Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Processes Contributing To Resilience Of Coastal Wetlands To Sea-Level Rise, Camille L. Stagg, Ken W. Krauss, Donald R. Cahoon, Nicole Cormier, William H. Conner, Christopher M. Swarzenski

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The objectives of this study were to identify processes that contribute to resilience of coastal wetlands subject to rising sea levels and to determine whether the relative contribution of these processes varies across different wetland community types. We assessed the resilience of wetlands to sea-level rise along a transitional gradient from tidal freshwater forested wetland (TFFW) to marsh by measuring processes controlling wetland elevation. We found that, over 5 years of measurement, TFFWs were resilient, although some marginally, and oligohaline marshes exhibited robust resilience to sea-level rise. We identified fundamental differences in how resilience is maintained across wetland community types, …