lagoons and hypersaline tidal flats. Nevertheless, the CWB and CEA values were strongly correlated, indicating that the wet oxidation chemical method can be used in such settings. In contrast, the absence of correlation for the mangroves provides evidence of the inadequacy of this method for these soils. Air drying and oxidation decrease the pyrite content, with larger effects rooted in oxidation. Thus, the wet oxidation chemical method is not recommended for mangrove soils, but seems appropriate for SOC/SCS quantification in hypersaline tidal flat and coastal lagoon soils characterized by lower pyrite contents.

Wastewater treatment in tsunami affected areas of Thailand by constructed wetlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brix, Hans; Koottatep, H.; Laugesen, C.H.

2007-01-01

the systems which have been built at three locations: (a) Baan Pru Teau: A newly-built township for tsunami victims which was constructed with the contribution of the Thai Red Cross. Conventional septic tanks were installed for the treatment of blackwater from each household and its effluent and grey water...... system and a system for reuse of treated wastewater. The constructed wetland system (capacity 400 m3/day) consists of vertical flow, horizontal subsurface flow, free water surface flow and pond units. Because the treatment plant is surrounded by resorts, restaurants and shops, the constructed wetland...... systems are designed with terrains as scenic landscaping. (c) Patong: A 5,000 m2 constructed wetland system has been established to treat polluted water from drainage canals which collect overflow from septic tanks and grey water from residential areas. It is envisaged that these three systems will serve...

Research objectives to support the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration initiative-Water Conservation Areas, Lake Okeechobee, and the East/West waterways

OpenAIRE

Kitchens, Wiley M.

1994-01-01

The South Florida Ecosystem encompasses an area of approximately 28,000 km2 comprising at least 11 major physiographic provinces, including the Kissimmee River Valley, Lake Okeechobee, the Immokalee Rise, the Big Cypress, the Everglades, Florida Bay, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Biscayne Bay, the Florida Keys, the Florida Reef Tract, and nearshore coastal waters. South Florida is a heterogeneous system of wetlands, uplands, coastal areas, and marine areas, dominated by the watershe...

Global meta-analysis of leaf area index in wetlands indicates uncertainties in understanding of their ecosystem function

Science.gov (United States)

Dronova, I.; Taddeo, S.; Foster, K.

2017-12-01

Projecting ecosystem responses to global change relies on the accurate understanding of properties governing their functions in different environments. An important variable in models of ecosystem function is canopy leaf area index (LAI; leaf area per unit ground area) declared as one of the Essential Climate Variables in the Global Climate Observing System and extensively measured in terrestrial landscapes. However, wetlands have been largely under-represented in these efforts, which globally limits understanding of their contribution to carbon sequestration, climate regulation and resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. This study provides a global synthesis of >350 wetland-specific LAI observations from 182 studies and compares LAI among wetland ecosystem and vegetation types, biomes and measurement approaches. Results indicate that most wetland types and even individual locations show a substantial local dispersion of LAI values (average coefficient of variation 65%) due to heterogeneity of environmental properties and vegetation composition. Such variation indicates that mean LAI values may not sufficiently represent complex wetland environments, and the use of this index in ecosystem function models needs to incorporate within-site variation in canopy properties. Mean LAI did not significantly differ between direct and indirect measurement methods on a pooled global sample; however, within some of the specific biomes and wetland types significant contrasts between these approaches were detected. These contrasts highlight unique aspects of wetland vegetation physiology and canopy structure affecting measurement principles that need to be considered in generalizing canopy properties in ecosystem models. Finally, efforts to assess wetland LAI using remote sensing strongly indicate the promise of this technology for cost-effective regional-scale modeling of canopy properties similar to terrestrial systems. However, such efforts urgently require more

Climatic Alterations of Wetlands: Conservation and Adaptation Practices in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiquee, S. A.

2016-02-01

Unique geographic location and geo-morphological conditions of Bangladesh have made the wetlands of this country one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Wetland plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of ecosystems and cultural figures and which occupy around 50% of the area. Drought, excessive temperature, mountain snowfields and glaciers melting, riverbank erosion, salinity intrusion, flashflood, storm surges, higher water temperatures, precipitation anomalies, coastal cyclones, seasonal anomalies and extremes are main threats to the wetland ecosystem. Enhanced UV-B radiation and increased summer precipitation will significantly increase dissolved organic carbon concentrations altering major biogeochemical cycles and also will result into the expansion of range for many invasive aquatic weeds. Generally, rising temperature will lower water quality through a fall in oxygen concentrations, release of phosphorus from sediments, increased thermal stability, and altered mixing patterns. As a result biodiversity is getting degraded, many species of flora and fauna are getting threatened, and wetland-based ecosystem is getting degenerated. At the same time, the living conditions of local people are deteriorating as livelihoods, socioeconomic institutions, and extensive cultural values as well. For conserving and managing wetlands technology, legislation, educational knowledge, action plan strategy and restoration practices are required. In order to address the human needs in the changing climate community-based adaptation approaches and wetland restoration, practices had been taken in almost every type of wetlands in Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladesh now needs a comprehensive strategy and integrated system combining political, economic, social, technological approaches and institutional supports to address sustainable wetland restoration, conservation and the newly added crisis, climate change.

IMPACTS OF WETLAND DEGRADATION IN NIGER DELTA NIGERIA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN FLOOD CONTROL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enwere Chidimma Loveline

2015-08-01

Full Text Available  Wetlands perform a wide variety of functions that include flood control, ground water recharge, shore line stabilization, storm protection and climate moderation. However, despite these huge wetland functions, it has witnessed poor appreciation and dreadful conditions. Niger Delta has witnessed constant coastal erosion and rising sea level, this has led to large portions of the landmass being eroded. This paper aims to review some environmental effects of flooding in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria to provide the desired knowledge of role that wetlands play in reducing flood impacts. However, having witnessed the flood, the experience opened my eyes to the environmental challenges facing Niger Delta with respect to Wetlands degradation, poor perception of wetland values and functions, poor environmental practices and non-implementation of environmental regulations. This memorable experience rekindled the desire and motivation to seek a solution to wetland degradation with the aim of recognizing significance of wetlands at the centre of achieving both livelihood and biodiversity improvements to address coastal flooding problem.The study therefore concludes that wetlands are very significant in flood control and thus the conservation and restoration of wetlands, should put in place measures to reduce wetland destruction.International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-4, Issue-3, June-August 2015Page: 177-184

Simulating the Effects of Sea Level Rise on the Resilience and Migration of Tidal Wetlands along the Hudson River.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nava M Tabak

Full Text Available Sea Level Rise (SLR caused by climate change is impacting coastal wetlands around the globe. Due to their distinctive biophysical characteristics and unique plant communities, freshwater tidal wetlands are expected to exhibit a different response to SLR as compared with the better studied salt marshes. In this study we employed the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM, which simulates regional- or local-scale changes in tidal wetland habitats in response to SLR, and adapted it for application in a freshwater-dominated tidal river system, the Hudson River Estuary. Using regionally-specific estimated ranges of SLR and accretion rates, we produced simulations for a spectrum of possible future wetland distributions and quantified the projected wetland resilience, migration or loss in the HRE through the end of the 21st century. Projections of total wetland extent and migration were more strongly determined by the rate of SLR than the rate of accretion. Surprisingly, an increase in net tidal wetland area was projected under all scenarios, with newly-formed tidal wetlands expected to comprise at least 33% of the HRE's wetland area by year 2100. Model simulations with high rates of SLR and/or low rates of accretion resulted in broad shifts in wetland composition with widespread conversion of high marsh habitat to low marsh, tidal flat or permanent inundation. Wetland expansion and resilience were not equally distributed through the estuary, with just three of 48 primary wetland areas encompassing >50% of projected new wetland by the year 2100. Our results open an avenue for improving predictive models of the response of freshwater tidal wetlands to sea level rise, and broadly inform the planning of conservation measures of this critical resource in the Hudson River Estuary.

Human impacts quantification on the coastal landforms of Gran Canaria Island (Canary Islands)

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer-Valero, Nicolás; Hernández-Calvento, Luis; Hernández-Cordero, Antonio I.

2017-06-01

The coastal areas of the Canary Islands are particularly sensitive to changes, both from a natural perspective and for their potential socio-economic implications. In this paper, the state of conservation of an insular coast is approached from a geomorphological point of view, considering recent changes induced by urban and tourism development. The analysis is applied to the coast of Gran Canaria, a small Atlantic island of volcanic origin, subject to a high degree of human pressure on its coastal areas, especially in recent decades. Currently, much of the economic activity of Gran Canaria is linked to mass tourism, associated with climatic and geomorphological features of the coast. This work is addressed through detailed mapping of coastal landforms across the island (256 km perimeter), corresponding to the period before the urban and tourism development (late 19th century for the island's capital, mid-20th century for the rest of the island) and today. The comparison between the coastal geomorphology before and after the urban and tourism development was established through four categories of human impacts, related to their conservation state: unaltered, altered, semi-destroyed and extinct. The results indicate that 43% of coastal landforms have been affected by human impacts, while 57% remain unaltered. The most affected are sedimentary landforms, namely coastal dunes, palaeo-dunes, beaches and wetlands. Geodiversity loss was also evaluated by applying two diversity indices. The coastal geodiversity loss by total or partial destruction of landforms is estimated at - 15.2%, according to Shannon index (H‧), while it increases to - 32.1% according to an index proposed in this paper. We conclude that the transformations of the coast of Gran Canaria induced by urban and tourism development have heavily affected the most singular coastal landforms (dunes, palaeo-dunes and wetlands), reducing significantly its geodiversity.

Modeling Coastal Vulnerability through Space and Time.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopper, Thomas; Meixler, Marcia S

2016-01-01

Coastal ecosystems experience a wide range of stressors including wave forces, storm surge, sea-level rise, and anthropogenic modification and are thus vulnerable to erosion. Urban coastal ecosystems are especially important due to the large populations these limited ecosystems serve. However, few studies have addressed the issue of urban coastal vulnerability at the landscape scale with spatial data that are finely resolved. The purpose of this study was to model and map coastal vulnerability and the role of natural habitats in reducing vulnerability in Jamaica Bay, New York, in terms of nine coastal vulnerability metrics (relief, wave exposure, geomorphology, natural habitats, exposure, exposure with no habitat, habitat role, erodible shoreline, and surge) under past (1609), current (2015), and future (2080) scenarios using InVEST 3.2.0. We analyzed vulnerability results both spatially and across all time periods, by stakeholder (ownership) and by distance to damage from Hurricane Sandy. We found significant differences in vulnerability metrics between past, current and future scenarios for all nine metrics except relief and wave exposure. The marsh islands in the center of the bay are currently vulnerable. In the future, these islands will likely be inundated, placing additional areas of the shoreline increasingly at risk. Significant differences in vulnerability exist between stakeholders; the Breezy Point Cooperative and Gateway National Recreation Area had the largest erodible shoreline segments. Significant correlations exist for all vulnerability (exposure/surge) and storm damage combinations except for exposure and distance to artificial debris. Coastal protective features, ranging from storm surge barriers and levees to natural features (e.g. wetlands), have been promoted to decrease future flood risk to communities in coastal areas around the world. Our methods of combining coastal vulnerability results with additional data and across multiple time

Distribution of native mussel (unionidae) assemblages in coastal areas of Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, and connecting channels, twenty-five years after a dreissenid invasion

Science.gov (United States)

Zanatta, David T.; Bossenbroek, Jonathan M.; Burlakova, Lyubov E.; Crail, Todd D.; Szalay, Ferenc de; Griffith, Traci A.; Kapusinski, Douglas; Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Krebs, Robert A.; Meyer, Elizabeth S.; Paterson, Wendy L.; Prescott, Trevor J.; Rowe, Matthew T.; Schloesser, Donald W.; Walsh, Mary C.

2015-01-01

Over the past 25 years, unionid mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America have been adversely impacted by invasive dreissenid mussels, which directly (e.g., by attachment to unionid shells) and indirectly (e.g., by competing for food) cause mortality. Despite the invasion, unionids have survived in several areas in the presence of dreissenid mussels. We investigated current spatial patterns in these native mussel refuges based on surveys for unionid mussels across 48 sampling locations (141 sites) in 2011 and 2012, and documented species abundance and diversity in coastal areas of lakes St. Clair and Erie. The highest-quality assemblages of native mussels (densities, richness, and diversity) appear to be concentrated in the St. Clair delta, where abundance continues to decline, as well as in in Thompson Bay of Presque Isle in Lake Erie and in just a few coastal wetlands and drowned river-mouths in the western basin of Lake Erie. The discovery of several new refuge areas suggests that unionids have a broader distribution within the region than previously thought.

MONITORING CONCEPTS FOR COASTAL AREAS USING LIDAR DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Schmidt

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Coastal areas are characterized by high spatial and temporal variability. In order to detect undesired changes at early stages, enabling rapid countermeasures to mitigate or minimize potential harm or hazard, a recurrent monitoring becomes necessary. In this paper, we focus on two monitoring task: the analysis of morphological changes and the classification and mapping of habitats. Our concepts are solely based on airborne lidar data which provide substantial information in coastal areas. For the first task, we generate a digital terrain model (DTM from the lidar point cloud and analyse the dynamic of an island by comparing the DTMs of different epochs with a time difference of six years. For the deeper understanding of the habitat composition in coastal areas, we classify the lidar point cloud by a supervised approach based on Conditional Random Fields. From the classified point cloud, water-land-boundaries as well as mussel bed objects are derived afterwards. We evaluate our approaches on two datasets of the German Wadden Sea.

Assessing the recovery of coastal wetlands from oil spills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendelssohn, I.A.; Hester, M.W.; Hill, J.M.

1993-01-01

The impact of oil spills on coastal environments and the ability of these systems to exhibit long-term recovery has received increased attention in recent years. Although oil spills can have significant short-term impacts on coastal marshes, the long-term effects and eventual recovery are not well documented. Estuarine marshes have sometimes been reported to exhibit slow recovery after oil spills, whereas in other instances they appear to have great resiliency, with complete recovery after one or two years. To document and understand this phenomenon better, we have investigated the long-term recovery of a south Louisiana estuarine marsh exposed to an accidental spill of crude oil. Although a pipeline rupture releasing Louisiana crude oil caused the near complete mortality of a brackish marsh dominated by Spartina patens and S. alterniflora, this marsh completely recovered four years after the spill with no differences in plant species cover between oiled and reference marshes. Remotely sensed imagery of the study site confirmed the relatively rapid recovery demonstrated by the ground truth data. Louisiana's coastal marshes are naturally experiencing rapid rates of deterioration. Land loss rates, determined from aerial imagery, at the spill site and adjacent reference areas before and after the spill demonstrated that the long-term loss rates were not affected by the spill event

Peat wetland as a natural filter of effluents from adjacent industrial areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

József DEZSO

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the project is the study of a peat wetland functioning as recipient of effluents from former and present-day industrial activities. The investigation was focused on heavy metal contaminations and their probable mobilization or fixation. The studied peatbog is a typical Eastern European wetland, located in Hungary on the border between medium mountains (Bakony Mountains and a Neogene basin (the Sárrét, an area under nature conservation. Watercourses and prevailing air currents can transport contaminants from industrial areas to the wetland. At first the basic parameters of surface waters and subsurface conditions (soils, groundwater were investigated. These parameters (EC, Cl are possible indicators of contamination. Subsequently, the amounts of heavy metals (Cd, Pb extracted by solution in two steps (HCl, CaCl2 were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS. The extracted values indicate what amounts of which elements could be mobilized by human impact and/or production of humic acids, which occasionally emerges during the remediation works. The total heavy metal concentrations in the samples were investigated by X-ray fluorescence method. Based on the investigation, the peatbog is claimed to function as a natural filter.

A brief review of remote sensing data and techniques for wetlands identification

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ritchie, M

2015-09-01

Full Text Available of geoprocessing and simulation modeling to estimate impacts of sea level rise on the northeast coast of Florida, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 58, 1579-1586. McEwan, R., Kosco, W. and Carter, V., 1976, Coastal Wetland Mapping..., it is estimated that about 33 230 acres of wetland were lost between 1998-2004 [Klemas 2011], with a majority of this loss being due to coastal salt marsh being converted to open saltwater [Klemas 2011], suggesting that rising sea levels could be problematic...

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Restoration

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Zinn, Jeffrey

2005-01-01

... for a $1.1 billion multiyear program to construct five projects that would help to restore portions of the coastal Louisiana ecosystem by slowing the rate of wetland loss and restoring some wetlands...

Change detection of bare areas in the Xolobeni region, South Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Identification and protection of areas that are vulnerable to erosion is essential for the conservation of the sensitive wetlands and estuarine ecosystems along the Xolobeni coastal strip. The forecasting of these erosion susceptible areas requires an understanding of the inter-relationships of the critical factors that have ...

Ecological Effects of Roads on the Plant Diversity of Coastal Wetland in the Yellow River Delta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunzhao Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The 26 sample sites in 7 study plots adjacent to asphalt road and earth road in coastal wetland in the Yellow River Delta were selected to quantify plant diversity using quadrat sampling method in plant bloom phase of July and August 2012. The indice of βT and Jaccard’s coefficient were applied to evaluate the species diversity. The results showed that the plant diversities and alien plants were high in the range of 0–20 m to the road verge. There were more exotics and halophytes in plots of asphalt roadside than that of earth roadside. However, proportion of halophytes in habitats of asphalt roadsides was lower than that of earth roadside. By comparing β-diversity, there were more common species in the asphalt roadsides than that in the earth roadsides. The similarity of plant communities in studied plots of asphalt roadsides and earth roadsides increased with increasing the distance to road verge. The effect range of roads for plant diversity in study region was about 20 m to road verge. Our results indicate that the construction and maintenance of roads in wetland could increase the plant species diversities of communities and risk of alien species invasion.

Ecological Effects of Roads on the Plant Diversity of Coastal Wetland in the Yellow River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunzhao; Du, Siyao; Han, Guangxuan; Qu, Fanzhu; Wang, Guangmei; Fu, Yuqin; Zhan, Chao

2014-01-01

The 26 sample sites in 7 study plots adjacent to asphalt road and earth road in coastal wetland in the Yellow River Delta were selected to quantify plant diversity using quadrat sampling method in plant bloom phase of July and August 2012. The indice of β T and Jaccard's coefficient were applied to evaluate the species diversity. The results showed that the plant diversities and alien plants were high in the range of 0–20 m to the road verge. There were more exotics and halophytes in plots of asphalt roadside than that of earth roadside. However, proportion of halophytes in habitats of asphalt roadsides was lower than that of earth roadside. By comparing β-diversity, there were more common species in the asphalt roadsides than that in the earth roadsides. The similarity of plant communities in studied plots of asphalt roadsides and earth roadsides increased with increasing the distance to road verge. The effect range of roads for plant diversity in study region was about 20 m to road verge. Our results indicate that the construction and maintenance of roads in wetland could increase the plant species diversities of communities and risk of alien species invasion. PMID:25147872

Growth Responses of Three Dominant Wetland Plant Species to Various Flooding and Nutrient Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, S.; Shaffer, G. P.

2017-12-01

Coastal Louisiana is experiencing a greater rate of wetland loss than any other wetland system in the United States. This is primarily due to anthropogenic stressors such as flood control levees, backfilling and development of wetlands, and other hydrologic modifications. Methods employed to mitigate wetland loss include the construction of river diversions and assimilation wetlands, which can provide consistent sources of freshwater influx and nutrients to impounded swamps and marshes. It is well known that prolonged flooding causes strain on wetland plant communities and facilitates or exacerbates wetland degradation. However, because river diversions and assimilation wetlands bring high nutrient loads along with freshwater, there is debate over whether prolonged flooding or high influx of nutrients is the primary cause of stress in river diversion and assimilation wetland discharge areas. This mesocosm experiment addresses this question by isolating the effects of flooding and nutrients on the biomass of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum), maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), and cordgrass (Spartina patens) over the course of a growing season. The results of this study provide clarity as to whether flooding stress, high nutrient loads, or both cause a reduction in wetland plant productivity. By evaluating the growth responses of T. distichum, P. hemitomon, and S. patens at varying nutrient regimes, we gain insight on how these more dominant species will react to high nutrient discharges from large river diversions, such as those proposed in Louisiana's 2017 Master Plan.

Identification and classification of inland wetlands in Tamaulipas through remote sensing and geographic information systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilver Enrique Salinas Castillo

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to identify and classify artificial and natural inland wetlands in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, important for migratory aquatic birds. Historically, efforts nave been focused on natural coastal wetlands or specific water bodies located in highlands; however, these surveys have not reflected the dramatic changes in landscape due to farming development in northem Mexico in the Iatest decades. Agricultural fieids and dams associated to them provide food, water and shelterto many migratory birds and other species, a fact not well documented. Factors that may influence the use of wetlands were analyzed, including surface area, associated vegetation and proximity to agricultural fieids. The inventory of inland wetlands was based on the analysis of seven 2000 Landsat ETM satellite imagery and field data gathered from 261 sites surveyed in 2001. Baseline maps were created and GIS analyses were undertaken to classify these water bodies. More than 23 000 inland wetlands were identified, and the information derived from this study will be assist in the development of programs to manage and protect wetlands of importance for migratory aquatic birds in Tamaulipas.

Modeling the Hydrologic Processes of a Depressional Forested Wetland in South Carolina, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge Sun; Timothy Callahan; Jennifer E. Pyzoha; Carl C. Trettin; Devendra M. Amatya

2004-01-01

Depressional forested wetlands or geographically isolated wetlands such as cypress swamps and Carolina bays are common land features in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the southeastern US. Those wetlands play important roles in providing wildlife habitats, water quality improvement, and carbon sequestration. Great stresses have been imposed on those important ecosystems...

Organic Carbon and Trace Element Cycling in a River-Dominated Tidal Coastal Wetland System (Tampa Bay, FL, USA)

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, R. P.; Smoak, J. M.; Engelhart, S. E.; Powell, C. E.; Chappel, A. R.; Gerlach, M. J.; Kemp, A.; Breithaupt, J. L.

2016-02-01

Tampa Bay is the largest open water, river-fed estuary in Florida (USA), and is characterized by the presence of both mangrove and salt marsh ecosystems. Both coastal wetland systems, and small rivers such as the ones draining into Tampa Bay have historically been underestimated in terms of their role in the global carbon and elemental cycles. Climate change and sea-level rise (SLR) are major threats in Tampa Bay and stand to disrupt hydrologic cycles, compromising sediment accumulation and the rate of organic carbon (OC) burial. This study evaluates organic carbon content, sediment accumulation, and carbon burial rates in salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems, along with measurements of fluxes of dissolved OC (DOC) and trace elements in the water column of the Little Manatee River (LMR) in Tampa Bay. The characterization of OC and trace elements in tidal rivers and estuaries is critical for quantitatively constraining these systems in local-to-regional scale biogeochemical budgets, and provide insight into biogeochemical processes occurring with the estuary and adjacent tidal wetlands. Material fluxes of DOC and trace elements were tied to discharge irrespective of season, and the estuarine habitats removed 15-65% of DOC prior to export to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, material is available for cycling and burial within marsh and mangrove peats, however, LMR mangrove peats have higher OC content and burial rates than adjacent salt marsh peats. Sedimentary accretion rates in LMR marshes are not currently keeping pace with SLR, thus furthering the rapid marsh-to-mangrove conversions that have been seen in Tampa Bay over the past half-century. Additionally, wetlands in Tampa Bay tend to have a lower rate of carbon burial than other Florida tidal wetlands, demonstrating their high sensitivity to climate change and SLR.

Limits on the adaptability of coastal marshes to rising sea level

Science.gov (United States)

Kirwan, Matthew L.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.; D'Alpaos, Andrea; Morris, James T.; Mudd, Simon M.; Temmerman, Stijn

2010-01-01

Assumptions of a static landscape inspire predictions that about half of the world's coastal wetlands will submerge during this century in response to sea-level acceleration. In contrast, we use simulations from five numerical models to quantify the conditions under which ecogeomorphic feedbacks allow coastal wetlands to adapt to projected changes in sea level. In contrast to previous sea-level assessments, we find that non-linear feedbacks among inundation, plant growth, organic matter accretion, and sediment deposition, allow marshes to survive conservative projections of sea-level rise where suspended sediment concentrations are greater than ~20 mg/L. Under scenarios of more rapid sea-level rise (e.g., those that include ice sheet melting), marshes will likely submerge near the end of the 21st century. Our results emphasize that in areas of rapid geomorphic change, predicting the response of ecosystems to climate change requires consideration of the ability of biological processes to modify their physical environment.

Gulf-Wide Information System, Environmental Sensitivity Index Scrub-Shrub and Wetlands, Geographic NAD83, LDWF (2001) [esi_scrub-shrub_wetland_LDWF_2001

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This data set contains Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) scrub-shrub and wetlands data of coastal Louisiana. The ESI is a classification and ranking system,...

[Sedimentological Implications of the change in the coverage of mangrove forest in Boca Zacate, Térraba-Sierpa National Wetlands, Costa Rica].

Science.gov (United States)

Silva Benavides, Ana Margarita; Picado Barboza, Jorge; Mora Rodríguez, Fernando; González Gairaud, Carmen

2015-09-01

In the last sixty years many geomorphological changes have occurred in Costa Rica's Térraba-Sierpe National Wetlands. Changes in coastal geomorphology are generally associated with erosion or accretion of sediment, which has led to the removal of sections of mangrove forests or sediment banks colonized by mangroves. The aim of this study was to analyze sedimentation as a leading process in the dynamics of coastal morphology and its implications for mangrove forest cover in the Boca Zacate area of Térraba-Sierpe wetlands. The study was conducted in the sectors of Bocón, Brujo and Coco Island in Boca Zacate, from 2008 to 2013. The research was based on a multi-temporal analysis of coastal morphology using aerial photographs from the years 1948, 1960, 1974, 1978, 1984, 1992 and 2011. The following measurements were also performed: monthly sedimentation rate (g/cm2/day), and granulometric composition and content of chemical elements in the sediments of the study area. These last two measurements were performed once each in the dry and rainy seasons during the years of study. The results indicated that over the past 60 years, Boca Zacate has witnessed a process of sustained erosion; from 1948 through 2001, losing 10.6 % of its land and approximately 8.9 % of its forest cover. It has also experienced accretion in the area of Coco Island. The Brujo sector showed the highest sedimentation rate and the Camibar estuary, the lowest. The dominant type of sediment in all study sites was sand, followed by clay and silt. The most widespread chemical elements (mg/L) included magnesium, calcium and potassium; others, such as manganese, iron, aluminum, phosphorus, zinc and copper, were measured in smaller amounts. Transport, composition and quantity of sediment in Boca Zacate are crucial to the changes that have occurred on the coastal area of La Boca, where the presence of dead trees was evident. This geomorphological analysis holds great importance for future guidelines and

How a clogged canal impacts ecological health in a tropical urban wetland ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

The coastal city of San Juan, Puerto Rico is a tropical urban ecosystem interwoven among a series of interconnected bays, lagoons, canals, and mangrove wetlands. As the city has expanded, infilling and urban encroachment on what was previously mangrove wetland and open estuarine ...

Interaction between continental and estuarine waters in the wetlands of the northern coastal plain of Samborombón Bay, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carol, Eleonora; Mas-Pla, Josep; Kruse, Eduardo

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Inland and estuarine water flows define wetland hydrology on the Samborombón Bay. • Hydrochemistry in shell-ridges and tidal plains is due to water–rock interaction. • Mixing, evaporation and halite dissolution determine salinity in marshes. • Water flow from the shell-ridges control the overall wetland water quality. • These wetlands are complex hydrological systems with vulnerable water resources. - Abstract: On the Samborombón Bay coastline, located in the Río de la Plata estuary in Buenos Aires province (Argentina), a complex hydrological system has developed at the interface between continental and estuarine water, where significant wetlands develop. The main hydrogeological units, namely the shell ridges, the tidal plain and the marsh areas, have been identified using geomorphological criteria. Water table, hydrochemical and isotopic data have been used to determine their hydrological features, as well as those of the streams and canals. Evaporation processes, in particular, have been considered when depicting chemical and isotopic changes in surface waters in streams and marsh areas. The shell ridges represent a hydrogeological unit in which rainwater is stored, constituting a lens-shaped freshwater aquifer. In this unit, just as in the tidal plain, carbonate dissolution and ion exchange are the main processes regulating water chemistry. On the other hand, in the marsh and surface waters, processes such as mixing with estuarine water and evaporation predominate. These processes control water fluxes and the salinity of the wetland areas and, consequently, their ability to preserve the existing biodiversity. This study shows the importance of knowledge of hydrochemical processes in any proposal concerning the management and preservation of this type of wetland

Coastal Forests and Groundwater: Using Case Studies to Understand the Effects of Drivers and Stressors for Resource Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy J. Callahan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Forests are receiving more attention for the ecosystem goods and services they provide and the potential change agents that may affect forest health and productivity. Highlighting case examples from coastal forests in South Carolina, USA, we describe groundwater processes with respect to stressors and potential responses of a wetland-rich forested landscape, the roles that this area has served, and the need for water resource data to inform forest management decisions. Forested lands in the southeastern U.S. coastal plain provide a rich set of goods and services for the region, and in one case, the Francis Marion National Forest acts as a buffer to urbanization from the surrounding Charleston metropolitan area. Information from two decades of studies in the forested watersheds there may inform scientists and managers in other coastal forested systems. The common hydrological theme in this region, which has a higher average annual rainfall (1370 mm than the annual potential evapotranspiration (PET = 1135 mm, is a shallow (<3 m water table condition that supports a large range of natural wetlands and also creates management challenges across the region. Modest changes in the position of the water table can lead to either groundwater flooding and concomitant management challenges for forest services, or ecosystem stresses related to dry conditions in wetlands during times of below-normal precipitation or due to groundwater withdrawal. Development pressures have also stressed forest resources through the extraction of materials such as timber and sand mining, and the conversion to housing construction materials. These areas are also targeted for land development, to meet housing demands. In this paper, we discuss the role of groundwater in coastal forests and highlight opportunities for collaborative studies to better inform forest resource management.

National Wetlands Inventory Polygons

Data.gov (United States)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Wetland area features mapped as part of the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). The National Wetlands Inventory is a national program sponsored by the US Fish and...

Coastal areas mapping using UAV photogrammetry

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolakopoulos, Konstantinos G.; Kozarski, Dimitrios; Kogkas, Stefanos

2017-10-01

The coastal areas in the Patras Gulf suffer degradation due to the sea action and other natural and human-induced causes. Changes in beaches, ports, and other man made constructions need to be assessed, both after severe events and on a regular basis, to build models that can predict the evolution in the future. Thus, reliable spatial data acquisition is a critical process for the identification of the coastline and the broader coastal zones for geologists and other scientists involved in the study of coastal morphology. High resolution satellite data, airphotos and airborne Lidar provided in the past the necessary data for the coastline monitoring. High-resolution digital surface models (DSMs) and orthophoto maps had become a necessity in order to map with accuracy all the variations in costal environments. Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) photogrammetry offers an alternative solution to the acquisition of high accuracy spatial data along the coastline. This paper presents the use of UAV to map the coastline in Rio area Western Greece. Multiple photogrammetric aerial campaigns were performed. A small commercial UAV (DJI Phantom 3 Advance) was used to acquire thousands of images with spatial resolutions better than 5 cm. Different photogrammetric software's were used to orientate the images, extract point clouds, build a digital surface model and produce orthoimage mosaics. In order to achieve the best positional accuracy signalised ground control points were measured with a differential GNSS receiver. The results of this coastal monitoring programme proved that UAVs can replace many of the conventional surveys, with considerable gains in the cost of the data acquisition and without any loss in the accuracy.

Using Remote Sensing to Evaluate Wetland Recovery in the Northern Tampa Bay Area Following Reduction in Groundwater Withdrawals

Science.gov (United States)

Elder, Amor

In the past, the Northern Tampa Bay Area (NTBA) wetlands saw severe declines in hydrologic conditions due to excessive groundwater withdrawal rates. Eventually these rates were reduced to allow the wetlands to recover. To monitor this recovery, the Southwest Florida Water Management district (SWFWMD) set up a fieldwork based scoring methodology, called the Wetlands Assessment Procedure (WAP). WAP has been used in many studies of the area since groundwater withdrawal reductions; with many of those studies finding the recovery to be mixed at best. However, these studies were very limited in the number of wetlands they could assess due to the limitations of fieldwork. Therefore, it was proposed that remotely sensed variables associated with water consumption and stress be used to assess the recovery of the NTBA wetlands, as remote sensing allows for efficient assessments of targets over large area. Utilizing ASTER imagery scenes from 2005 and 2014, 211 wetlands' remotely sensed responses of NDVI, Land Surface Temperature (LST), and Evapotranspiration (ET) were mapped and statistically examined for trends indicating improvement or decline. Furthermore, a subset of WAP scores for the two years were examined and compared to the remotely sensed values. The results were contradictory, with remotely sensed responses showing an improvement over the time period, WAP scores indicating a decline in hydrologic conditions, and the two methods showing little to no fit when modeled against each other. As such, it is believed at this time that the remotely sensed method is not suitable for measuring the indicators of wetland recovery used in the WAP methodology.

Food security assessment in the coastal area of Demak Regency

Science.gov (United States)

Harini, R.; Handayani, H. N.; Ramdani, F. R.

2018-04-01

Food security is an issue of national and global level. Food is a basic human need to live. Without food will threaten human life. This research was conducted in coastal area of Demak Regency. This research is to understand the potential of human resources, natural resources and assess the level of food security of coastal communities. The data used are primary data through interviews with the local community. Also used Secondary data from government agencies. Data analysis used qualitative and quantitative descriptive methods through graphs, tables and maps. The results showed that potential of human resources in Demak coastal area (Wedung, Purworejo, and Sidogemah villages) is low. It can be indicated from education level of respondents in Demak are elementary school and junior high school. Beside, total households income are about 2-4 million. This study found that the households sampled are 90% is food insecured households. The most of households in Demak coastal area are about 90% households include on insecurity food category.

Reprint of Ecological health status of the Lagos wetland ecosystems: Implications for coastal risk reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Agboola, Julius I.; Ndimele, Prince E.; Odunuga, Shakirudeen; Akanni, Adeniran; Kosemani, Bosede; Ahove, Michael A.

2016-12-01

Lagos, a major urban agglomeration in the world is characterized by wetlands and basin for upstream rivers such as Ogun, Oshun and Yewa Rivers. Ongoing environmental pressures exerted by large-scale land reclamation for residential quarters, refuse and sewage dumping, and other uses, however, are suspected to have had a substantial impact on ecological health of the Lagos wetland ecosystems over the last few decades. To determine the impact of these pressures, we examined spatial changes in three wetlands areas- Badore/Langbasa (BL), Festac/Iba/Ijegun (FI) and Ologe/Otto-Awori (OO) through field sample collection and analyses of surface water, sediments, air-water interface gas fluxes and vegetations. Surface water conductivity, total suspended solids (TSS), alkalinity, chloride, biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate, phosphate and heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Na, Mn, Pb, Cd, K and Ni) exhibited relative spatial stability while other water quality parameters varied significantly (P International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are indications of steady rise in greenhouse gas levels in Lagos since air CO2 value at BL have reached global threshold of 400 ppm with OO and FI closely approaching. We conclude that the Lagos wetland ecosystems, especially OO and FI still have some semblance of natural habitat. However, further destruction and unwise use of the resources could cause damage to physical, chemical, geological and biological processes in nature, which could result to grave socio-economic and cultural consequences to the local communities whose livelihood and lifestyle depend on these valued wetlands.

Synthesis of Adaptation Options for Coastal Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Adaptation can help reduce the long-term costs associated with climate change. This document provides an introduction to climate change impacts and adaptation options for estuaries, beaches and coastal areas.

Modeling the local biodiversity impacts of agricultural water use: case study of a wetland in the coastal arid area of Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Verones, Francesca; Bartl, Karin; Pfister, Stephan; Jiménez Vílchez, Ricardo; Hellweg, Stefanie

2012-05-01

Global water use is dominated by agriculture and has considerable influence on people's livelihood and ecosystems, especially in semiarid and arid regions. Methods to address the impacts of water withdrawal and consumption on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems within life cycle assessment are still sparse and very generic. Regionalized characterization factors (CFs) for a groundwater-fed wetland at the arid coast of Peru are developed for groundwater and surface water withdrawal and consumption in order to address the spatial dependency of water use related impacts. Several agricultural scenarios for 2020 were developed in a workshop with local stakeholders and used for calculating total biodiversity impacts. In contrast to assumptions used in top-down approaches (e.g., Pfister et al. Environ. Sci Technol. 2009, 43, 4098 ), irrigation with surface water leads in this specific region to benefits for the groundwater-fed wetland, due to additional groundwater recharge from surplus irrigation water. However, irrigation with groundwater leads to ecological damage to the wetland. The CFs derived from the different scenarios are similar and can thus be used as general CFs for this region, helping local decision-makers to plan future agricultural development, including irrigation technologies, crop choices, and protection of the wetland. © 2012 American Chemical Society

National Wetlands Inventory Points

Data.gov (United States)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Wetland point features (typically wetlands that are too small to be as area features at the data scale) mapped as part of the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). The...

Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain Long Term Agroecosystem Research site, Tifton, GA

Science.gov (United States)

Timothy Strickland; David D. Bosch; Dinku M. Endale; Thomas L. Potter

2016-01-01

The Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain (GACP) physiographic region is an important agricultural production area within the southeastern U.S. that extends from Delaware in the Northeast to the Gulf Coast of Texas. The region consists mainly of low-elevation flat to rolling terrain with numerous streams, abundant rainfall, a complex coastline, and many wetlands. The GACP Long ...

Hurricane Recovery and Ecological Resilience: Measuring the Impacts of Wetland Alteration Post Hurricane Ike on the Upper TX Coast

Science.gov (United States)

Reja, Md Y.; Brody, Samuel D.; Highfield, Wesley E.; Newman, Galen D.

2017-12-01

Recovery after hurricane events encourages new development activities and allows reconstruction through the conversion of naturally occurring wetlands to other land uses. This research investigates the degree to which hurricane recovery activities in coastal communities are undermining the ability of these places to attenuate the impacts of future storm events. Specifically, it explores how and to what extent wetlands are being affected by the CWA Section 404 permitting program in the context of post-Hurricane Ike 2008 recovery. Wetland alteration patterns are examined by selecting a control group (Aransas and Brazoria counties with no hurricane impact) vs. study group (Chambers and Galveston counties with hurricane impact) research design with a pretest-posttest measurement analyzing the variables such as permit types, pre-post Ike permits, land cover classes, and within-outside the 100-year floodplain. Results show that permitting activities in study group have increased within the 100-year floodplain and palustrine wetlands continue to be lost compare to the control group. Simultaneously, post-Ike individual and nationwide permits increased in the Hurricane Ike impacted area. A binomial logistic regression model indicated that permits within the study group, undeveloped land cover class, and individual and nationwide permit type have a substantial effect on post-Ike permits, suggesting that post-Ike permits have significant impact on wetland losses. These findings indicate that recovery after the hurricane is compromising ecological resiliency in coastal communities. The study outcome may be applied to policy decisions in managing wetlands during a long-term recovery process to maintain natural function for future flood mitigation.

Forested wetland area and distribution: A forest and paper industry policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubensky, M.M.; Berg, R.S.; Berry, W.S.

1993-01-01

The policy statement from the 1988 National Wetlands Policy Forum included the amorphous and ambiguous phase no overall net loss of the nation's remaining wetlands base. To industry and thousands of non-industrial landowners, timber production represents a major function of wetlands. The authors cover historical aspects of wetlands protection, the controversial and politicized issue of wetlands delineation, proposed revisions to the wetlands criteria, regulatory issues related to the US Corp of Engineers and EPA, and compensatory mitigation. A package of economic incentives, education, and favorable tax treatment to encourage landowners to maintain their forested wetlands is suggested. 5 refs

Hydrology and Ecology of Freshwater Wetlands in Central Florida - A Primer

Science.gov (United States)

Haag, Kim H.; Lee, Terrie M.

2010-01-01

Freshwater wetlands are an integral part of central Florida, where thousands are distributed across the landscape. However, their relatively small size and vast numbers challenge efforts to characterize them collectively as a statewide water resource. Wetlands are a dominant landscape feature in Florida; in 1996, an estimated 11.4 million acres of wetlands occupied 29 percent of the area of the State. Wetlands represent a greater percentage of the land surface in Florida than in any other state in the conterminous United States. Statewide, 90 percent of the total wetland area is freshwater wetlands and 10 percent is coastal wetlands. About 55 percent of the freshwater wetlands in Florida are forested, 25 percent are marshes and emergent wetlands, 18 percent are scrub-shrub wetlands, and the remaining 2 percent are freshwater ponds. Freshwater wetlands are distributed differently in central Florida than in other parts of the State. In the panhandle and in northern Florida, there are fewer isolated wetlands than in the central and southern parts of the State, and few of those wetlands are affected by activities such as groundwater withdrawals. In southern Florida, the vast wetlands of the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp blanket the landscape and form contiguous shallow expanses of water, which often exhibit slow but continuous flow toward the southwestern coast. In contrast, the wetlands of central Florida are relatively small, numerous, mostly isolated, and widely distributed. In many places, wetlands are flanked by uplands, generating a mosaic of contrasting environments-unique wildlife habitat often adjacent to dense human development. As the population of central Florida increases, the number of residents living near wetlands also increases. Living in close proximity to wetlands provides many Floridians with an increased awareness of nature and an opportunity to examine the relationship between people and wetlands. Specifically, these residents can observe

Forecasting landscape effects of Mississippi River diversions on elevation and accretion in Louisiana deltaic wetlands under future environmental uncertainty scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongqing; Steyer, Gregory D.; Couvillion, Brady R.; John M. Rybczyk,; Beck, Holly J.; William J. Sleavin,; Ehab A. Meselhe,; Mead A. Allison,; Ronald G. Boustany,; Craig J. Fischenich,; Victor H. Rivera-Monroy,

2014-01-01

Large sediment diversions are proposed and expected to build new wetlands to alleviate the extensive wetland loss (5,000 km2) affecting coastal Louisiana during the last 78 years. Current assessment and prediction of the impacts of sediment diversions have focused on the capture and dispersal of both water and sediment on the adjacent river side and the immediate outfall marsh area. However, little is known about the effects of sediment diversions on existing wetland surface elevation and vertical accretion dynamics in the receiving basin at the landscape scale. In this study, we used a spatial wetland surface elevation model developed in support of Louisiana's 2012 Coastal Master Plan to examine such landscape-scale effects of sediment diversions. Multiple sediment diversion projects were incorporated in the model to simulate surface elevation and vertical accretion for the next 50 years (2010-2060) under two environmental (moderate and less optimistic) scenarios. Specifically, we examined landscape-scale surface elevation and vertical accretion trends under diversions with different geographical locations, diverted discharge rates, and geomorphic characteristics of the receiving basin. Model results indicate that small diversions ( 1,500 m3 s-1) are required to achieve landscape-level benefits to promote surface elevation via vertical accretion to keep pace with rising sea level.

Prioritizing conservation areas for coastal plant diversity under increasing urbanization.

Science.gov (United States)

Doxa, Aggeliki; Albert, Cécile Hélène; Leriche, Agathe; Saatkamp, Arne

2017-10-01

Coastal urban expansion will continue to drive further biodiversity losses, if conservation targets for coastal ecosystems are not defined and met. Prioritizing areas for future protected area networks is thus an urgent task in such urbanization-threatened ecosystems. Our aim is to quantify past and future losses of coastal vegetation priority areas due to urbanization and assess the effectiveness of the existing protected area network for conservation. We conduct a prioritization analysis, based on 82 coastal plants, including common and IUCN red list species, in a highly-urbanized but biotically diverse region, in South-Eastern France. We evaluate the role of protected areas, by taking into account both strict and multi-use areas. We assess the impact of past and future urbanization on high priority areas, by combining prioritization analyses and urbanization models. We show that half of the highly diverse areas have already been lost due to urbanization. Remaining top priority areas are also among the most exposed to future urban expansion. The effectiveness of the existing protected area (PA) network is only partial. While strict PAs coincide well with top priority areas, they only represent less than one third of priority areas. The effectiveness of multi-use PAs, such as the Natura 2000 network, also remains limited. Our approach highlights the impact of urbanization on plant conservation targets. By modelling urbanization, we manage to identify those areas where protection could be more efficient to limit further losses. We suggest to use our approach in the future to expand the PA network in order to achieve the 2020 Aichi biodiversity targets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radar geomorphology of coastal and wetland environments

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, A. J.; Macdonald, H. C.

1973-01-01

Details regarding the collection of radar imagery over the past ten years are considered together with the geomorphic, geologic, and hydrologic data which have been extracted from radar imagery. Recent investigations were conducted of the Louisiana swamp marsh and the Oregon coast. It was found that radar imagery is a useful tool to the scientist involved in wetland research.

Louisiana coastal GIS network: Graphical user interface for access to spatial data

Science.gov (United States)

Hiland, Matteson; McBride, Randolph A.; Davis, Donald; Braud, Dewitt; Streiffer, Henry; Jones, Farrell; Lewis, Anthony; Williams, S.

1991-01-01

Louisiana's coastal wetlands support a large percentage of the nation's seafood and fur industries, vast deposits of oil and natural gas, habitat for thousands of species of plants and animals, winter nesting grounds and migratory paths for numerous waterfowl, and many recreational resources enjoyed by residents and tourists. Louisiana's wetlands also have the highest rates of coastal erosion and wetland loss in the nation. While numerous studies across many disciplines have been conducted on both local and regional scales, no complete inventory exists for this information. The Louisiana Coastal Geographic Information System Network (LCGISN) is currently being developed to facilitate access to existing data for coastal zone planners, managers, and researchers. The Louisiana Geological Survey (LGS), in cooperation with the LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology, the Computer Aided Design and Geographic Information Systems Research Laboratory (CADGIS), and others, is pursuing this project under the terms of a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey. LCGISN is an automated system for searching and retrieving geographic, cartographic, and bibliographic data. By linking original programming with an existing GIS software package and an industry standard relational database management system, LCGISN will provide the capability for users to search for data references by interactively defining the area of interest on a displayed map/image reference background. Several agencies will be networked to provide easy access to a wide variety of information. LCGISN, with its headquarters at LGS, will serve as the central node on the network, providing data format conversions, projection and datum transformations, and storage of several of the most commonly used data sets. Thematic mapper data, USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle map boundaries, political and legal boundaries, major transportation routes, and other digital data will provide a base map to aid the user in

A global classification of coastal flood hazard climates associated with large-scale oceanographic forcing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rueda, Ana; Vitousek, Sean; Camus, Paula; Tomás, Antonio; Espejo, Antonio; Losada, Inigo J; Barnard, Patrick L; Erikson, Li H; Ruggiero, Peter; Reguero, Borja G; Mendez, Fernando J

2017-07-11

Coastal communities throughout the world are exposed to numerous and increasing threats, such as coastal flooding and erosion, saltwater intrusion and wetland degradation. Here, we present the first global-scale analysis of the main drivers of coastal flooding due to large-scale oceanographic factors. Given the large dimensionality of the problem (e.g. spatiotemporal variability in flood magnitude and the relative influence of waves, tides and surge levels), we have performed a computer-based classification to identify geographical areas with homogeneous climates. Results show that 75% of coastal regions around the globe have the potential for very large flooding events with low probabilities (unbounded tails), 82% are tide-dominated, and almost 49% are highly susceptible to increases in flooding frequency due to sea-level rise.

Biological and chemical evaluation of sewage water pollution in the Rietvlei nature reserve wetland area, South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberholster, P.J.; Botha, A.-M.; Cloete, T.E.

2008-01-01

Macroinvertebrate communities in Rietvlei nature reserve wetland area and their relationship with water quality were studied with the aim to evaluate their use as potential indicators of pollution. Sampling locations were selected to include outlets from swage effluent, agricultural and informal residential runoff. A large increase in nutrient concentrations was observed downstream from discharged treated sewage with an associated decrease in species richness. Bioassays performed included: Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuate, Lactuca sativa, Allium cepa and Pyxicephalus adspersus. The highest percentage of lethality response to a screen (100% concentration) of sampled wetland water by test specimens were observed at the point source input of the Hartbeespoort treated sewage plant. Data generated from the AUSRIVAS method and multitrophic level bioassays revealed the deterioration of the wetland possibly due to factors such as increasing urbanization, industrialization, agriculture runoff and rapid human settlement in the Hennops River catchment area and its principal tributaries. - Bioassays confirmed the degradation of a freshwater wetland system due to effluent from a variety of sources

Biological and chemical evaluation of sewage water pollution in the Rietvlei nature reserve wetland area, South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oberholster, P.J. [CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa)], E-mail: anna.oberholster@up.ac.za; Botha, A.-M. [Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Hillcrest, Pretoria ZA002 (South Africa); Cloete, T.E. [Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Hillcrest, Pretoria ZA002 (South Africa)

2008-11-15

Macroinvertebrate communities in Rietvlei nature reserve wetland area and their relationship with water quality were studied with the aim to evaluate their use as potential indicators of pollution. Sampling locations were selected to include outlets from swage effluent, agricultural and informal residential runoff. A large increase in nutrient concentrations was observed downstream from discharged treated sewage with an associated decrease in species richness. Bioassays performed included: Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuate, Lactuca sativa, Allium cepa and Pyxicephalus adspersus. The highest percentage of lethality response to a screen (100% concentration) of sampled wetland water by test specimens were observed at the point source input of the Hartbeespoort treated sewage plant. Data generated from the AUSRIVAS method and multitrophic level bioassays revealed the deterioration of the wetland possibly due to factors such as increasing urbanization, industrialization, agriculture runoff and rapid human settlement in the Hennops River catchment area and its principal tributaries. - Bioassays confirmed the degradation of a freshwater wetland system due to effluent from a variety of sources.

Wetlands in a changing climate: Science, policy and management

Science.gov (United States)

Moomaw, William R.; Chmura, G.L.; Davies, Gillian T.; Finlayson, Max; Middleton, Beth A.; Natali, Sue M.; Perry, James; Roulet, Nigel; Sutton-Grier, Ariana

2018-01-01

Part 1 of this review synthesizes recent research on status and climate vulnerability of freshwater and saltwater wetlands, and their contribution to addressing climate change (carbon cycle, adaptation, resilience). Peatlands and vegetated coastal wetlands are among the most carbon rich sinks on the planet sequestering approximately as much carbon as do global forest ecosystems. Estimates of the consequences of rising temperature on current wetland carbon storage and future carbon sequestration potential are summarized. We also demonstrate the need to prevent drying of wetlands and thawing of permafrost by disturbances and rising temperatures to protect wetland carbon stores and climate adaptation/resiliency ecosystem services. Preventing further wetland loss is found to be important in limiting future emissions to meet climate goals, but is seldom considered. In Part 2, the paper explores the policy and management realm from international to national, subnational and local levels to identify strategies and policies reflecting an integrated understanding of both wetland and climate change science. Specific recommendations are made to capture synergies between wetlands and carbon cycle management, adaptation and resiliency to further enable researchers, policy makers and practitioners to protect wetland carbon and climate adaptation/resiliency ecosystem services.

Seasonal movements and multiscale habitat selection of Whooping Crane (Grus americana) in natural and agricultural wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Pickens, Bradley A.; King, Sammy L.; Vasseur, Phillip L.; Zimorski, Sara E.; Selman, Will

2017-01-01

Eleven of 15 species of cranes (family: Gruidae) are considered vulnerable or endangered, and the increase of agriculture and aquaculture at the expense of natural wetlands and grasslands is a threat to Gruidae worldwide. A reintroduced population of Whooping Crane (Grus americana) was studied in coastal and agricultural wetlands of Louisiana and Texas, USA. The objectives were to compare Whooping Crane movements across seasons, quantify multiscale habitat selection, and identify seasonal shifts in selection. Whooping Cranes (n = 53) were tracked with satellite transmitters to estimate seasonal core-use areas (50% home range contours) via Brownian bridge movement models and assess habitat selection. Whooping Crane core-use areas (n = 283) ranged from 4.7 to 438.0 km2, and habitat selection changed seasonally as shallow water availability varied. Whooping Crane core-use areas were composed of more fresh marsh in spring/summer, but shifted towards rice and crawfish (Procambarus spp.) aquaculture in the fall/winter. Within core-use areas, aquaculture was most strongly selected, particularly in fall when fresh marsh became unsuitable. Overall, the shifting of Whooping Crane habitat selection over seasons is likely to require large, heterogeneous areas. Whooping Crane use of agricultural and natural wetlands may depend on spatio-temporal dynamics of water depth.

GIS coupled Multiple Criteria based Decision Support for Classification of Urban Coastal Areas in India

Science.gov (United States)

Dhiman, R.; Kalbar, P.; Inamdar, A. B.

2017-12-01

Coastal area classification in India is a challenge for federal and state government agencies due to fragile institutional framework, unclear directions in implementation of costal regulations and violations happening at private and government level. This work is an attempt to improvise the objectivity of existing classification methods to synergies the ecological systems and socioeconomic development in coastal cities. We developed a Geographic information system coupled Multi-criteria Decision Making (GIS-MCDM) approach to classify urban coastal areas where utility functions are used to transform the costal features into quantitative membership values after assessing the sensitivity of urban coastal ecosystem. Furthermore, these membership values for costal features are applied in different weighting schemes to derive Coastal Area Index (CAI) which classifies the coastal areas in four distinct categories viz. 1) No Development Zone, 2) Highly Sensitive Zone, 3) Moderately Sensitive Zone and 4) Low Sensitive Zone based on the sensitivity of urban coastal ecosystem. Mumbai, a coastal megacity in India is used as case study for demonstration of proposed method. Finally, uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo approach to validate the sensitivity of CAI under specific multiple scenarios is carried out. Results of CAI method shows the clear demarcation of coastal areas in GIS environment based on the ecological sensitivity. CAI provides better decision support for federal and state level agencies to classify urban coastal areas according to the regional requirement of coastal resources considering resilience and sustainable development. CAI method will strengthen the existing institutional framework for decision making in classification of urban coastal areas where most effective coastal management options can be proposed.

Integrated coastal area management: The case of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Swamy, G.N.

ofindustries, shipping, ports, fishing, mining, urbanisation and tourism. All these affect the coastal areas. Coastal zone takes the brunt of industrial pressure, environmental degradation, marine life depletion, socia-economic conflicts and security threats... first. Marine life depletes affecting the sustainable fish catch and the marine food chain. Socio-economic conflicts between the industry-oriented society and the marine/agrarian society lead to new legal tangles and ethnic upheavals. Security threats...

Dynamic characteristics of soil respiration in Yellow River Delta wetlands, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao; Luo, Xianxiang; Jia, Hongli; Zheng, Hao

2018-02-01

The stable soil carbon (C) pool in coastal wetlands, referred to as "blue C", which has been extensively damaged by climate change and soil degradation, is of importance to maintain global C cycle. Therefore, to investigate the dynamic characteristics of soil respiration rate and evaluate C budgets in coastal wetlands are urgently. In this study, the diurnal and seasonal variation of soil respiration rate in the reed wetland land (RL) and the bare wetland land (BL) was measured in situ with the dynamic gas-infrared CO2 method in four seasons, and the factors impacted on the dynamic characteristics of soil respiration were investigated. The results showed that the diurnal variation of soil respiration rate consistently presented a "U" curve pattern in April, July, and September, with the maximum values at 12:00 a.m. and the minimum values at 6:00 a.m. In the same season, the diurnal soil respiration rate in RL was significantly greater than those in BL (P respiration rate was 0.14, 0.42, and 0.39 μmol m-2 s-1 in RL, 0.05, 0.22, 0.13, and 0.01 μmol m-2 s-1 in BL, respectively. Soil surface temperature was the primary factor that influenced soil respiration, which was confirmed by the exponential positive correlation between the soil respiration rate and soil surface temperature in BL and RL (P respiration, confirming by the significantly negative correlation between soil respiration rate and the content of soluble salt. These results will be useful for understanding the mechanisms underlying soil respiration and elevating C sequestration potential in the coastal wetlands.

The Carbon Budget of Coastal Waters of Eastern North America

Science.gov (United States)

Najjar, R.; Boyer, E. W.; Burdige, D.; Butman, D. E.; Cai, W. J.; Canuel, E. A.; Chen, R. F.; Friedrichs, M. A.; Griffith, P. C.; Herrmann, M.; Kemp, W. M.; Kroeger, K. D.; Mannino, A.; McCallister, S. L.; McGillis, W. R.; Mulholland, M. R.; Salisbury, J.; Signorini, S. R.; Tian, H.; Tzortziou, M.; Vlahos, P.; Wang, A. Z.; Zimmerman, R. C.; Pilskaln, C. H.

2015-12-01

Observations and the output of numerical and statistical models are synthesized to construct a carbon budget of the coastal waters of eastern North America. The domain extends from the head of tide to (roughly) the continental shelf break and from southern Florida to southern Nova Scotia. The domain area is 2% tidal wetlands, 19% estuarine open water, and 78% shelf water. Separate budgets are constructed for inorganic and organic carbon; for tidal wetlands, estuaries, and shelf waters; and for three main subregions: the Gulf of Maine, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and the South Atlantic Bight. Net primary production for the study region is about 150 Tg C yr-1, with 12% occurring in tidal wetlands and 7% in estuaries. Though respiration and photosynthesis are nearly balanced in most systems and regions, tidal wetlands and shelf waters are each found to be net autotrophic whereas estuaries are net heterotrophic. The domain as a whole is a sink of 5 Tg C yr-1 of atmospheric CO2, with tidal wetlands and shelf waters taking up 10 Tg C yr-1 (split roughly equally) and estuaries releasing 5 Tg C yr-1 to the atmosphere. Carbon burial is about 3 Tg C yr-1, split roughly equally among tidal wetlands, estuaries, and shelf waters. Rivers supply 6-7 Tg C yr-1 to estuaries, about 2/3 of which is organic. Tidal wetlands supply an additional 4 Tg C yr-1 to estuaries, about half of which is organic. Carbon in organic and inorganic forms is exported from estuaries to shelf waters and from shelf waters to the open ocean. In summary, tidal wetlands and estuaries, though small in area, contribute substantially to the overall carbon budget of the region.

Characteristics and environmental carrying capacities of coastal area in Yogyakarta Special Region for aquaculture

Science.gov (United States)

Triyatmo, B.; Rustadi; Priyono, S. B.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study were to determine characteristics and environmental carrying capacities of coastal area in Yogyakarta Special Region for aquaculture. This study was conducted in 2015 by characterizing land and water dynamics, land use, and the suitability of coastal environments for aquaculture. Evaluation on the coastal environments suitability for aquaculture ponds was based on the landforms, soil properties, water quality and land. Selection of coastal locations for aquaculture development was based on the level of suitability of coastal environment. The results showed that the coastal in Kulon Progo and Bantul Regencies were characterized by sand dune and beach ridge with sandy soil texture, while in Gunungkidul Regency was characterized by limestone hill with rocky texture. Water sources of the coastal area were the sea, river, and ground water with the salinity of 31–37, 7–11, 7–31 ppt and pH of 7.4–8.4 7.0–8.2 and 7.4–9.9, respectively. The coastal lands were used for seasonal/annual planting, ponds, fish landing sites, tourism areas and conservation areas. The coastal carrying capacity was rather suitable for aquaculture, especially in the sandy soil area. Aquaculture in that area can be done intensively for shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), using biocrete (biological material) or plastic sheet.

Studies of Louisiana's Deltas and Wetlands using SAR

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, C. E.

2017-12-01

Sustainable coastal environments exist in delicate balance between subsidence, erosion, and sea level rise on one hand and accretion of sediment and retention of decomposing organic matter on the other. In this talk we present results from a series of studies using an airborne L-band SAR (UAVSAR) to measure changing conditions in the Mississippi River Delta and coastal wetlands of Louisiana. Change within the Mississippi River delta (MRD), which is a highly engineered environment, is contrasted to those in the Wax Lake Delta, a small, naturally evolving delta located to the west of the current-day lobe of the MRD. The UAVSAR studies provide evidence that in the MRD subsidence and erosion related to human activities are increasing risk of flooding, submergence, and land loss. These are not seen in the Wax Lake Delta, where new land is forming. We evaluate geomorphic and hydrologic changes In the Wax Lake Delta and wetlands hydrologically connected to the Wax Lake Outlet canal that are apparent on the timescales of the UAVSAR data set, which consists of both near-yearly acquisitions (2009-2016) and several series of repeat acquisitions in 2015 and 2016 capturing conditions across a tidal cycle. Using the yearly data, we observe the evolution of subaqueous channels and crevasses in the delta and changes in distributary channels within the wetlands. We use water level change derived from InSAR applied to the rapid repeat data acquired during different stages of a tidal cycle to study the natural pattern of water flux within the delta and the coastal wetlands. The studies, results, and plans for future work will be presented. This work was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contracts with the California Dept. of Water Resources and with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Hurricane-induced failure of low salinity wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Howes, Nick C.; FitzGerald, Duncan M.; Hughes, Zoe J.; Georgiou, Ioannis Y.; Kulp, Mark A.; Miner, Michael D.; Smith, Jane M.; Barras, John A.

2010-01-01

During the 2005 hurricane season, the storm surge and wave field associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita eroded 527 km2 of wetlands within the Louisiana coastal plain. Low salinity wetlands were preferentially eroded, while higher salinity wetlands remained robust and largely unchanged. Here we highlight geotechnical differences between the soil profiles of high and low salinity regimes, which are controlled by vegetation and result in differential erosion. In low salinity wetlands, a weak zone (shear strength 500–1450 Pa) was observed ∼30 cm below the marsh surface, coinciding with the base of rooting. High salinity wetlands had no such zone (shear strengths > 4500 Pa) and contained deeper rooting. Storm waves during Hurricane Katrina produced shear stresses between 425–3600 Pa, sufficient to cause widespread erosion of the low salinity wetlands. Vegetation in low salinity marshes is subject to shallower rooting and is susceptible to erosion during large magnitude storms; these conditions may be exacerbated by low inorganic sediment content and high nutrient inputs. The dramatic difference in resiliency of fresh versus more saline marshes suggests that the introduction of freshwater to marshes as part of restoration efforts may therefore weaken existing wetlands rendering them vulnerable to hurricanes. PMID:20660777

Library Development Strategy for The Community at Coastal Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Suharso, Putut; Sudardi, Bani; Teguh Widodo, Sahid; Kusumo Habsari, Sri

2018-02-01

This study aims to reveal various phenomena of the existence of libraries in coastal areas, especially to pay a particular attention to the relation power between various interests of the library, especially the managers and the community as the users and to explore how both parties understand and imagine the idea of library through the developing the library as a center of learning and skill development. The design of the research is explorative qualitative. Applying case study approach, the location of this research is in a coastal area, in the floating library of Tambak Lorok coastal, Semarang. Data are collected through observation and in-depth interviews with several parties involved. To examine the validity of data, this study applies a triangulation technique of sources focusing on key informants living in the community. The result of this research shows that the existence of library in the coastal area is more than the common belief to the function of library. Although finding shows that the government’s attitude to support the development of the library has been as expected through producing some regulations, the response of the community to the development of the library is far beyond the expectation. Some drawbacks found are in the handling of library management which is still lack of implementation from the initial planning and the absence of integrated coastal resources management resulted from low understanding and mastery of policy makers and implementers of the national library program. However, the community has developed a community-based management which is an approach that has been widely used in various regions as an effort to empower themselves through utilizing any existed facilities, in this case is the library. Community has successfully produced an initiative of developing integrated coastal resource management programs which are still hard to find in Indonesia, especially those involving library institutions.

Review of the Distribution of Waterbirds in Two Tropical coastal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

Areview of waterbirds was undertaken in two coastal Ramsar lagoons, namely the Keta and Muni Ramsar ... waterbirds, the East Atlantic Flyway and the ... In fact, Ghana‟s coastal wetlands are ...... such as mangrove forests, which serve as.

Channel Shallowing as Mitigation of Coastal Flooding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip M. Orton

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Here, we demonstrate that reductions in the depth of inlets or estuary channels can be used to reduce or prevent coastal flooding. A validated hydrodynamic model of Jamaica Bay, New York City (NYC, is used to test nature-based adaptation measures in ameliorating flooding for NYC's two largest historical coastal flood events. In addition to control runs with modern bathymetry, three altered landscape scenarios are tested: (1 increasing the area of wetlands to their 1879 footprint and bathymetry, but leaving deep shipping channels unaltered; (2 shallowing all areas deeper than 2 m in the bay to be 2 m below Mean Low Water; (3 shallowing only the narrowest part of the inlet to the bay. These three scenarios are deliberately extreme and designed to evaluate the leverage each approach exerts on water levels. They result in peak water level reductions of 0.3%, 15%, and 6.8% for Hurricane Sandy, and 2.4%, 46% and 30% for the Category-3 hurricane of 1821, respectively (bay-wide averages. These results suggest that shallowing can provide greater flood protection than wetland restoration, and it is particularly effective at reducing "fast-pulse" storm surges that rise and fall quickly over several hours, like that of the 1821 storm. Nonetheless, the goal of flood mitigation must be weighed against economic, navigation, and ecological needs, and practical concerns such as the availability of sediment.

Exposure and Figure Out of Climate Induced Alterations in the Wetlands of Banglades

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiquee, S. A.; Rahman, M. Z.

2015-12-01

Unique geographic location and geo-morphological conditions of Bangladesh have made the wetlands of this country one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Wetland plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of ecosystems and cultural figures and which occupy around 50% of the area. Drought, excessive temperature, mountain snowfields and glaciers melting, riverbank erosion, salinity intrusion, flashflood, storm surges, higher water temperatures, precipitation anomalies, coastal cyclones, seasonal anomalies and extremes are main threats to the wetland ecosystem. Enhanced UV-B radiation and increased summer precipitation will significantly increase dissolved organic carbon concentrations altering major biogeochemical cycles and also will result into the expansion of range for many invasive aquatic weeds. Generally, rising temperature will lower water quality through a fall in oxygen concentrations, release of phosphorus from sediments, increased thermal stability, and altered mixing patterns. As a result biodiversity is getting degraded, many species of flora and fauna are getting threatened, and wetland-based ecosystem is getting degenerated. At the same time, the living conditions of local people are deteriorating as livelihoods, socioeconomic institutions, and extensive cultural values as well. For conserving and managing wetlands technology, legislation, educational knowledge, action plan strategy and restoration practices are required. In order to address the human needs in the changing climate community-based adaptation approaches and wetland restoration, practices had been taken in almost every type of wetlands in Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladesh now needs a comprehensive strategy and integrated system combining political, economic, social, technological approaches and institutional supports to address sustainable wetland restoration, conservation and the newly added crisis, climate change.

Dissolved Platinum Concentrations in Coastal Seawater: Boso to Sanriku Areas, Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Mashio, Asami Suzuki; Obata, Hajime; Gamo, Toshitaka

2017-08-01

Platinum, one of the rarest elements in the earth's crust, is now widely used in a range of products, such as catalytic converters in automobiles and anticancer drugs. Increasing use and dispersal of platinum has the potential to affect aquatic environments. Platinum concentrations in open ocean seawater have been found to be very low (approximately 0.2 pmol/L); however, Pt distributions and biogeochemical cycles in coastal areas are unknown. In this study, we investigated Pt concentrations in coastal waters between the Boso and Sanriku areas, Japan, after the 2011 tsunami. We determined sub-picomolar levels of dissolved Pt using isotope-dilution Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after column preconcentration with an anion exchange resin. Dissolved Pt concentrations were found to be in the range 0.20-1.5 pmol/L, with the highest concentration in bottom water of the Boso coastal area, and at stations close to Tokyo Bay. Assuming thermodynamical equilibrium, Pt was determined to be present in the form PtCl 5 (OH) 2- , even in low-oxygen coastal waters. Vertical profiles indicated Pt levels increased toward seafloors near coastal stations and were similar to those of the open ocean at trench stations. High concentrations of dissolved Pt are thought to be derived from coastal sediments.

How a clogged canal effects ecological and human health in a tropical urban wetland ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

The coastal city of San Juan, Puerto Rico is a tropical urban ecosystem interwoven among a series of interconnected bays, lagoons, canals, and mangrove wetlands. As the city has expanded, infilling and urban encroachment on what was previously mangrove wetland and open estuarine ...

Kansas Protects and Restores Wetlands, Streams and Riparian Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Wetland Program Development Grant (WPDG) in 2007 when the Kansas State Conservation Commission began identifying team members interested in developing a framework for a comprehensive Kansas Wetland and Aquatic Resources Conservation Plan.

The Coastal Area Development Using GIS (Review of GIS Application Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prastowo Sutanto

2004-01-01

Full Text Available GIS, Geographical Information System, is a means that an be used to plan and to develop the coastal area because in carrying out the analysis this system combines the space data and their  attributes. The activities done among others the prototype development of algae cultivation and tourism ativities, the development of fish pond location, the reclamation of the Jakarta Bay, and the concept of development the floating “Keramba” for pearl oysters and white sea fish similar to sole. GIS analysis with heaviness and overlay mapping yields the appropriate map to plan and to develop the coastal area. The result of GIS analysis can be used to plan and to develop the coastal area.

Wetland areas: Natural water treatment systems. (Latest citations from Pollution Abstracts). Published Search. [Dual use wildlife refuges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-12-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning the dual use of wetland areas as both water treatment systems and wildlife refuges. The ability of salt marshes, tidal flats, marshlands, and bogs to absorb and filter natural and synthetic wastes is examined. Topics include the effects of individual pollutants; environmental factors; species diversity; the cleansing ability of wetland areas; and the handling of sewage, industrial and municipal wastes, agricultural runoff, accidental spills, and flooding. (Contains 250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

East African wetland-catchment data base for sustainable wetland management

Science.gov (United States)

Leemhuis, Constanze; Amler, Esther; Diekkrüger, Bernd; Gabiri, Geofrey; Näschen, Kristian

2016-10-01

Wetlands cover an area of approx. 18 Mio ha in the East African countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, with still a relative small share being used for food production. Current upland agricultural use intensification in these countries due to demographic growth, climate change and globalization effects are leading to an over-exploitation of the resource base, followed by an intensification of agricultural wetland use. We aim on translating, transferring and upscaling knowledge on experimental test-site wetland properties, small-scale hydrological processes, and water related ecosystem services under different types of management from local to national scale. This information gained at the experimental wetland/catchment scale will be embedded as reference data within an East African wetland-catchment data base including catchment physical properties and a regional wetland inventory serving as a base for policy advice and the development of sustainable wetland management strategies.

East African wetland-catchment data base for sustainable wetland management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Leemhuis

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Wetlands cover an area of approx. 18 Mio ha in the East African countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, with still a relative small share being used for food production. Current upland agricultural use intensification in these countries due to demographic growth, climate change and globalization effects are leading to an over-exploitation of the resource base, followed by an intensification of agricultural wetland use. We aim on translating, transferring and upscaling knowledge on experimental test-site wetland properties, small-scale hydrological processes, and water related ecosystem services under different types of management from local to national scale. This information gained at the experimental wetland/catchment scale will be embedded as reference data within an East African wetland-catchment data base including catchment physical properties and a regional wetland inventory serving as a base for policy advice and the development of sustainable wetland management strategies.

Resource competition model predicts zonation and increasing nutrient use efficiency along a wetland salinity gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Schoolmaster, Donald; Stagg, Camille L.

2018-01-01

A trade-off between competitive ability and stress tolerance has been hypothesized and empirically supported to explain the zonation of species across stress gradients for a number of systems. Since stress often reduces plant productivity, one might expect a pattern of decreasing productivity across the zones of the stress gradient. However, this pattern is often not observed in coastal wetlands that show patterns of zonation along a salinity gradient. To address the potentially complex relationship between stress, zonation, and productivity in coastal wetlands, we developed a model of plant biomass as a function of resource competition and salinity stress. Analysis of the model confirms the conventional wisdom that a trade-off between competitive ability and stress tolerance is a necessary condition for zonation. It also suggests that a negative relationship between salinity and production can be overcome if (1) the supply of the limiting resource increases with greater salinity stress or (2) nutrient use efficiency increases with increasing salinity. We fit the equilibrium solution of the dynamic model to data from Louisiana coastal wetlands to test its ability to explain patterns of production across the landscape gradient and derive predictions that could be tested with independent data. We found support for a number of the model predictions, including patterns of decreasing competitive ability and increasing nutrient use efficiency across a gradient from freshwater to saline wetlands. In addition to providing a quantitative framework to support the mechanistic hypotheses of zonation, these results suggest that this simple model is a useful platform to further build upon, simulate and test mechanistic hypotheses of more complex patterns and phenomena in coastal wetlands.

Spatial distribution of mercury in southeastern Alaskan streams influenced by glaciers, wetlands, and salmon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagorski, Sonia A.; Engstrom, Daniel R.; Hudson, John P.; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Hood, Eran; DeWild, John F.; Aiken, George R.

2014-01-01

Southeastern Alaska is a remote coastal-maritime ecosystem that is experiencing increased deposition of mercury (Hg) as well as rapid glacier loss. Here we present the results of the first reported survey of total and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in regional streams and biota. Overall, streams draining large wetland areas had higher Hg concentrations in water, mayflies, and juvenile salmon than those from glacially-influenced or recently deglaciated watersheds. Filtered MeHg was positively correlated with wetland abundance. Aqueous Hg occurred predominantly in the particulate fraction of glacier streams but in the filtered fraction of wetland-rich streams. Colonization by anadromous salmon in both glacier and wetland-rich streams may be contributing additional marine-derived Hg. The spatial distribution of Hg in the range of streams presented here shows that watersheds are variably, yet fairly predictably, sensitive to atmospheric and marine inputs of Hg. -- Highlights: • We sampled 21 streams in southeastern Alaska for water, sediments, and biota. • Aqueous Hg showed significant relationships with wetlands and DOC. • Biota had higher mercury in wetland-rich streams than in glacier-fed streams. • Spawning salmon appear to contribute methylmercury to stream foodwebs. -- This original survey of mercury concentration and form in southeastern Alaskan streamwater and biota shows substantial spatial variation linked to landscape factors and salmon influence

Menaces and environmental risks in the Colombian coastal areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, David A; Vides, Martha P; Londono, Marelvis

2002-01-01

The paper includes topics like the vulnerability of the areas coastal Colombians, inventory and characteristics of the areas, identification of the excellent development factors and evaluation of physical and natural changes, among other topics

Relating groundwater to seasonal wetlands in southeastern Wisconsin, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Skalbeck, J.D.; Reed, D.M.; Hunt, R.J.; Lambert, J.D.

2009-01-01

Historically, drier types of wetlands have been difficult to characterize and are not well researched. Nonetheless, they are considered to reflect the precipitation history with little, if any, regard for possible relation to groundwater. Two seasonal coastal wetland types (wet prairie, sedge meadow) were investigated during three growing seasons at three sites in the Lake Michigan Basin, Wisconsin, USA. The six seasonal wetlands were characterized using standard soil and vegetation techniques and groundwater measurements from the shallow and deep systems. They all met wetland hydrology criteria (e.g., water within 30 cm of land surface for 5% of the growing season) during the early portion of the growing season despite the lack of appreciable regional groundwater discharge into the wetland root zones. Although root-zone duration analyses did not fit a lognormal distribution previously noted in groundwater-dominated wetlands, they were able to discriminate between the plant communities and showed that wet prairie communities had shorter durations of continuous soil saturation than sedge meadow communities. These results demonstrate that the relative rates of groundwater outflows can be important for wetland hydrology and resulting wetland type. Thus, regional stresses to the shallow groundwater system such as pumping or low Great Lake levels can be expected to affect even drier wetland types. ?? Springer-Verlag 2008.

No association between the use of Bti for mosquito control and the dynamics of non-target aquatic invertebrates in French coastal and continental wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagadic, Laurent; Schäfer, Ralf B.; Roucaute, Marc; Szöcs, Eduard; Chouin, Sébastien; Maupeou, Jérôme de; Duchet, Claire

2016-01-01

The environmental safety of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) is still controversial, mainly because most of the previous field studies on its undesired effects were spatially limited and did not address the relationship between community similarity and application time and frequency. No general statement can therefore be drawn on the usage conditions of Bti that insure protection of non-target organisms. The present study was conducted in eight sites distributed over the main geographical sectors where mosquito control is implemented in mainland France and Corsica. Changes in non-target aquatic invertebrates were followed at elapsed time after repeated applications of two Bti formulations (VectoBac® WDG or 12AS) up to four consecutive years. We examined the influence of both larvicide treatments and environmental variables on community dynamics and dissimilarity between treated and control areas. As it can be argued that chironomids are the most vulnerable group of non-target invertebrates, we scrutinised potential Bti-related effects on the dynamics of their community. The use of VectoBac® WDG and 12AS in coastal and continental wetlands had no immediate or long-term detectable effect on the taxonomic structure and taxa abundance of non-target aquatic invertebrate communities, including chironomids. This applied to the main habitats where mosquito larvae occur, regardless of their geographic location. Flooding, whose frequency and duration depend on local meteorological and hydrological conditions, was identified as the main environmental driver of invertebrate community dynamics. Our findings add support to the environmental safety of currently available Bti formulations when following recommended application rates and best mosquito control practices. - Highlights: • Bti is used in a variety of continental and coastal wetlands against mosquito larvae. • Bti dosages recommended for mosquito control do not affect non-target invertebrates. �

No association between the use of Bti for mosquito control and the dynamics of non-target aquatic invertebrates in French coastal and continental wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lagadic, Laurent, E-mail: Laurent.Lagadic@rennes.inra.fr [INRA, UMR985 Écologie et Santé des Écosystèmes, Agrocampus Ouest, 65 rue de Saint Brieuc, F-35042 Rennes (France); Schäfer, Ralf B. [Quantitative Landscape Ecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829 Landau (Germany); Roucaute, Marc [INRA, UMR985 Écologie et Santé des Écosystèmes, Agrocampus Ouest, 65 rue de Saint Brieuc, F-35042 Rennes (France); Szöcs, Eduard [Quantitative Landscape Ecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829 Landau (Germany); Chouin, Sébastien; Maupeou, Jérôme de [Etablissement Interdépartemental pour la Démoustication du Littoral Atlantique, 1 rue Toufaire, F-17300 Rochefort-sur-Mer (France); Duchet, Claire [Entente Interdépartementale pour la Démoustication du Littoral Méditerranéen, 165 avenue Paul-Rimbaud, F-34184 Montpellier (France); and others

2016-05-15

The environmental safety of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) is still controversial, mainly because most of the previous field studies on its undesired effects were spatially limited and did not address the relationship between community similarity and application time and frequency. No general statement can therefore be drawn on the usage conditions of Bti that insure protection of non-target organisms. The present study was conducted in eight sites distributed over the main geographical sectors where mosquito control is implemented in mainland France and Corsica. Changes in non-target aquatic invertebrates were followed at elapsed time after repeated applications of two Bti formulations (VectoBac® WDG or 12AS) up to four consecutive years. We examined the influence of both larvicide treatments and environmental variables on community dynamics and dissimilarity between treated and control areas. As it can be argued that chironomids are the most vulnerable group of non-target invertebrates, we scrutinised potential Bti-related effects on the dynamics of their community. The use of VectoBac® WDG and 12AS in coastal and continental wetlands had no immediate or long-term detectable effect on the taxonomic structure and taxa abundance of non-target aquatic invertebrate communities, including chironomids. This applied to the main habitats where mosquito larvae occur, regardless of their geographic location. Flooding, whose frequency and duration depend on local meteorological and hydrological conditions, was identified as the main environmental driver of invertebrate community dynamics. Our findings add support to the environmental safety of currently available Bti formulations when following recommended application rates and best mosquito control practices. - Highlights: • Bti is used in a variety of continental and coastal wetlands against mosquito larvae. • Bti dosages recommended for mosquito control do not affect non-target invertebrates. �

Chemical Properties of Pore Water and Sediment at Three Wetland Sites Near the F- and H-Area Seepage Basins, Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friday, G.P.

2001-05-15

In 1980, vegetative stress and arboreal mortality in wetland plant communities down-gradient from the F- and H-Area seepage basins were detected using aerial imagery. By 1988, approximately six acres in H-Area and four acres in F-Area had been adversely impacted. Today, wetland plant communities have become well established at the H-Area tree-kill zone.

Utilizing NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Data to Determine Ideal Planting Locations for Wetland Tree Species in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Reahard, Ross; Arguelles, Maria; Strong, Emma; Ewing, Michael; Kelly, Chelsey

2012-01-01

St. Bernard Parish, in southeast Louisiana, is rapidly losing coastal forests and wetlands due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. subsidence, saltwater intrusion, low sedimentation, nutrient deficiency, herbivory, canal dredging, levee construction, spread of invasive species, etc.). After Hurricane Katrina severely impacted the area in 2005, multiple Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have worked not only on rebuilding destroyed dwellings, but on rebuilding the ecosystems that once protected the citizens of St. Bernard Parish. Volunteer groups, NGOs, and government entities often work separately and independently of each other and use different sets of information to choose the best planting sites for coastal forests. Using NASA EOS, NRCS soil surveys, and ancillary road and canal data in conjunction with ground truthing, the team created maps of optimal planting sites for several species of wetland trees to aid in unifying these organizations, who share a common goal, under one plan. The methodology for this project created a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) to help identify suitable planting sites in St. Bernard Parish. This included supplementing existing elevation data using LIDAR data and classifying existing land cover in the study area from ASTER multispectral satellite data. Low altitude AVIRIS hyperspectral imagery was used to assess the health of vegetation over an area near the intersection of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Canal (MRGO) and Bayou la Loutre. Historic extent of coastal forests was mapped using aerial photos from USGS collected between 1952 and 1956. The final products demonstrated the utility of combining NASA EOS with other geospatial data in assessing, monitoring, and restoring of coastal ecosystems in Louisiana. This methodology also provides a useful template for other ecological forecasting and coastal restoration applications.

Nitrate fate and transport through current and former depressional wetlands in an agricultural landscape, Choptank Watershed, Maryland, United States

Science.gov (United States)

Denver, J.M.; Ator, S.W.; Lang, M.W.; Fisher, T.R.; Gustafson, A.B.; Fox, R.; Clune, J.W.; McCarty, G.W.

2014-01-01

Understanding local groundwater hydrology and geochemistry is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of wetlands at mitigating agricultural impacts on surface waters. The effectiveness of depressional wetlands at mitigating nitrate (NO3) transport from fertilized row crops, through groundwater, to local streams was examined in the watershed of the upper Choptank River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Hydrologic, geochemical, and water quality data were collected from January of 2008 through December of 2009 from surface waters and networks of piezometers installed in and around current or former depressional wetlands of three major types along a gradient of anthropogenic alteration: (1) natural wetlands with native vegetation (i.e., forested); (2) prior-converted croplands, which are former wetlands located in cultivated fields; and (3) hydrologically restored wetlands, including one wetland restoration and one shallow water management area. These data were collected to estimate the orientation of groundwater flow paths and likely interactions of groundwater containing NO3 from agricultural sources with reducing conditions associated with wetlands of different types. Natural wetlands were found to have longer periods of soil saturation and reducing conditions conducive to denitrification compared to the other wetland types studied. Because natural wetlands are typically located in groundwater recharge areas along watershed divides, nitrogen (N) from nearby agriculture was not intercepted. However, these wetlands likely improve water quality in adjacent streams via dilution. Soil and geochemical conditions conducive to denitrification were also present in restored wetlands and prior-converted croplands, and substantial losses of agricultural NO3 were observed in groundwater flowing through these wetland sediments. However, delivery of NO3 from agricultural areas through groundwater to these wetlands resulting in opportunities for

Eco-Geography of Coastal Areas: Sosio-Economy Dynamic of Land Ownership of Coastal Areas of Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Baiquni

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Indonesia constitute an archipelagic state which passesses resource of ocean, ecosystem of coast area and social economy dynamics of various maritime society. The nation of Indonesia had ever been welknown as a maritime nation which dominated Nusantara territorial waters as far as neighbour state. Fish cultivation in embankruent  system has been being known since the era of Mojopahit Kingdom and likewise boat industry was held along the north-oast of Java which was ever glorius in the beginning of Dutch Colonialism. But, up to now why a large part of Indonesian fishermen are still using simple technology and method in fishery and fish cultivation? Change in policy within Dutch era development. Which was farm land oriented and plantation had influenced the maritime tradition slip off. Opening of railway and land tract transportation in Java had changed economic ativity pattern of the oast area to hinterland. Investment and human resource were councentrated to farmland development and plantation was directed to export so that it affected the coast area slip off which was basically fishery activity. Development after independence, mainly in the era of New Order, it started from farming activity raised to industry society. Coastal area came back to develop with industrial growth in the urbans of Java north coast. Nevertheless development in fishery does not yet return to show the sign of glorious untill the end of this age. It is  hoped that, with properly judment of the islands coastal area out of Java, goverment will direct  its policy and investment to develop the new maritime society to go against the glorious in the 21st century.

Ocean model system for radionuclides - validation and application to the Rokkasho coastal area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Takuya

2010-01-01

Coastal areas have complex environmental systems and often a high influence from the atmosphere, rivers and the open sea. A nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Japan releases liquid radioactive waste from a discharge pipe to such a complex coastal area. Consequently, the development of radionuclide migration forecast system in the ocean plays an important rule for assessing the behavior of radionuclides in the coastal area. The development of ocean model systems will be presented and model application will also be described. (author)

Impacts of the creation, expansion and management of English wetlands on mosquito presence and abundance - developing strategies for future disease mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Medlock, Jolyon M; Vaux, Alexander G C

2015-03-03

The incidence of mosquito-borne diseases is increasing in Europe, partly due to the incursion of a number of invasive species known to be vectors of dengue and chikungunya viruses, but also due to the involvement of native species in the transmission of West Nile virus and malaria. For some of these pathogens, there is a risk of the re-emergence of vector-borne diseases that were once widespread in Europe, but declined partly due to large-scale land-drainage projects. Some mosquito species exploit container habitats as breeding sites in urban areas; an adaptation to human-made micro-habitats resulting from increased urbanisation. However, many species thrive in natural wetland ecosystems. Owing to the impacts of climate change there is an urgent need for environmental adaptation, such as the creation of new wetlands to mitigate coastal and inland flooding. In some cases, these initiatives can be coupled with environmental change strategies to protect a range of endangered flora and fauna species by enhancing and extending wetland landscapes, which may by driven by European legislation, particularly in urban areas. This paper reviews field studies conducted in England to assess the impact of newly created wetlands on mosquito colonisation in a) coastal, b) urban and c) arable reversion habitats. It also considers the impact of wetland management on mosquito populations and explores the implications of various water and vegetation management options on the range of British mosquito species. Understanding the impact of wetland creation and management strategies on mosquito prevalence and the potential risk of increasing the levels of nuisance or disease vector species will be crucial in informing health and well-being risk assessments, guiding targeted control, and anticipating the social effects of extreme weather and climate change. Although new wetlands will certainly extend aquatic habitats for mosquitoes, not all species will become a major nuisance or a vector

Vulnerability assessment of storm surges in the coastal area of Guangdong Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Li

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Being bordered by the South China Sea and with long coastline, the coastal zone of Guangdong Province is often under severe risk of storm surges, as one of a few regions in China which is seriously threatened by storm surges. This article systematically analyzes the vulnerability factors of storm surges in the coastal area of Guangdong (from Yangjing to Shanwei. Five vulnerability assessment indicators of hazard-bearing bodies are proposed, which are social economic index, land use index, eco-environmental index, coastal construction index, and disaster-bearing capability index. Then storm surge vulnerability assessment index system in the coastal area of Guangdong is established. Additionally, the international general mode about coastal vulnerability assessment is improved, and the vulnerability evolution model of storm surges in the coastal area of Guangdong is constructed. Using ArcGIS, the vulnerability zoning map of storm surges in the study region is drawn. Results show that there is the highest degree of storm surge vulnerability in Zhuhai, Panyu, and Taishan; second in Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huiyang, and Haifeng; third in Jiangmen, Shanwei, Yangjiang, and Yangdong; fourth in Baoan, Kaiping, and Enping; and lowest in Guangzhou, Shunde, Shenzhen, and Longgang. This study on the risk of storm surges in these coastal cities can guide the land use of coastal cities in the future, and provide scientific advice for the government to prevent and mitigate the storm surge disasters. It has important theoretical and practical significance.

Ghost forest creation and the conversion of uplands to wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Kirwan, M. L.; Schieder, N. W.; Reay, W.

2017-12-01

Global sea level rise rates began accelerating sharply in the late 19th century, with an approximate tripling in sea level rise rates in many regions of the world. Some portions of the coastal landscape, such as marshes and barrier islands, survive relative sea level rise by natural eco-geomorphic processes that allow them to build elevation vertically and migrate landward. In contrast, adjacent uplands typically occupied by forests and agricultural fields have limited ability to resist the impacts of sea level rise. This portion of the coastal landscape consists of mostly salt intolerant plants, receives little mineral sediment deposition, and rarely builds elevation through the accumulation of soil organic matter. Thus, ghost forests- dead trees surrounded by marshland- are a prominent feature of many low-relief coastal landscapes, and represent a striking visual indicator of upland to wetland conversion. Here, we report preliminary results of several efforts designed to quantify rates and drivers of upland to wetland conversion in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Drone based canopy monitoring and ground-based seedling experiments suggest that ghost forests are created by episodic, storm-driven adult tree mortality paired with continuous seedling mortality. Preliminary comparisons between sediment cores and historical photographs from 5 sites in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina suggest that modern coastal forest retreat is 2-10 times faster than late-Holocene retreat rates, and that rates have accelerated in most decades since the 1930's. Finally, historical T-Sheet maps suggest that approximately 100,000 acres (400 km2) of uplands have converted to wetlands in the Chesapeake region, and that about 1/3 of all present-day marsh was created by upland drowning since the late 19th Century. Together, these observations indicate rapid coastal transgression, where low-relief, terrestrial portions of the coastal landscape are perhaps more sensitive to

Wetlands in changed landscapes: the influence of habitat transformation on the physico-chemistry of temporary depression wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, Matthew S; Day, Jenny A

2014-01-01

Temporary wetlands dominate the wet season landscape of temperate, semi-arid and arid regions, yet, other than their direct loss to development and agriculture, little information exists on how remaining wetlands have been altered by anthropogenic conversion of surrounding landscapes. This study investigates relationships between the extent and type of habitat transformation around temporary wetlands and their water column physico-chemical characteristics. A set of 90 isolated depression wetlands (seasonally inundated) occurring on coastal plains of the south-western Cape mediterranean-climate region of South Africa was sampled during the winter/spring wet season of 2007. Wetlands were sampled across habitat transformation gradients according to the areal cover of agriculture, urban development and alien invasive vegetation within 100 and 500 m radii of each wetland edge. We hypothesized that the principal drivers of physico-chemical conditions in these wetlands (e.g. soil properties, basin morphology) are altered by habitat transformation. Multivariate multiple regression analyses (distance-based Redundancy Analysis) indicated significant associations between wetland physico-chemistry and habitat transformation (overall transformation within 100 and 500 m, alien vegetation cover within 100 and 500 m, urban cover within 100 m); although for significant regressions the amount of variation explained was very low (range: ∼2 to ∼5.5%), relative to that explained by purely spatio-temporal factors (range: ∼35.5 to ∼43%). The nature of the relationships between each type of transformation in the landscape and individual physico-chemical variables in wetlands were further explored with univariate multiple regressions. Results suggest that conservation of relatively narrow (∼100 m) buffer strips around temporary wetlands is likely to be effective in the maintenance of natural conditions in terms of physico-chemical water quality.

Wetlands in changed landscapes: the influence of habitat transformation on the physico-chemistry of temporary depression wetlands.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew S Bird

Full Text Available Temporary wetlands dominate the wet season landscape of temperate, semi-arid and arid regions, yet, other than their direct loss to development and agriculture, little information exists on how remaining wetlands have been altered by anthropogenic conversion of surrounding landscapes. This study investigates relationships between the extent and type of habitat transformation around temporary wetlands and their water column physico-chemical characteristics. A set of 90 isolated depression wetlands (seasonally inundated occurring on coastal plains of the south-western Cape mediterranean-climate region of South Africa was sampled during the winter/spring wet season of 2007. Wetlands were sampled across habitat transformation gradients according to the areal cover of agriculture, urban development and alien invasive vegetation within 100 and 500 m radii of each wetland edge. We hypothesized that the principal drivers of physico-chemical conditions in these wetlands (e.g. soil properties, basin morphology are altered by habitat transformation. Multivariate multiple regression analyses (distance-based Redundancy Analysis indicated significant associations between wetland physico-chemistry and habitat transformation (overall transformation within 100 and 500 m, alien vegetation cover within 100 and 500 m, urban cover within 100 m; although for significant regressions the amount of variation explained was very low (range: ∼2 to ∼5.5%, relative to that explained by purely spatio-temporal factors (range: ∼35.5 to ∼43%. The nature of the relationships between each type of transformation in the landscape and individual physico-chemical variables in wetlands were further explored with univariate multiple regressions. Results suggest that conservation of relatively narrow (∼100 m buffer strips around temporary wetlands is likely to be effective in the maintenance of natural conditions in terms of physico-chemical water quality.

Inter-Annual Variability of Area-Scaled Gaseous Carbon Emissions from Wetland Soils in the Liaohe Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Siyuan; Krauss, Ken W; Brix, Hans; Wei, Mengjie; Olsson, Linda; Yu, Xueyang; Ma, Xueying; Wang, Jin; Yuan, Hongming; Zhao, Guangming; Ding, Xigui; Moss, Rebecca F

2016-01-01

Global management of wetlands to suppress greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, facilitate carbon (C) sequestration, and reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations while simultaneously promoting agricultural gains is paramount. However, studies that relate variability in CO2 and CH4 emissions at large spatial scales are limited. We investigated three-year emissions of soil CO2 and CH4 from the primary wetland types of the Liaohe Delta, China, by focusing on a total wetland area of 3287 km2. One percent is Suaeda salsa, 24% is Phragmites australis, and 75% is rice. While S. salsa wetlands are under somewhat natural tidal influence, P. australis and rice are managed hydrologically for paper and food, respectively. Total C emissions from CO2 and CH4 from these wetland soils were 2.9 Tg C/year, ranging from 2.5 to 3.3 Tg C/year depending on the year assessed. Primary emissions were from CO2 (~98%). Photosynthetic uptake of CO2 would mitigate most of the soil CO2 emissions, but CH4 emissions would persist. Overall, CH4 fluxes were high when soil temperatures were >18°C and pore water salinity emissions from rice habitat alone in the Liaohe Delta represent 0.2% of CH4 carbon emissions globally from rice. With such a large area and interannual sensitivity in soil GHG fluxes, management practices in the Delta and similar wetlands around the world have the potential not only to influence local C budgeting, but also to influence global biogeochemical cycling.

Assessment of tsunami hazard for coastal areas of Shandong Province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xingru; Yin, Baoshu

2017-04-01

Shandong province is located on the east coast of China and has a coastline of about 3100 km. There are only a few tsunami events recorded in the history of Shandong Province, but the tsunami hazard assessment is still necessary as the rapid economic development and increasing population of this area. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential danger posed by tsunamis for Shandong Province. The numerical simulation method was adopted to assess the tsunami hazard for coastal areas of Shandong Province. The Cornell multi-grid coupled tsunami numerical model (COMCOT) was used and its efficacy was verified by comparison with three historical tsunami events. The simulated maximum tsunami wave height agreed well with the observational data. Based on previous studies and statistical analyses, multiple earthquake scenarios in eight seismic zones were designed, the magnitudes of which were set as the potential maximum values. Then, the tsunamis they induced were simulated using the COMCOT model to investigate their impact on the coastal areas of Shandong Province. The numerical results showed that the maximum tsunami wave height, which was caused by the earthquake scenario located in the sea area of the Mariana Islands, could reach up to 1.39 m off the eastern coast of Weihai city. The tsunamis from the seismic zones of the Bohai Sea, Okinawa Trough, and Manila Trench could also reach heights of >1 m in some areas, meaning that earthquakes in these zones should not be ignored. The inundation hazard was distributed primarily in some northern coastal areas near Yantai and southeastern coastal areas of Shandong Peninsula. When considering both the magnitude and arrival time of tsunamis, it is suggested that greater attention be paid to earthquakes that occur in the Bohai Sea. In conclusion, the tsunami hazard facing the coastal area of Shandong Province is not very serious; however, disasters could occur if such events coincided with spring tides or other

Assessing the impact of sea-level rise on a vulnerable coastal community in Accra, Ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwasi Appeaning Addo

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Climate change and its associated sea-level rise are expected to significantly affect vulnerable coastal communities. Although the extent of the impact will be localised, its assessment will adopt a monitoring approach that applies globally. The topography of the beach, the type of geological material and the level of human intervention will determine the extent of the area to be flooded and the rate at which the shoreline will move inland. Gleefe, a coastal community in Ghana, has experienced frequent flooding in recent times due to the increasing occurrence of storm surge and sea-level rise. This study used available geospatial data and field measurements to determine how the beach topography has contributed to the incidence of flooding at Gleefe. The topography is generally low-lying. Sections of the beach have elevations of around 1 m, which allows seawater to move inland during very high tide. Accelerated sea-level rise as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC will destroy homes of the inhabitants and inundate the Densu wetlands behind the beach. Destruction of infrastructure will render the inhabitants homeless, whilst flooding of the wetlands will destroy the habitats of migratory birds and some endangered wildlife species such as marine turtle. Effective adaptation measures should be adopted to protect this very important coastal environment, the ecology of the wetlands and the livelihoods of the community dwellers.

Marine and Coastal Morphology: medium term and long-term area modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Sten Esbjørn

This thesis documents development and application of a modelling concept developed in collaboration between DTU and DHI. The modelling concept is used in morphological modelling in coastal areas where the governing sediment transport processes are due to wave action. The modelling concept...... is defined: Hybrid morphological modelling and it is based on coupling calculated sediment transport fields from a traditional process based coastal area model with a parametrised morphological evolution model. The focus of this study is to explore possible parametric formulations of the morphological...... solution has a two dimensional nature. 1.5D shoreline model A so-called “1.5D” implementation which introduces redistribution of sediment within a coastal profile in response to horizontal 2D currents makes it possible to simulate the morphological development in areas where 2D evolution occurs...

Transforming a low value coastal area into a high value natural and recreational area

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ritzen, M.J.

2004-01-01

The coastal zone in the Netherlands takes a very peculiar place in the discussion about sustainability in the Netherlands. Large areas are left unused and they remain low cost value areas due to the lack of progressive decision-making. These areas have a low value in economic, recreational and

The Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) Initiative in the Nyali-Bamburi-Shanzu Site, Mombasa, Kenya.

OpenAIRE

Mwandotto, B.A.J.

1997-01-01

A multi-institutional planning team headed by Coast Development Authority (CDA) in Kenya initiated an Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) process in 1994. The pilot study site was Nyali-Bamburi-Shanzu area in Mombasa. The objective was to provide a starting point for addressing urgent coastal issues facing the area and to enrich the dialogue on how to address urgent coastal management problems nationwide. The pertinent coastal issues that were profiled in a participatory and interactive...

Applicability of the grounded-source airborne electromagnetics to coastal areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hisatoshi; Tsukuda, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Koichi; Kaieda, Hideshi; Kiho, Kenzo; Mogi, Toru

2012-01-01

Understanding geological and hydrogeological characteristics in coastal areas is an issue of paramount importance especially with regard to siting of geological disposal of nuclear wastes, whereas conventional airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys can reveal an electrical resistivity structure to a depth of only ∼200 m. In order to enhance the depth of investigation, we have developed a new type of AEM, grounded-electrical-source airborne transient electromagnetics (GREATEM). Here we have applied GREATEM to two coastal areas in Japan; Kujukuri, an alluvial coastal plain where thick Quaternary sediments prevail, and northwestern part of Awaji Island, where granitic rocks are dominant. It was found that the GREATEM system can reveal resistivity structure to a depth of ∼500 m and also high quality data are available just beneath the shoreline where shallow water prevails. (author)

Government conservation policies on Mexican coastal areas: is "top-down" management working?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor Nava

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Marine and terrestrial ecosystems are declining globally due to environmental degradation and poorly planned resource use. Traditionally, local government agencies have been responsible of the management of natural reserves to preserve biodiversity. Nonetheless, much of these approaches have failed, suggesting the development of more integrative strategies. In order to discuss the importance of a holistic approach in conservation initiatives, coastal and underwater landscape value and biological/environmental indicators of coral reef degradation were assessed using the study case of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero coastal area. This area shelters representative coral reef structures of the Eastern Pacific coast and its terrestrial biodiversity and archaeology enhance the high value of its coastal area. This study explored the landscape value of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems using the geomorphosite approach in two sites on the Zihuatanejo coastal area: Caleta de Chon and Manzanillo Beach. Sedimentation rate, water transparency, chlorophyll and total suspended solids were recorded underwater in each site for environmental characterization. 50 photo-quadrants on five transects were surveyed between 3-4m depth to record coverage (% of living corals, dead corals, algae, sand and rocks. The conservation status of coral reefs was assessed by the coral mortality index (MI. Landscape values showed that both terrestrial and marine ecosystems had important scientific and aesthetic values, being Manzanillo Beach the site with the highest potential for conservation initiatives (TtV=14.2. However, coral reefs face elevated sedimentation rates (up to 1.16kg/m2d and low water transparency (less of 5m generated by coastal land use changes that have increased soil erosion in the adjacent coastal area. High coverage of dead corals (23.6% and algae (up to 29% confirm the low values in conservation status of coral reefs (MI=0.5, reflecting a poorly-planned management

Research on Building Urban Sustainability along the Coastal Area in China

OpenAIRE

Sun Jiaojiao; Fu Jiayan

2015-01-01

At present, in China, the research about the urban sustainability construction is still in the exploratory stage. The ecological problems of the coastal area are more sensitive and complicated. In the background of global warming with serious ecological damage, this paper deeply researches on the main characteristics of urban sustainability and measures how to build urban sustainability. Through combining regional environmental with economic ability along the coastal area...

Changes in soil organic carbon fractions after remediation of a coastal floodplain soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, V N L; McNaughton, C; Pearson, A

2016-03-01

Coastal floodplain soils and wetland sediments can store large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC). These environments are also commonly underlain by sulfidic sediments which can oxidise to form coastal acid sulfate soils (CASS) and contain high concentrations of acidity and trace metals. CASS are found on every continent globally except Antarctica. When sulfidic sediments are oxidised, scalds can form, which are large bare patches without vegetation. However, SOC stocks and fractions have not been quantified in these coastal floodplain environments. We studied the changes in soil geochemistry and SOC stocks and fractions three years after remediation of a CASS scald. Remediation treatments included raising water levels, and addition of either lime (LO) or lime and mulch (LM) relative to a control (C) site. We found SOC concentrations in the remediated sites (LO and LM) were more than double than that found at site C, reflected in the higher SOC stocks to a depth of 1.6 m (426 Mg C/ha, 478 Mg C/ha and 473 Mg C/ha at sites C, LO and LM, respectively). The particulate organic C (POC) fraction was higher at sites LO and LM due to increased vegetation and biomass inputs, compared to site C. Reformation of acid volatile sulfide (AVS) occurred throughout the profile at site LM, whereas only limited AVS reformation occurred at sites LO and C. Higher AVS at site LM may be linked to the additional source of organic matter provided by the mulch. POC can also potentially contribute to decreasing acidity as a labile SOC source for Fe(3+) and SO4(2-) reduction. Therefore, coastal floodplains and wetlands are a large store of SOC and can potentially increase SOC following remediation due to i) reduced decomposition rates with higher water levels and waterlogging, and ii) high C inputs due to rapid revegetation of scalded areas and high rates of biomass production. These results highlight the importance of maintaining vegetation cover in coastal floodplains and wetlands for

Soil organic carbon storage changes in coastal wetlands of the modern Yellow River Delta from 2000 to 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Yu

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Soil carbon sequestration plays an essential role in mitigating atmospheric CO₂ increases and the subsequently global greenhouse effect. The storages and dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC of 0–30 cm soil depth in different landscape types including beaches, reservoir and pond, reed wetland, forest wetland, bush wetland, farmland, building land, bare land (severe saline land and salt field in the modern Yellow River Delta (YRD were studied based on the data of the regional survey and laboratory analysis. The landscape types were classified by the interpretation of remote sensing images of 2000 and 2009, which were calibrated by field survey results. The results revealed an increase of 10.59 km² in the modem YRD area from 2000 to 2009. The SOC density varied ranging from 0.73 kg m⁻² to 4.25 kg m⁻² at depth of 0–30 cm. There were approx. 3.559 × 10⁶ t and 3.545 × 10⁶ t SOC stored in the YRD in 2000 and 2009, respectively. The SOC storages changed greatly in beaches, bush wetland, farm land and salt field which were affected dominantly by anthropogenic activities. The area of the YRD increased greatly within 10 years, however, the small increase of SOC storage in the region was observed due to landscape changes, indicating that the modern YRD was a potential carbon sink and anthropogenic activity was a key factor for SOC change.

Evaluation of a market in wetland credits: entrepreneurial wetland banking in Chicago.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Morgan; Hayden, Nicholas

2008-06-01

With the rise of market-led approaches to environmental policy, compensation for permitted discharge of dredge or fill material into wetlands under Section 404 of the U.S. Clean Water Act has been purchased increasingly from entrepreneurial third-party providers. The growth of this practice (i.e., entrepreneurial wetland banking) has resolved many challenges associated with wetland compensation. But it has also produced (1) quantifiable temporal loss of wetland ecological functions, (2) spatial redistribution of wetland area, and (3) a degree of regulatory instability that may pose a threat to entrepreneurial compensation as a sustainable component of wetland-compensation policy. We used achieved compensation ratios, lapse between bank credit sale and the attainment of performance standards, distance between impact and bank site, and changes in bank market area to examine these 3 factors. We analyzed data from a census of all such transactions in the Chicago District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, compiled from site visits, Corps databases, and contacts with consultants and Section 404 permittees. Entrepreneurial banking provided compensation at a lower overall ratio than nonbank forms of compensation. Approximately 60% of bank credits were sold after site-protection standards were met but before ecological performance standards were met at the bank site. The average distance between bank and impact site was approximately 26 km. The area of markets within which established banks can sell wetland credits has fluctuated considerably over the study period. Comparing these data with similar data for other compensation mechanisms will assist in evaluating banking as an element of conservation policy. Data characterizing the performance of entrepreneurial wetland banks in actual regulatory environments are scarce, even though it is the most established of similar markets that have become instrumental to federal policy in administering several major environmental

Elevated CO2 enhances biological contributions to elevation change in coastal wetlands by offsetting stressors associated with sea-level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, J.A.; McKee, K.L.; Grace, J.B.

2009-01-01

1. Sea-level rise, one indirect consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2, poses a major challenge to long-term stability of coastal wetlands. An important question is whether direct effects of elevated CO 2 on the capacity of marsh plants to accrete organic material and to maintain surface elevations outweigh indirect negative effects of stressors associated with sea-level rise (salinity and flooding). 2. In this study, we used a mesocosm approach to examine potential direct and indirect effects of atmospheric CO2 concentration, salinity and flooding on elevation change in a brackish marsh community dominated by a C3 species, Schoenoplectus americanus, and a C4 grass, Spartina patens. This experimental design permitted identification of mechanisms and their role in controlling elevation change, and the development of models that can be tested in the field. 3. To test hypotheses related to CO2 and sea-level rise, we used conventional anova procedures in conjunction with structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM explained 78% of the variability in elevation change and showed the direct, positive effect of S. americanus production on elevation. The SEM indicated that C3 plant response was influenced by interactive effects between CO2 and salinity on plant growth, not a direct CO2 fertilization effect. Elevated CO2 ameliorated negative effects of salinity on S. americanus and enhanced biomass contribution to elevation. 4. The positive relationship between S. americanus production and elevation change can be explained by shoot-base expansion under elevated CO 2 conditions, which led to vertical soil displacement. While the response of this species may differ under other environmental conditions, shoot-base expansion and the general contribution of C3 plant production to elevation change may be an important mechanism contributing to soil expansion and elevation gain in other coastal wetlands. 5. Synthesis. Our results revealed previously unrecognized interactions and

Using ecotechnology to address water quality and wetland habitat loss problems in the Mississippi basin: a hierarchical approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Day, John W; Yañéz Arancibia, Alejandro; Mitsch, William J; Lara-Dominguez, Ana Laura; Day, Jason N; Ko, Jae-Young; Lane, Robert; Lindsey, Joel; Lomeli, David Zarate

2003-12-01

Human activities are affecting the environment at continental and global scales. An example of this is the Mississippi basin where there has been a large scale loss of wetlands and water quality deterioration over the past century. Wetland and riparian ecosystems have been isolated from rivers and streams. Wetland loss is due both to drainage and reclamation, mainly for agriculture, and to isolation from the river by levees, as in the Mississippi delta. There has been a decline in water quality due to increasing use of fertilizers, enhanced drainage and the loss of wetlands for cleaning water. Water quality has deteriorated throughout the basin and high nitrogen in the Mississippi river is causing a large area of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the Mississippi delta. Since the causes of these problems are distributed over the basin, the solution also needs to be distributed over the basin. Ecotechnology and ecological engineering offer the only ecologically sound and cost-effective method of solving these problems. Wetlands to promote nitrogen removal, mainly through denitrification but also through burial and plant uptake, offer a sound ecotechnological solution. At the level of the Mississippi basin, changes in farming practices and use of wetlands for nitrogen assimilation can reduce nitrogen levels in the River. There are additional benefits of restoration of wetland and riverine ecosystems, flood control, reduction in public health threats, and enhanced wildlife and fisheries. At the local drainage basin level, the use of river diversions in the Mississippi delta can address both problems of coastal land loss and water quality deterioration. Nitrate levels in diverted river water are rapidly reduced as water flows through coastal watersheds. At the local level, wetlands are being used to treat municipal wastewater. This is a cost-effective method, which results in improved water quality, enhanced wetland productivity and increased accretion. The

Accumulation of Trace Metals in Anadara granosa and Anadara inaequivalvis from Pattani Bay and the Setiu Wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Pradit, Siriporn; Shazili, Noor Azhar Mohamed; Towatana, Prawit; Saengmanee, Wuttipong

2016-04-01

This study was undertaken to assess the levels of trace metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in two common species of cockles (Anadara granosa and Anadara inaequivalvis) from two coastal areas in Thailand (Pattani Bay) and Malaysia (the Setiu Wetlands). A total of 350 cockles were collected in February and September 2014. Trace metals were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. We observed that cockles in both areas had a higher accumulation of metals in September. Notably, the biota-sediment accumulation (BSAF) of Cd was highest in both areas. A strong positive correlation of Cd with the length of the cockles at Pattani Bay (r(2) = 0.597) and the Setiu Wetlands (r(2) = 0.675) was noted. It was suggested that As could be a limiting element (BSAF Malaysia Food Regulations, mean values of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were within acceptable limits, but the maximum values of Cd and Pb exceeded the limits for both areas. Regular monitoring of trace metals in cockles from both areas is suggested for more definitive contamination determination.

Modeling the climatic and subsurface stratigraphy controls on the hydrology of a Carolina bay wetland in South Carolina, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Ge Sun; Timothy J. Callahan; Jennifer E. Pyzoha; Carl C. Trettin

2006-01-01

Restoring depressional wetlands or geographically isolated wetlands such as cypress swamps and Carolina bays on the Atlantic Coastal Plains requires a clear understanding of the hydrologic processes and water balances. The objectives of this paper are to (1) test a distributed forest hydrology model, FLATWOODS, for a Carolina bay wetland system using seven years of...

Modeling the climatic and subsurface stratigraphy controls on the hydrology of a Carolina Bay wetland in South Carolina, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Ge Sun; Timothy J. Callahan; Jennifer E. Pyzoha; Carl C. Trettin

2006-01-01

Restoring depressional wetlands or geographically isolated wetlands such as cypress swamps and Carolina bays on the Atlantic Coastal Plains requires a clear understanding of the hydrologic processes and water balances. The objectives of this paper are to (1) test a distributed forest hydrology model, FLATWOODS, for a Carolina bay wetland system using seven years of...

A new general dynamic model predicting radionuclide concentrations and fluxes in coastal areas from readily accessible driving variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haakanson, Lars

2004-01-01

This paper presents a general, process-based dynamic model for coastal areas for radionuclides (metals, organics and nutrients) from both single pulse fallout and continuous deposition. The model gives radionuclide concentrations in water (total, dissolved and particulate phases and concentrations in sediments and fish) for entire defined coastal areas. The model gives monthly variations. It accounts for inflow from tributaries, direct fallout to the coastal area, internal fluxes (sedimentation, resuspension, diffusion, burial, mixing and biouptake and retention in fish) and fluxes to and from the sea outside the defined coastal area and/or adjacent coastal areas. The fluxes of water and substances between the sea and the coastal area are differentiated into three categories of coast types: (i) areas where the water exchange is regulated by tidal effects; (ii) open coastal areas where the water exchange is regulated by coastal currents; and (iii) semi-enclosed archipelago coasts. The coastal model gives the fluxes to and from the following four abiotic compartments: surface water, deep water, ET areas (i.e., areas where fine sediment erosion and transport processes dominate the bottom dynamic conditions and resuspension appears) and A-areas (i.e., areas of continuous fine sediment accumulation). Criteria to define the boundaries for the given coastal area towards the sea, and to define whether a coastal area is open or closed are given in operational terms. The model is simple to apply since all driving variables may be readily accessed from maps and standard monitoring programs. The driving variables are: latitude, catchment area, mean annual precipitation, fallout and month of fallout and parameters expressing coastal size and form as determined from, e.g., digitized bathymetric maps using a GIS program. Selected results: the predictions of radionuclide concentrations in water and fish largely depend on two factors, the concentration in the sea outside the given