Climate Change Effects on Hydrology and Ecology of Wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands

Abstract

Global climate change has received increased attention in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands (MAH) Region of the United States in recent years. Several climate models predict increases in mean temperature of 1-5°C over the next one hundred years for the region, which has considerable implications for wetland ecosystems already encumbered by numerous anthropogenic stressors; however, historical (i.e., 1890s-current) data from the MAH presented here show increasing trends in precipitation intensity and decreasing trends in temperature. Continuation of historical trends for the next 90 years are used to predict potential impacts on regional wetland extent and function using empirical and conceptual models. Recommendations for management of climate related impacts on wetlands include analysis of historical climate trends at regional and local scales, establishment of wetland monitoring networks to quantify impacts of climate induced stress on wetland ecosystems, and integration of historical trends and research findings into empirical and conceptual models. Management strategies of this nature will facilitate early detection and mitigation of climate induced effects on wetlands in the MAH.

Central Appalachians forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Central Appalachians Climate Change Response Framework project

“…This section covers southeastern Ohio and western West Virginia and contains more than 55,400 miles of streams; 511 lakes, reservoirs, and ponds totaling 27,825 acres; and 12,595 acres of wetlands (Pitchford et al 2012, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection [WVDEP] 2013b). Only one lake in West Virginia is natural; the rest were constructed in order to store water.…”

“…Projections of evapotranspiration were modeled at a finer scale by Pitchford et al (2012) within the mountainous Mid-Atlantic Highlands region of the assessment area (covering all but the Ohio portion). This study area is topographically complex, with microclimates that are cooler and warmer than regional averages.…”

Possible impacts of climate change on wetlands and its biota in the Brazilian Amazon

“…Increased rainfall might lead to a sharp rise in water levels and consequently to a loss of protected areas for juvenile fish and other aquatic organisms, making them vulnerable to the movements of the stream and to the action of predators. The magnitude and duration of flooding is a major factor for the reproduction and survival of wetland species (Pitchford et al, 2012). If the increased rainfall leads to longer periods of flooding, it will possibly result in the death of flooded forest and the eventual replacement of aquatic plants .…”

Multi-indicator sensitivity analysis of climate change effects on landscapes in the Kiskunság National Park, Hungary

“…Increasing level of drought hazards highly affects wetlands, causing increased water shortage and decreased annual runoff volumes. The lack of water (with regard to both soil moisture and groundwater resources) results in an alteration of water and salt transfer process and the degradation of water-related salt-affected soils (Pitchford et al, 2012). These changes lead to alterations in the distribution and composition of the species and habitat pattern, and thus the relevance of wetlands will increase (Erwin, 2009).…”

“…Vulnerable areas include, for example, wetlands where water quantity is an important limiting factor. As such ecosystems fall out of equilibrium they start to degrade due to decreasing precipitation (Poiani et al, 1995;Winter, 2000;Normand et al, 2007;Pitchford et al, 2012). In addition, increasing abiotic (e.g.…”