Sea-level rise and coastal forests on the Gulf of Mexico

Williams, Kevin A.; Pinzon, Zuleika S.; Stumpf, Richard P.; Raabe, Ellen A.

doi:10.3133/ofr99441

Cited by 41 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 220 publications

(206 reference statements)

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“…Considering the Pearl River basin's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, climate change is a third threat to this forest, insofar as it may raise sea level, hasten salt water intrusion, and also possibly increase the frequency of hurricanes (Williams et al, 1999;Webster et al, 2005), and in so doing continue to impact the bird community in ways that we have documented here. Because of the size and relative quality of the forest habitat, the Pearl River basin remains an important stopover and breeding area for migrant songbirds, such that continued conservation and appropriate management of this area should be a priority.…”

Section: Synthesis and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Hurricane Katrina impacts the breeding bird community in a bottomland hardwood forest of the Pearl River basin, Louisiana

Brown

Harris

2011

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Synthesis and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Canopy cover was measured using line-intercept (1996-1999) and visual estimation (2003-2008Jones and Robertson, 2001). For 1996-1999, basal area was estimated with 10 factor prism counts centered on each 1.87 ha plot (1996-1999; N = 24/year).…”

Section: Habitat Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hurricane Katrina impacts the breeding bird community in a bottomland hardwood forest of the Pearl River basin, Louisiana

Brown

Harris

2011

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Roots and stems tend to trap fine sand and soil particles, forming an erosion-resistant layer once the plants are well established (US Army Corps of Engineers, 1981). Mature coastal trees are resistant to salt spray, flooding and burial by sand (Williams et al, 1999). It is projected that a well-established coastal forest will help to hold the sand in place, and may help to slow down the rate of beach erosion, although the forest will not permanently stop the erosion.…”

Section: Ignations)mentioning

confidence: 98%

Caribbean beach changes and climate change adaptation

Cambers

2009

Aquatic Ecosystem Health &Amp; Management

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Beach monitoring data are presented and show an average beach erosion trend of 0.5 m yr −1 in eight Caribbean islands over the period 1985–2000, with elevated rates in those islands impacted by a higher number of hurricanes. The data are based on 5 to 15 years of continuous monitoring, conducted at three-month intervals, at 113 beaches (200 profile sites) on eight islands, using standard methodology. The causes of the erosion are discussed and include anthropogenic factors, climate variability and projected climate change. Based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections for the Caribbean region, and the likely increase of anthropogenic stresses such as coastal development, it is likely that the beach erosion trend will continue and increase. Nonexclusive approaches to help beaches adapt to climate change include structural, planning or ecological measures. Two case studies illustrating climate change adaptation measures are discussed, one focuses on coastal planning measures in Anguilla and Nevis, and the second focuses on ecological measures, specifically the rehabilitation of a coastal forest in Puerto Rico. These case studies have not reached a stage where their effectiveness can be evaluated, however preliminary outcomes show that community-based climate change adaptation measures require careful planning such that the entire community is involved in a participatory manner and sufficient time is allocated for awareness-raising, information-sharing and discussion.

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“…Although Live Oak Peninsula's high elevations protect vegetation from inundation in the short term, high bluffs are more at risk from erosion. This could potentially accelerate forest retreat (Williams et al, 1999). Lamar Peninsula is more quickly inundated but should suffer less from direct physical impact due to the low topographic relief.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Potential Coastal Vegetation Response to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge on Estuarine Peninsulas

March

2012

Journal of Coastal Research

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I www.JCRonline.org March, R.G. and Smith, E.H., 2012. Modeling potential coastal vegetation response to sea level rise and storm surge on estuarine peninsulas. Journal of Coastal Research. 28(5), 993-1007. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Upland vegetation changes in response to sea level rise and storm surge were evaluated on two peninsulas adjacent to the Copano Bay-Aransas Bay system and within a semiarid coastal environment in south-central Texas. Potential natural land cover models were created in a geographical information system (GIS) using soil data attributes and elevation data to compare land cover shifts under various sea level rise and storm surge scenarios. Ecological sites used as mapping units were related to land cover classes by generating a classification crosswalk. Crosswalks were expanded in the GIS to define how each land cover type would change with each meter of estuarine inundation using digital elevation models. Potential natural land cover maps show that grassland and/or evergreen are concentrated in the center of both peninsulas with grassland lining the perimeter. Mainland connections of Lamar and Live Oak peninsulas are primarily salty prairie and grassland, respectively. On Lamar Peninsula, a 1-m sea level rise results in a conversion of salty prairie (-99%) to estuarine emergent (+97%). A total rise of 3 m reduces gr'assland by 99% and evergreen forest by 71%. A 1-m sea level rise on Live Oak Peninsula eliminates over half of the salty prairie, which becomes estuarine emergent class. These values indicate the vegetation that will at least be temporarily impacted by storm surge. Higher elevations and steeper slopes on Live Oak Peninsula result in lower inundation values for upland habitats as compared with Lamar Peninsula. Sea level rise and storm surge events will continue to be a major influence on vegetative composition in estuarine environments and should be considered in future land use and conservation planning. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS:Habitat change, crosswalk, Texas Coastal Bend, potential natural vegetation, soils data, land use I land cover, habitat modeling, ecological sites.

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Sea-level rise and coastal forests on the Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 41 publications

References 220 publications

Hurricane Katrina impacts the breeding bird community in a bottomland hardwood forest of the Pearl River basin, Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina impacts the breeding bird community in a bottomland hardwood forest of the Pearl River basin, Louisiana

Caribbean beach changes and climate change adaptation

Modeling Potential Coastal Vegetation Response to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge on Estuarine Peninsulas

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