SGER: Effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Sediment Metabolism and Biogeochemical Functioning of Marshes in Coastal Louisiana and Texas

卡特里娜飓风和丽塔飓风对路易斯安那州和得克萨斯州沿海沼泽沉积物代谢和生物地球化学功能的影响Samantha Joye，雅典格鲁吉亚大学GAKaren McKee，美国地质勘探局国家湿地研究中心，拉斐特LAWe将对路易斯安那州和得克萨斯州最近（2005年）主要飓风影响的沿海沼泽沉积物代谢进行研究。 总体目标是记录与飓风有关的风暴沉积和植物死亡率对沿海沼泽沉积物中微生物过程的影响。飓风是自然的，但可能会对沿海湿地造成灾难性的影响。 飓风对生态系统过程的影响包括推动生物群落组成、能量流动、地貌、当地和/或区域水文和养分循环的变化。 2005年8月29日登陆美国墨西哥湾沿岸的4级飓风卡特里娜造成的灾难性影响，以及2005年9月24日登陆美国墨西哥湾沿岸的3级飓风丽塔造成的洪水，这些活动使全国关注湿地在缓冲沿海地区免受大风暴和海平面上升的长期影响方面的作用。 虽然人们对飓风的负面影响给予了很大的关注，但这些周期性的扰动可能对向与河流沉积物源隔绝的日益恶化的沼泽提供沉积物很重要。 目前，我们不了解的生态地球化学响应的海岸沼泽地急性扰动和/或突然输入的沉积物。 飓风卡特里娜和丽塔在路易斯安那州和得克萨斯州沿海地区的通道提供了一个机会，研究如何一个重大的干扰事件影响沼泽沉积物的新陈代谢。

Effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Sediment Metabolism and Biogeochemical Functioning of Marshes in Coastal Louisiana and TexasSamantha Joye, University of Georgia, Athens GAKaren McKee, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette LAWe will conduct a study of sediment metabolism in coastal marshes impacted in by recent (2005) major hurricanes in Louisiana and Texas. The overall objectives are to document the impact of hurricane-related storm deposition and plant mortality on microbial processes in coastal marsh sediments. Hurricanes are natural, but potentially catastrophic disturbances that affect coastal wetlands. The effects of hurricanes on ecosystem processes include driving changes in biological community composition, energy flows, geomorphology, local and/or regional hydrology, and nutrient cycling. The catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina, a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, and the flooding caused by Hurricane Rita, a Category 3 storm that made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast on September 24, 2005, have focused national attention on the role of wetlands in buffering coastal areas from major storms and long-term effects of sea-level rise. Although much attention is being paid to negative impacts of hurricanes, these periodic disturbances may be important in supplying sediment to deteriorating marshes cut off from river sediment sources. Currently, we do not understand the biogeochemical response of coastal marshes to acute disturbance and/or sudden inputs of sediment. The passage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita over coastal Louisiana and Texas provides an opportunity to study how a major disturbance event affects marsh sediment metabolism.