Limits on the adaptability of coastal marshes to rising sea level
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Material Information

Title:
Limits on the adaptability of coastal marshes to rising sea level
Series Title:
Geophysical Research Letters Volum 37
Creator:
Kirwan, Matthew L.
Guntenspergen, Glenn R.
D'Alpaos, Andrea
Morris, James T.
Mudd, Simon M.
Temmerman, Stijn
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Publication Date:
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Climate change ( lcsh )
Sea level rise ( lcsh )
Marshes ( lcsh )
Coastal management ( lcsh )

Notes

Abstract:
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 sealevel 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 tomodify their physical environment. ( English )

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
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Sea Level Rise