Overestimation of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise
March 16, 2016
Coastal marshes are considered to be among the most valuable and vulnerable ecosystems on Earth, where the imminent loss of ecosystem services is a feared consequence of sea level rise. However, we show with a meta-analysis that global measurements of marsh elevation change indicate that marshes are generally building at rates similar to or exceeding historical sea level rise, and that process-based models predict survival under a wide range of future sea level scenarios. We argue that marsh vulnerability tends to be overstated because assessment methods often fail to consider biophysical feedback processes known to accelerate soil building with sea level rise, and the potential for marshes to migrate inland.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2016 |
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Title | Overestimation of marsh vulnerability to sea level rise |
DOI | 10.1038/nclimate2909 |
Authors | Matthew L. Kirwan, Stijn Temmerman, Emily E. Skeehan, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Sergio Fagherazzi |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Nature Climate Change |
Index ID | 70169064 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |