Environmental Indicators

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="93200640dvldtc.jpg"> <div> <B>        </B><FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Maiandra GD" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="92d40bc3.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="b0e998c0.jpg" border=0 width="153" height="140" ALT="Gaian Life - Organic and Eco-Lifestyles" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <A HREF="environmental_indicators_m.htm#top_2" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Environmental Indicators"><B>Page Top</B></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="16" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="679" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#99CC66" BORDERCOLORDARK="#336600" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 56 WIDTH="639"><div> <B>Environmental Indicators</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="media.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Media">Media</A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="basic_page.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Presentations">Presentations</A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="reports.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reports">Reports</A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="photosynthesis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photosynthesis">Photosynthesis</A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="10" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="680" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#3300FF" BORDERCOLORDARK="#003333" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 249 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="6dbfadf0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="223" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="399"><div> <A HREF="#plum_island_sound_long_term_ecological_research_1" TITLE="Environmental Indicators"><I><B>Plum Island Sound Long Term Ecological Research</B></I></A></div> <div> A brief outline of the work of the PIE LTER group</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 206 ><NOBR><div> <I><B><IMG SRC="95cf9b40.jpg" border=0 width="249" height="180" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="399"><div> <A HREF="#long_term_studies_of_salt_marsh_primary_production__1" TITLE="Environmental Indicators"><I><B>Long-Term Studies of Salt Marsh Primary Production</B></I></A></div> <div> An overview of research and results from the National Science Foundation funded LTER group (Principle Investigator J.Morris)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 221 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="95b02d50.jpg" border=0 width="258" height="213" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="399"><div> <A HREF="#ecological" TITLE="Environmental Indicators"><I><B>Ecological Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal North Carolina Marshes</B></I></A></div> <div> Information on collaborative and supportive research done on the Sea Level Rise project</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 279 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="984f40f0.png" border=0 width="244" height="271" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="399"><div> <A HREF="ace_inc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ACE InC"><I><B>ACE InC (Atlantic Coast Environmental Indicators Consortium)</B></I></A></div> <div> Initial research statements and excerpts from ACE InC's final project report to the Environmental Protection Agency.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="4" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="680" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#3300FF" BORDERCOLORDARK="#003333" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 33 ><NOBR><div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Maiandra GD" ><I><B>Plum Island Sound Long Term Ecological Research</B></I></FONT> <A NAME="plum_island_sound_long_term_ecological_research_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 70 ><NOBR><div> <B>In Conjunction with: </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium" ><A HREF="containerpage.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="pie"><IMG SRC="5b1533a0.jpg" border=0 width="339" height="58" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="664"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="664" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 504 WIDTH="664"><div> The Plum Island Ecosystem (PIE) is the latest of the National Science Foundations (NSF) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites. The project is headed by Chuck Hopkinson (Ecosystems Center, MBL, Woods Hole) and involves investigators from four institutions. The aim is to understand the functional interrelationships between the intertidal wetlands and the estuary proper. We will contrast the functions of North Inlet South Carolina (warm temperate) and Plum Island Massachusetts (cold temperate) marshes. The group monitors production, sedimentation, and sediment chemistry in control and experimentally fertilized sites to contrast with those already in place in North Inlet. We also are examining the changes in biogeochemical properties of sediments along the estuarine salinity gradient. Sediments in the Plum Island Sound marshes are composed primarily of peat, while North Inlet marsh sediments are mineral in composition. The nutrient concentrations of the two marshes are very similar, and very low in contrast to other coastal wetlands that we have studied. Both marshes are have extensive, monospecific stands of the marsh grass <I>Spartina alterniflora. </I>A second objective will be to determine if anomalies in sea level affect the productivity of the marsh plants at Plum Island Sound. At North Inlet we have observed that interannual changes in mean sea level have a large effect on primary production. The Plum Island Sound study will reveal whether this phenomenon is common and synchronous. If the changes in productivity are synchronous across the east coast, then the changes in production and sea level could have broad-scale effects, such as an impact on fisheries or coastal water quality. Please click on the logo above for more information about the Plum Island Research.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="664"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="664" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 31 ><NOBR><div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium" ><B>Long-Term Studies of Salt Marsh Primary Production</B></FONT> <A NAME="long_term_studies_of_salt_marsh_primary_production__1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 264 WIDTH="664"><div> Long-term measurements of salt marsh primary production and sediment chemistry (funded by NSF LTREB) have been monitored monthly on permanent plots that were established in North Inlet salt marshes in 1982. The objective is to quantify the variability and assess the relative importance of physicochemical parameters that regulate productivity. The existing long-term data on demography (e.g. stem survival, density dependent growth and mortality, etc.), productivity, and sediment chemistry are unique and have led to new insights about the regulation marsh productivity. These data demonstrate that there is significant interannual variation in net aboveground production that is controlled proximally by soil salinity, and that there are complex interactions involving sea level anomalies, flooding frequency, and the solute balance of intertidal sediments that extend to the entire estuary.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="4" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="681" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#0000FF" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000099" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1092 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="7f28ea50.gif" border=0 width="398" height="677" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="243"><div> The upper figure on the left is a time series of mean sea level from Charleston Harbor. Notice that monthly mean sea level varies seasonally with a range of about 30 cm. Sea level is lower in the winter months and higher during summer due to seasonal changes in temperature of the sea and thermal expansion of water. Mean sea level during July and August, peak months for the growth of marsh plants, is also plotted. Note that there is considerable interannual variation in the July-August mean. Changes in mean sea level of this magnitude have a great effect on the flooding frequency of salt marshes, and this affects the salinity of the soil, particularly during the summer when the evaporation of water is high. The soil salinity during the warm summer months can rise to levels that reduce the growth of the marsh plants.</div> <div> The lower figure to the left shows the annual production of marsh grass (<I>Spartina alterniflora</I>) from two sites within North Inlet. The interannual variation in production correlates very well with mean summer sea level. When summer sea level is abnormally low, soil salinity increases and the amount of biomass decreases. Shown in the upper graph is a time series of mean sea level from nearby Charleston Harbor. Notice that as monthly mean sea level decreases amount of plant production decreases.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="4" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="681" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339999" BORDERCOLORDARK="#336600" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 58 WIDTH="665"><div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium" ><B>Ecological Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Coastal North Carolina</B></FONT> <A NAME="ecological"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium" ><B>Marshes</B></FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 ><NOBR><div> <B>In Conjunction with: </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#33CC00" FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium" ><A HREF="baruch.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="baruch">Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences</A></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="665"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="665" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 352 WIDTH="665"><div> In collaboration with Don Cahoon, (USGS), David Furbish (Vanderbilt) and Bob Christian (ECU), NOAA and with research student Diana Rodriguez. A study designed to forecast effects of sea-level rise on coastal ecosystems. The project is expected to start in late 2005. One of our interests is to extend to North Carolina the work we have done in South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi salt marshes where we have been monitoring sediment accretion and conducting modeling studies of the processes that regulate the equilibrium elevation of marshes. The study makes use of a device known as a Surface Elevation Table (or SET), which allows for accurate measurements of the elevation of the marsh surface relative to a stationary point below the surface and a device known as a marsh organ (a series of vertical planting pipes at increasing height from the marsh surface) designed to measure the response of vegetation to relative elevation.  Research on the processes of sedimentation and erosion in coastal wetlands will help us manage these resources and forecast their responses to environmental change. This is especially important in light of predictions of an acceleration of sea level rise due to global warming. </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="4" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="680" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#339999" BORDERCOLORDARK="#336600" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 542 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="7eb2c540.gif" border=0 width="300" height="340" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="357"><div> The figure to the left shows the changes that have occurred in the</div> <div>  relative surface elevations of control and fertilized salt marshes at North Inlet, SC. Fertilized marsh sites demonstrated a sudden increase in elevation relative to the controls in the second year of the experiment during 1977. This is due to the increased trapping of sediments on the fertilized plots where biomass density is far greater than on control sites. Between 1997 and 2000, the elevations of fertilized and control sites both increased at rates that exceeded the long-term rate of rise of mean relative sea level (ca. 3.4 mm/yr, see figure below). Marsh surface elevation in fertilized plots increased at a greater rate than in control plots, which is consistent with the idea that the trapping of sediment is enhanced by the vegetation (See Morris, J.T., P.V. Sundareshwar, C.T. Nietch, B. Kjerfve, D.R. Cahoon. 2002 Responses of coastal wetlands to rising sea level. Ecology).</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 346 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="95d2df50.gif" border=0 width="301" height="245" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="357"><div> The marsh surface is not able to precisely track interannual changes in mean sea level. Changes in the marsh surface lag behind and are less dynamic than changes in relative mean sea level. Feedbacks among sea level, biomass density, and sedimentation rate constantly readjust the marsh surface toward an equilibrium with relative sea level. These feedbacks include a positive effect of plant biomass on the sedimentation rate and a positive effect of sea level rise on plant growth. In any marsh there is an optimum elevation of the marsh surface. 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