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Structure and Vulnerability of Pacific Northwest Tidal Wetlands –A Summary of Wetland Climate Change Researchby the Western Ecology Division, U.S. EPA
Citation:
Folger, C., H. Lee, C. Janousek, AND D. Reusser. Structure and Vulnerability of Pacific Northwest Tidal Wetlands –A Summary of Wetland Climate Change Researchby the Western Ecology Division, U.S. EPA. U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, 2014.
Impact/Purpose:
Tidal wetlands, including both emergent marshes and submerged aquatic vegetation (e.g., the seagrass Zostera marina), play critical roles in the functioning of estuarine ecosystems in Oregon and other Pacific Northwest estuaries. Some of their functions include shoreline protection, nursery habitat for crabs and salmon, habitat for migratory and native birds, and promoting local and regional biodiversity. However, these habitats are very susceptible to climate change and sea level rise in particular. To address this threat, the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey and other partners undertook a set of studies on emergent marshes and the development of predictive models. Because the products from these efforts were published in a variety of venues, we summarize them in this document. This suite of products broadens our understanding of wetland structure and function in the face of sea level rise and other climate induced changes and provides tools to predict the effects of sea level rise on the sea grass Z. marina. The products are available to managers, researchers, and the general public through journal articles and websites and are intended to inform EPA offices and regions on the relative vulnerability of coastal wetlands and seagrass habitat.
Description:
Climate change poses a serious threat to the tidal wetlands of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the U.S. In response to this threat, scientists at the Western Ecology Division of the U.S. EPA at and the Western Fisheries Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with other partners, initiated a series of studies on the structure and vulnerability of tidal wetlands to climate change. One research thrust was to evaluate community structure of PNW marshes, experimentally assess the vulnerability of marsh plants to inundation and salinity stress (as would happen with sea level rise), and evaluate the utility of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) classification system. Another research thrust was to develop tools that provide insights into possible impacts of climate change. This effort included enhancing the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to predict the effects of sea level rise on submerged aquatic vegetation (Zostera marina) distributions, evaluating changes in river flow into coastal estuaries in response to precipitation changes, and synthesizing Pacific Coast estuary, watershed, and climate data in a downloadable tool. Because the research resulting from these efforts was published in multiple venues, we summarized them in this document. We anticipate that future research efforts by the U.S. EPA will continue with a focus on climate change impacts on a regional scale.