Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010ME226B

Vegetation Response to Potential Increased Tidal Marsh Inundation in Northern

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-05-01 End Date: 2010-10-31
Total Federal Funds: $4,996 Total Non-Federal Funds: $2,448

Principal Investigators: John Peckenham

Project Summary: Brackish marsh vegetation distribution is strongly controlled by inundation and salinity, and is likely to be impacted by climate change and sea level rise due to changes in the periodicity and magnitude of freshwater and salt water inputs. With increases in sea level,shifts in dominant marsh species would be expected, altering typical brackish marsh plant diversity and moving these systems towards saltier marsh vegetation. Yet little is known about the effects of these hydraulic regimes on brackish marsh floral communities in northern New England. Quantifying vegetation response in these systems to inundation and salinity will lead to stronger predictions of change when considering long-term protection and conservation of these fragile habitats. The goal of this study is to construct a model as a guide for predicting vegetation response to inundation and salinity along a brackish gradient using experimentally obtained information on plant responses to these different regimes.