Title

Sea-Level Rise Impact On A Salt Marsh System Of The Lower St. Johns River

Keywords

Climate change; Hydroperiod; Lower St. Johns River; Mean high water; Mean low water; Salt marsh; Sea level rise; Spartina alterniflora; Standing biomass density; Sustainability

Abstract

The impact of sea-level rise on salt marsh sustainability is examined for the lower St. Johns River and associated salt marsh (Spartina alterniflora) system. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, forced by tides and sea-level rise, is coupled with a zero-dimensional marsh model to estimate the level of biomass productivity of S. alterniflora across the salt marsh landscape for present day and anticipated future conditions (i.e., when subjected to sea-level rise). The hydrodynamic model results show mean low water (MLW) to be highly spatially variable with a SD of 60.18m and mean high water (MHW) to be less spatially variable with a SD 60.03 m. The spatial variability of MLW and MHW is particularly evident within the tidal creeks of the salt marsh. MLW and MHW are sensitive to sea-level rise and respond in a nonlinear fashion (i.e., MLW and MHW elevate by an amount that is not proportional to the level of sea-level rise). The coupled hydrodynamic-marsh model results illustrate the spatial heterogeneity of biomass productivity and indicate marsh vulnerability to sea-level rise. The model is then used to demonstrate an application of engineered accretion that can help sustain a marsh that is exposed to sea-level rise. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Publication Date

7-9-2013

Publication Title

Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering

Volume

139

Issue

2

Number of Pages

118-125

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WW.1943-5460.0000177

Socpus ID

84879733165 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84879733165

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