Impact of Global Warming on Coastal Wetlands Essay -- Climate Change,

Impact of Global Warming on Coastal Wetlands Professor’s comment: Jane wrote this research paper for my Advanced Composition course. The assignment asks the students to read and understand six to ten articles within a research area of their choice, then synthesize the information so that a reader can quickly understand the present state of research in that area. Jane chose to look at how increased flooding and salinity might affect coastal wetland soils and species, and she organized the material clearly and effectively. What I liked particularly about this review was that it moved logically from the effects of flooding and salinity on wetland soils to the effects on the plants growing there to the overall effects on the wetland, both in terms of species composition and, more drastically, wetland survival. The tie-in with global climate change puts this local chain of cause and effect into a larger perspective. Introduction Global climate change, rising sea levels and anthropogenic factors are creating increased flooding and salinity levels in coastal wetland areas. (Conner, 1994; Flynn et al., 1995; Webb et al., 1995; Conner and Askew, 1993; Allen et al., 1995; McCarron et al., 1998; Baldwin and Mendelssohn, 1998). Increased flooding and salinity levels can affect wetland soil parameters, and in turn, wetland associated plant species (Baldwin and Mendelssohn, 1998). Although some species are more tolerant to these conditions, most species demonstrate physiological responses and decreased survival at increased flooding and salinity levels. Therefore, changes in wetland species composition are expected unless intolerant species can adapt to heightened flooding and salinity levels imposed by changing environmental... ... 255-268. Conner, W.H. and Askew, G.R. (1993). Impact of Saltwater Flooding on Red Maple, Redbay, and Chinese Tallow Seedlings. Castanea58(3): 214-219 Conner, W.H. (1994). The Effect of Salinity and Waterlogging on Growth and Survival of Baldcypress and Chinese Tallow Seedlings. Journal of Coastal Research10(4): 1045-1049. Flynn, K.M., McKee, K.L., and Mendelssohn, I.A. (1995). Recovery of freshwater marsh vegetation after a saltwater intrusion event. Oecologia103: 63-72. McCarron, J-K., McLeod, K.W., and Conner, W.H. (1998). Flood and Salinity Stress of Wetland Woody Species, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)and Swamp Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora). Wetlands18(2): 165-l 75. Webb, E.C., Mendelssohn, I.A., and Wilsey, B.J. (1995). Causes for vegetation dieback in a Louisiana salt marsh: A bioassay approach. Aquatic Botany5 1: 28 l-289.