CAREER: Topographic Controls on Overmarsh Circulation and Sedimentation along a Salt Marsh - Forest Continuum

职业：地形对盐沼-森林连续体沿线的过度沼泽循环和沉积的控制

• 批准号: 2041366
• 负责人: Jessica Sullivan
• 金额: $ 80.89万
• 依托单位: University of South Carolina at Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2041366&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Topographic; Controls; Overmarsh; Circulation

Salt marshes remain the focus of intensive study due to their ecosystem functions (i.e. water storage, nutrient redistribution, and carbon sequestration) and in light of potential impacts of sea-level rise and coastal development on their overall stability. The ability of marshes to migrate inland as waters rise is considered a first-order determinant of their future survival. This project is specifically designed to determine the influence of subtle marsh topography on how, when, and where marshes retreat inland. This project will have broad educational impacts by engaging a large number of undergraduate students in field work, design and implementation of a new field teaching laboratory, and a new field-based undergraduate course. Educational aspects of this work are designed to prepare the next generation of geoscientists to address scientific and societal issues related to coastal zone stability. Informal learning for the general public includes the creation of an interactive digital kiosk for the University of South Carolina Aiken Ruth Patrick Science and Education Center designed to increase public awareness of environmental and socio-economic issues associated with coastal zone response to climate and land use change.The primary scientific objective of this project is to quantify the topographic controls on overmarsh flow, sedimentation, and water residence times across a salt marsh – forest continuum within the ACE Basin, SC. The marsh-forest continuum encompasses a natural salt marsh, a reclaimed rice field marsh or “ag-marsh”, and an ag-marsh-forest ecotone, allowing for a space-for-time substitution to advance knowledge on the geomorphic controls on marsh morphodynamics across various marsh types and stages of development. It is hypothesized that the artificial drainages of ag-marshes facilitate hydraulic connectivity of surface flows within and between marsh systems, and with neighboring uplands, thereby enhancing inundation extent and residence times, and influencing rates and patterns of forest-marsh transgression. Hence, this project will help illuminate the role of ag-marsh landscapes as corridors for inland marsh migration in response to sea-level rise. Field observations of in-channel and overmarsh flows, and modern and historic sedimentation rates will be evaluated in the context of marsh topography, drainage structure, hydraulic connectivity and vegetation effects. A computer model will be developed to predict salt marsh response to natural and anthropogenic forcing across local and regional spatial scales, and at hourly to multi-decadal time scales. Such information can be used to bolster coastal vulnerability models, and can help inform policy and decision making strategies related to marsh restoration and conservation. This project is jointly funded by the Geomorphology and Land-use Dynamics Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

盐沼由于其生态系统功能（即水储存，营养再分配和碳封存）以及海平面上升和沿海开发对其整体稳定性的潜在影响，仍然是深入研究的重点。随着沃茨上升，沼泽向内陆迁移的能力被认为是决定它们未来生存的首要因素。这个项目是专门设计来确定微妙的沼泽地形的影响，如何，何时，何地沼泽撤退内陆。该项目将有广泛的教育影响，通过从事大量的本科生在实地工作，设计和实施一个新的实地教学实验室，和一个新的实地为基础的本科课程。这项工作的教育方面的目的是准备下一代的地球科学家，以解决有关沿海地区稳定的科学和社会问题。公众的非正式学习包括为南卡罗来纳州艾肯鲁斯帕特里克科学和教育中心创建一个交互式数字信息亭，旨在提高公众对与沿海地区应对气候和土地利用变化有关的环境和社会经济问题的认识。和水的停留时间跨越一个盐沼森林连续体内ACE盆地，南卡罗来纳州的沼泽森林连续体包括一个天然盐沼，一个再生稻田沼泽或“农业沼泽”，和农业沼泽森林交错带，允许一个空间换时间的替代，以推进知识的地貌控制沼泽形态动力学跨越各种沼泽类型和发展阶段。据推测，人工排水的ag沼泽促进水力连通性的表面流内和之间的沼泽系统，并与邻近的高地，从而提高淹没程度和停留时间，并影响森林沼泽海侵的速度和模式。因此，这个项目将有助于阐明农业沼泽景观作为内陆沼泽迁移走廊的作用，以应对海平面上升。将在沼泽地形、排水结构、水力连通性和植被影响的背景下，对河道内和沼泽溢流以及现代和历史沉积速率进行实地观察。将开发一个计算机模型，以预测盐沼对当地和区域空间尺度上的自然和人为强迫的反应，以及每小时到数十年的时间尺度。这些信息可用于支持沿海脆弱性模型，并有助于为有关沼泽恢复和保护的政策和决策制定战略提供信息。该项目由地貌学和土地利用动力学计划以及刺激竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。