Influence of Sea Level Rise on Coastal Wetland Ecosystems
The purpose of this workshop is to exchange information about ongoing LTER research projects about the effects of sea level rise on coastal wetlands. The intent is to identify common observational and experimental datasets at coastal wetland LTER sites that can be used to generate cross-site comparative analyses of how coastal wetlands respond to sea level rise. Examples of common approaches to measuring long-term change in coastal wetlands might include eddy covariance towers, sediment elevation tables, organic matter flux and metabolism measurements and marsh organ experiments. Once common observational data are identified, comparisons of vulnerability can be made across gradients represented among coastal sites, such as tidal range, elevation slope, suspended solids flux and the relative rate of sea level rise.
The session will begin with short 10-15 minute presentations focused on the types of data being collected and long-term observational results from each site. Presentations will be followed by a discussion of common among-site themes that can be used to formulate interesting cross-site questions. Those with the highest potential for a successful cross-site project will be discussed further to produce an outline for a cross-site collaborative manuscript. The workshop will also help to advance a broader LTER network-level, coupled natural-human systems initiative to evaluate the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to climate change.