Building ecosystem resilience to sea- level rise on the ... · 1US CCSP 2009, 2Kemp et al. 2009. ... Installation of sheet pile ditch plug Secondary drainage ditch. Point Peter Road
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Brian Boutin, PhDNovember 16, 2010
© John Warner© Aaron McCall
Building ecosystem resilience to sea-level rise on the Albemarle Peninsula of North Carolina through
restoration and creation of coastal habitat complexes
Vulnerability in NE North Carolina
Susceptible to hurricanes and nor’easters
Extensive ditching and draining of wetlands
Extremely low elevation Third most vulnerable
region to impacts of sea-level rise in North America1
RSLR 4 mm/y along the ocean3.0-3.3 mm/y2 in the
estuary
1US CCSP 2009, 2Kemp et al. 2009
Why adaptation in NE North Carolina?
Climate change is a long-term and potentially catastrophic stressor to ecosystems
Vulnerability = significant impacts manifest in the near-term Large investment in conservation Dependence of regional economy on natural systems
Direct - tourism; commercial and recreational fishing; hunting Indirect – storm surge protection; water resources; water quality
Maintenance and/or enhancement of ecosystem resilience = maintenance and/or enhancement of ecosystem services Avoidance of ecosystem collapse and assurance of redundancy
Regional and global transferability of lessons learned
Alligator River NWR
Partnership
Objectives: o To ensure that as the ecosystems of the region are inevitably
altered by climate change and sea level rise, they are transformed into ones that remain complex and provide a suite of ecosystem services.
o To demonstrate the need for and the benefits of using natural techniques for climate adaptation.
o To encourage large-scale ecosystem resilience work across this vulnerable landscape.
Primary climate-related impacts
Shoreline erosion InundationHabitat transition Species invasions Saltwater intrusionCatastrophic
wildfire
Wave energy and storm surge attenuation
Strategy: construct fringing oyster reefs along high energy shorelinesMaterials: marl, oyster shell bags, OysterCrete, Reef Balls, EcoSystems
Managed habitat transition
Strategy: strategic plantings of salt- and flood-tolerant vegetation on altered lands.
Shoreline Restore and maintain a
healthy buffer of brackish marsh vegetation
Removal of invasive species e.g. common reed (Phragmites australis)
Inland Establishing stands of
forested wetland species e.g. bald cypress (Taxodiumdistichum (L.) L.C. Rich)
Effects of altered hydrology on the landscape
Lowest elevationsSaltwater intrusion Salt-poisoning of vegetation Soil decomposition through
sulfate reduction Locally: subsidence and
increased inundation; release of N and Hg
Globally: release of CO2 and CH4
Higher elevationsIncremental soil loss OxidationCatastrophic soil loss Ignition
Evans Road fire in PocosinLakes NWR burned over 6 million tons of carbon deposits
Hydrologic manipulation
Strategy: prevent further saltwater intrusion and restore a natural hydrologic regime through use of ditch plugs or water control structures
Initial actions at Alligator River NWR
Point Peter Road demonstration site Four components:
1. Salt-tolerant tree plantings2. Hydrologic manipulation3. Invasive species control4. Offshore oyster reef sills
Significant impacts evident Shoreline erosion
~5 m per y1,2
Invasive species Saltwater intrusion3
Vegetation transition Accessibility Monitoring Education
1Wang and Allen 2008; 2Patel 2009; 3Poulter et al. 2008
Point Peter Road demonstration site
Experimental salt-tolerant tree plantings80 acres total; 40 acres
of plantings; 40 acres of control4 treatments
11, 500 bald cypress; 2,000 black gum; 6,750 pond pine
Plantings occurred March 2010
Point Peter Road demonstration site
Hydrologic manipulationReplacement of water
control structureMajor drainage canalSeries of elevated pipes
with flashboard risers and Tideflex check valve
Three spillways running under the road to encourage sheetflow
Installation of sheet pile ditch plugSecondary drainage ditch
Point Peter Road demonstration site
Invasive species control84 acre abandoned
waterfowl impoundmentEradication of 11.5 acres
of Phragmites australisDoes invasive species
control increase vulnerability?
Is invasive species control feasible on this landscape?
Herbicide application completed October 2010
Point Peter Road demonstration site
Offshore oyster reef sillsMarl
400 linear feet in 100 feet sections; 10 feet wide; 3 feet tall
Reefs installed June 2010
Oyster shell bags400 linear feet in 100 feet
sections; 10 feet wide; 3 feet tall
Monitoring Program
Water Quality Temperature, salinity,
dissolved oxygen, pH, Secchidepth
Water Flows Velocity and direction
Hydrology Water table levels
Erosion Shoreline migration
Soil Accretion/subsidence Bulk density Carbon content
Vegetation Seedling survival Seedling growth Phragmites extent Phragmites stem density
Fauna Nekton and mobile epibenthos
presence/absence Oyster density Oyster size frequency
Scaling up future restoration efforts
Albemarle PeninsulaGull Rock Game
LandsPocosin Lakes, Swan
Quarter, and Mattamuskeet NWRs
Outer BanksSouth Nags Head
WoodsPea Island NWRCape Hatteras
National Seashore
Ditch plug, marl reefs, and native marsh plantings
Shell bag reefs
Ditch plug
Marl reefs and native marsh plantings
Acknowledgements
The Nature Conservancy: Aaron McCall, Jennifer Gilbreath,
Kate Murray, Chuck Peoples, Rick Studenmund, interns
USFWS: Mike Bryant, Dennis Stewart,
Scott Lanier, Alligator River NWR fire crew
Contact Information:Brian Boutin, Ph.D.The Nature ConservancyNorth Carolina ChapterPh: 252-441-2525, ext. 28E-mail: bboutin@tnc.org
Funding Duke Energy TNC-NOAA Community-
based Restoration Program
SARP-NOAA Community-based Restoration Program
Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program
Wildlife Conservation Society Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund
Private donations
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