Article
Ecology
Khandker S. Ishtiaq, Tiffany G. Troxler, Lukas Lamb-Wotton, Benjamin J. Wilson, Sean P. Charles, Stephen E. Davis, John S. Kominoski, David T. Rudnick, Fred H. Sklar
Summary: Coastal wetlands are important carbon stores, but factors such as sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and modified freshwater discharge can lead to their collapse. This study developed a mechanistic peat elevation model based on experiments in Florida Coastal Everglades and simulated the impact of elevated salinity on carbon balance and peat elevation. The results showed that saltwater intrusion, inundation, and dry-down have significant impacts on the wetlands, providing management targets for restoration efforts.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Beth A. Middleton, John L. David
Summary: The decrease in ground surface height of coastal wetlands is a global concern due to its impact on peat loss, coastal carbon, and freshwater wetland biodiversity. This study investigates the possibility of using long-term changes in the environment and vegetation as indicators for impending transitions of freshwater swamps to other coastal types.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily A. Ury, Justin P. Wright, Marcelo Ardon, Emily S. Bernhardt
Summary: The addition of marine salts in wetland soils resulted in depressed microbial respiration and dissolved organic carbon solubility, with a preferential reduction in phenolic and aromatic organic molecules in solution. The effects of marine salts on carbon mineralization rates were more pronounced in base saturated soils compared to acidic soils. Ion exchange mechanisms due to salinization indirectly affect the pH of soil solution and the solubility of organic matter.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Minjie Hu, Yixun Le, Jordi Sardans, Ruibing Yan, Yi Zhong, Dongyao Sun, Chuan Tong, Josep Penuelas
Summary: Accelerated sea-level rise can lead to salinization of freshwater wetlands, but little is known about the effects of salinity on soil phosphorus cycling and microbial genes involved. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of salinity on soil microbial communities and their regulation of phosphorus availability in coastal wetlands. Salinity was found to be positively correlated with phosphorus availability, with different patterns observed between freshwater and brackish wetlands. The microbial communities involved in phosphorus cycling were more diverse and abundant in brackish wetlands, and salinity altered their composition. Metagenomic analysis revealed higher abundance of functional genes related to phosphorus solubilization and mineralization in coastal soils. The findings suggest that moderate increases in salinity can enhance phosphorus availability through the regulation of microbial community and phosphorus cycling.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julia A. Guimond, Holly A. Michael
Summary: Research indicates that along topographically low coastlines vulnerable to storm surges, marsh migration into agricultural fields prolongs the use of inland fields while also protecting groundwater quality. However, yields are not maintained with migration widths over 400 m or surge height under 3.0 m above mean sea level.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Clara Cogswell, James W. Heiss
Summary: Coastal aquifers undergo biogeochemical reactions influenced by temperature, with increased nitrate removal efficiency at higher groundwater temperatures. Seasonal temperature variability causes reaction hotspots to shift, while steady-state models may not fully capture local reactive dynamics.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Ismail Abd-Elaty, Gehan A. H. Sallam, Lorenzo Pugliese, Abdelazim M. Negm, Salvatore Straface, Andrea Scozzari, Ashraf Ahmed
Summary: The study investigates the optimal location of rice cultivation in the coastal aquifer of Nile Delta, Egypt for mitigating seawater intrusion. Different recharging regions in the delta were subdivided and the SEAWAT code was simulated to understand the effects of rice cultivation relocation and sea level rise (SLR) on salt volume reduction. The findings indicate that rice cultivation in the northern region yields the highest reduction of salt volume (19%), while cultivation in the central and southern regions result in minimal reduction and an increase in salt volume, respectively. Taking into account SLR and rice cultivation in the northern region, a significant salt volume reduction of 17% is observed.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guilherme Menten, Willian Melo, Jose Pinho, Isabel Iglesias, Jose Antunes do Carmo
Summary: This study used an analytical solution and the 2DH and 3D versions of the Delft3D numerical model to simulate the future climate change impacts on the Minho River estuary and its saline wedge length. The results showed an increase in the length of the saline intrusion in both models under the worst climate change scenario. The 3D model was found to be more accurate, but both models provided insights into the effects of saline intrusion.
Article
Water Resources
Dan Li, Bingjun Liu, Yang Lu, Jianyu Fu
Summary: Global warming alters climate variability and induces more frequent hydroclimatic compound extremes, which have substantial impacts on the Pearl River Estuary. In this study, three compound indices were constructed to monitor compound drought and saltwater intrusion extremes during the dry season from 1999 to 2016. The results show that these indices effectively depict different aspects of compound extremes in the critical zone of the Pearl River Estuary.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Eric A. Weingarten, Colin R. Jackson
Summary: As sea level rises, saltmarsh is overtaking coastal freshwater marsh in many areas. However, it is difficult to predict the changes in sediment microbiome caused by saltwater intrusion. This study found that the magnitude of increase in saltwater had a significant impact on sediment prokaryotic composition, while nutrient amendment had no observed effect.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Zhang, Daniil Svyatsky, Joel C. Rowland, J. David Moulton, Zhendong Cao, Phillip J. Wolfram, Chonggang Xu, Donatella Pasqualini
Summary: Coastal marsh evolution plays a significant role in future coastal freshwater-saltwater interaction and should not be ignored when evaluating coastal saltwater intrusion under sea level rise.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Nicholas Fiori, William P. Anderson Jr
Summary: Saltwater intrusion is a growing concern for coastal aquifers, especially in barrier-island aquifer systems, due to rising sea levels. This study focuses on the barrier islands of coastal North Carolina and examines the viability of these aquifers under different hydraulic properties and rates of sea-level rise. The findings suggest that higher island width and lower hydraulic conductivity help limit the impact of sea-level rise on aquifer viability. Risk maps show that areas with narrower width and higher sea-level rise rates are more vulnerable.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Berrin Tansel, Kaixuan Zhang
Summary: This paper provides a quantitative assessment of the projected shifts in failure rates of iron pipes in coastal areas due to saltwater intrusion and sea level rise. The study found that saltwater intrusion and sea level rise can significantly impact the integrity of water and wastewater collection pipes, accelerating corrosion rates. This has important implications for infrastructure maintenance planning and asset management strategies in coastal areas.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dong Yoon Lee, John S. Kominoski, Michael Kline, Michelle Robinson, Suzy Roebling
Summary: Restoring freshwater to coastal peatlands previously exposed to saltwater intrusion and nutrient enrichment can help reduce salinity and improve plant and soil productivity, but legacies of saltwater and phosphorus still impact carbon loss. In wetland areas with legacies of saltwater and phosphorus, net ecosystem productivity is significantly lower compared to controls, while recovery is greater in freshwater marshes exposed to saltwater alone.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Steven M. Anderson, Emily A. Ury, Paul J. Taillie, Eric A. Ungberg, Christopher E. Moorman, Benjamin Poulter, Marcelo Ardon, Emily S. Bernhardt, Justin P. Wright
Summary: The study found that ground layer plants can be reliable indicators of salinity thresholds in coastal wetlands. By monitoring the sensitivity of plants to saltwater exposure, areas at risk for undergoing future community shifts can be identified.
Article
Ecology
Sparkle L. Malone, Junbin Zhao, John S. Kominoski, Gregory Starr, Christina L. Staudhammer, Paulo C. Olivas, Justin C. Cummings, Steven F. Oberbauer
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of aquatic primary productivity on the carbon sequestering capacity of wetlands by comparing the dynamics of carbon, net ecosystem CO2 exchange, and ecosystem respiration in two types of calcareous freshwater wetlands. Results showed that both wetlands were generally net heterotrophic, with daily net aquatic primary productivity accounting for a small proportion of daily NEE rates and exhibiting high variability due to interactions between water level, water temperature, and carbon fluxes. The contribution of NAPP to NEE was found to be greater in the long-hydroperiod site compared to the short-hydroperiod site.
Article
Ecology
John S. Kominoski, Marco Fernandez, Peyton Breault, Vivienne Sclater, Betsie B. Rothermel
Summary: Fire severity and post-fire hydrology are crucial factors influencing carbon and phosphorus cycling in plants and soils, particularly in nutrient-limited ecosystems. Fire can impact plant cover and vegetation succession in wetlands.
Article
Zoology
Colette St Mary, Thomas H. Q. Powell, John S. Kominoski, Emily Weinert
Summary: The organization of the living world encompasses various scales, requiring a comprehensive understanding of complex processes across biological subdisciplines and spatiotemporal scales. Developing frameworks that enable scaling across subdisciplines is essential for predicting outcomes and integrating different aspects of biology.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dong Yoon Lee, John S. Kominoski, Michael Kline, Michelle Robinson, Suzy Roebling
Summary: Restoring freshwater to coastal peatlands previously exposed to saltwater intrusion and nutrient enrichment can help reduce salinity and improve plant and soil productivity, but legacies of saltwater and phosphorus still impact carbon loss. In wetland areas with legacies of saltwater and phosphorus, net ecosystem productivity is significantly lower compared to controls, while recovery is greater in freshwater marshes exposed to saltwater alone.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dan Peng, Denise C. Montelongo, Leslie Wu, Anna R. Armitage, John S. Kominoski, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: As global change alters ecosystems, the importance of subsidies from one habitat to another may change. This study manipulated black mangrove cover and found that increasing mangrove cover decreases the relative importance of marine subsidies into the intertidal at the plot level, but concentrates subsidies at the front edge of the mangrove stand. Storms may temporarily override mangrove attenuation of subsidies. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the impact of changes in plant species composition on marine subsidies and exchanges among ecosystems.
Article
Microbiology
Peeter Laas, Kelly Ugarelli, Rafael Travieso, Sandro Stumpf, Evelyn E. Gaiser, John S. Kominoski, Ulrich Stingl
Summary: Planktonic microbial communities in wetland ecosystems play a vital role, yet they are relatively underexplored compared to other aquatic ecosystems. This study conducted a high-resolution analysis of bacterial and eukaryotic microbial communities in the Florida Everglades, revealing significant variations along the salinity gradient.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jun Zhao, Seemanti Chakrabarti, Randolph Chambers, Pamela Weisenhorn, Rafael Travieso, Sandro Stumpf, Emily Standen, Henry Briceno, Tiffany Troxler, Evelyn Gaiser, John Kominoski, Braham Dhillon, Willm Martens-Habbena
Summary: Global sea-level rise is causing significant changes in coastal ecosystems, particularly in freshwater wetlands, due to increased saltwater exposure. These changes affect various aspects of the ecosystem, including biogeochemistry, plant and microbial communities, and ecological services. However, predicting the response of soil microbial communities to saltwater exposure is challenging due to the complexity and heterogeneity of wetland soils and saltwater exposure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Andrea Nocentini, John S. Kominoski, Joseph J. O'Brien, Jed Redwine
Summary: Fire plays a crucial role in shaping ecosystems, especially in oligotrophic wetlands. This study investigates how fire intensity and nutrient limitation interact to affect biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem recovery in wetlands. The results show that fire can temporarily alleviate phosphorus limitation in wetlands, affecting soil nutrient stoichiometry and organic matter processing. Fire intensity is a key factor influencing postfire biogeochemical cycling. Fire management should consider nutrient cycling and soil processes.
Article
Ecology
Nathan J. Tomczyk, Amy D. Rosemond, John S. Kominoski, David W. P. Manning, Jonathan P. Benstead, Vladislav Gulis, Steven A. Thomas, Erin R. Hotchkiss, Ashley M. Helton
Summary: Nutrient uptake and release in forest streams are linked to the supply ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus, with the highest likelihood of net nutrient uptake observed at intermediate N:P supply. The flexibility of nutrient stoichiometry in the streams suggests changes in nutrient recycling or community structure, which may take longer to manifest.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew A. A. Smith, J. S. Kominoski, R. M. Price, O. I. Abdul-Aziz, T. G. Troxler
Summary: The study investigates the impacts of climate-induced shifts on dissolved organic matter (DOM) in coastal urban canals. The results show that time-variable interactions among coastal water source contributions influence the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nutrients, and DOM composition. The study demonstrates the importance of groundwater contributions and its spatial-temporal variability. It also highlights the role of autochthonous fDOM in the degradation of carbon and nutrients as the canal-to-marine head difference pushes inland.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin S. Halpern, Carl Boettiger, Michael C. Dietze, Jessica A. Gephart, Patrick Gonzalez, Nancy B. Grimm, Peter M. Groffman, Jessica Gurevitch, Sarah E. Hobbie, Kimberly J. Komatsu, Kristy J. Kroeker, Heather J. Lahr, David M. Lodge, Christopher J. Lortie, Julie S. S. Lowndes, Fiorenza Micheli, Hugh P. Possingham, Mary H. Ruckelshaus, Courtney Scarborough, Chelsea L. Wood, Grace C. Wu, Lina Aoyama, Eva E. Arroyo, Christie A. Bahlai, Erin E. Beller, Rachael E. Blake, Karrigan S. Bork, Trevor A. Branch, Norah E. M. Brown, Julien Brun, Emilio M. Bruna, Lauren B. Buckley, Jessica L. Burnett, Max C. N. Castorani, Samantha H. Cheng, Sarah C. Cohen, Jessica L. Couture, Larry B. Crowder, Laura E. Dee, Arildo S. Dias, Ignacio J. Diaz-Maroto, Martha R. Downs, Joan C. Dudney, Erle C. Ellis, Kyle A. Emery, Jacob G. Eurich, Bridget E. Ferriss, Alexa Fredston, Hikaru Furukawa, Sara A. Gagne, Sarah R. Garlick, Colin J. Garroway, Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Angelica L. Gonzalez, Eliza M. Grames, Tamar Guy-Haim, Ed Hackett, Lauren M. Hallett, Tamara K. Harms, Danielle E. Haulsee, Kyle J. Haynes, Elliott L. Hazen, Rebecca M. Jarvis, Kristal Jones, Gaurav S. Kandlikar, Dustin W. Kincaid, Matthew L. Knope, Anil Koirala, Jurek Kolasa, John S. Kominoski, Julia Koricheva, Lesley T. Lancaster, Jake A. Lawlor, Heili E. Lowman, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Kari E. A. Norman, Nan Nourn, Casey C. O'Hara, Suzanne X. Ou, Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamino, Paula Pappalardo, Ryan A. Peek, Dominique Pelletier, Stephen Plont, Lauren C. Ponisio, Cristina Portales-Reyes, Diogo B. Provete, Eric J. Raes, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Irene Ramos, Sydne Record, Anthony J. Richardson, Roberto Salguero-Gomez, Erin Satterthwaite, Chloe Schmidt, Aaron J. Schwartz, Craig R. See, Brendan D. Shea, Rachel S. Smith, Eric R. Sokol, Christopher T. Solomon, Trisha Spanbauer, Paris Stefanoudis, Beckett W. Sterner, Vitor Sudbrack, Jonathan D. Tonkin, Ashley R. Townes, Mireia Valle, Jonathan A. Walter, Kathryn Wheeler, William R. Wieder, David R. Williams, Marten Winter, Barbora Winterova, Lucy C. Woodall, Adam S. Wymore, Casey Youngflesh
Summary: Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science is important for improving understanding, advancing theory, identifying research priorities, and supporting management strategies. A virtual workshop with participants from different countries and disciplines was held to discuss how synthesis can address key questions and themes in the field in the next decade. Seven priority research topics and two issues regarding synthesis practices were identified, providing a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science.
Article
Limnology
Phillip M. Bumpers, Amy D. Rosemond, David W. P. Manning, John S. Kominoski, Jonathan P. Benstead, Lee M. Demi
Summary: Streams store nutrients in organic matter (OM) stocks, but nutrient enrichment can reduce the storage of detritus-associated nutrients. A study tested the effects of nutrient-loading on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) storage in different types of organic matter in forest streams. The results showed that enrichment increased nutrient content in all organic matter types, but reduced storage in fine benthic organic matter (FBOM) and leaves. The changes in nutrient storage have implications for downstream processes and consumer dynamics.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Jemma Stachelek
Summary: Size is a critical factor in determining lake processes such as carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions, with small lakes having particularly high CO2 flux rates. However, incomplete lake census efforts make it challenging to estimate these processes for small lakes at broad spatial scales. Existing approaches rely on curve fitting techniques and visual inspections, leading to over-exact lake area estimates reported without uncertainty bounds. A Bayesian model is proposed to address these shortcomings and provide larger estimates of lake area uncertainty, enabling more robust comparisons among studies.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kenneth J. Anderson, John S. Kominoski, Andrea Nocentini, Sophia Hoffman
Summary: Hydrologic restoration has different effects on DOM in peat and marl marshes, and the water depth and soil phosphorus concentration are correlated with DOC concentrations and DOM composition.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Deidra Jordan, John S. Kominoski, Shelby Servais, DeEtta Mills
Summary: Coastal wetlands, like the Everglades, face increasing stress from global climate change, which can disrupt their soil microbial communities and their ecological processes. The study used next generation sequencing to analyze the effects of long-term saltwater intrusion on microbial populations in freshwater and brackish marshes. The results showed changes in microbial functions, such as increased sulfite reduction in freshwater soils and decreased methylotrophy in brackish soils, highlighting the impact of soil quality changes on microbial communities before and after disturbance.