Ecological Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal North Carolina Marshes
Site Locations
The design of this project is based on the comparison of sites having different tidal inundation patterns. Model development and knowledge from our work in North Carolina is anticipated to be applied to additional sites of varying hydrodynamic regimes, including North Inlet, South Carolina and coastal Georgia.
The primary research sites in North Carolina are located at Pine Knolls Shores in Bogue Sound and Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuse. The hydraulic regime of the back-barrier sound of Bogue Banks is characterized by a brackish and semidiurnal microtidal regime, whereas Cedar Island was chosen to represent low amplitude of regular astronomical tides and irregular wind tides.
The primary research sites in North Carolina are located at Pine Knolls Shores in Bogue Sound and Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuse. The hydraulic regime of the back-barrier sound of Bogue Banks is characterized by a brackish and semidiurnal microtidal regime, whereas Cedar Island was chosen to represent low amplitude of regular astronomical tides and irregular wind tides.
Field Experiments
Spartina (left) and Juncus (right) marsh organs at Pine Knoll Shores, low tide.
1. Marsh Organs
Marsh organs were installed March 2006; there is one organ planted with Juncus at Cedar Island, and at Pine Knoll Shores we have one organ planted with Juncus and a second with Spartina. We are monitoring the growth of these plants and sediment salinity as a function of elevation. Biomass and plant demographic variables were sampled at the end of the growing season, and competition experiments will begin Fall 2007.
Marsh organs were installed March 2006; there is one organ planted with Juncus at Cedar Island, and at Pine Knoll Shores we have one organ planted with Juncus and a second with Spartina. We are monitoring the growth of these plants and sediment salinity as a function of elevation. Biomass and plant demographic variables were sampled at the end of the growing season, and competition experiments will begin Fall 2007.
2. Marsh Surface Elevation
We have established 4 surface elevataion table - feldspar marker horizon (SET-MH) plots at Cedar Island. Two are located in Spartina communities and two in Juncus communities; within each community, one plot is fertilized and one is not. A similar design was established at the Pine Knoll Shores site, yet there is a 5th SET-MH plot within an area of high Spartina shoot density.
We have established 4 surface elevataion table - feldspar marker horizon (SET-MH) plots at Cedar Island. Two are located in Spartina communities and two in Juncus communities; within each community, one plot is fertilized and one is not. A similar design was established at the Pine Knoll Shores site, yet there is a 5th SET-MH plot within an area of high Spartina shoot density.
3. Surface Water Depth
Five pressure transducers were installed at Pine KNoll Shores in July 2006. The pressure transducers are recording surface water depth and temperature at 5 minute intervals. These measurements provide a data set for tidally induced flow and variations in water surface that drive this flow. Such measurements assist with characterization of stem property and drag relations pertaining to inundation ratio and biomass
Five pressure transducers were installed at Pine KNoll Shores in July 2006. The pressure transducers are recording surface water depth and temperature at 5 minute intervals. These measurements provide a data set for tidally induced flow and variations in water surface that drive this flow. Such measurements assist with characterization of stem property and drag relations pertaining to inundation ratio and biomass