Ecology of Buzzards Bay Ecology of Buzzards Bay : an estuarine profile ecologyofbuzzard00howe Year: 1996 114 BIOLOGICAL REPORT 31 Fig. Upland retreat rates for Massachusetts coastal communities, expressed as the percentage of total upland lost per century at the present rate of relative sea-level rise Note several barrier beaches and sand spits are not shaded and are not included in the calculations of upland loss for their respective towns From Giese and Aubrey (1987) altering the flooding frequency and duration of the wetland plant communities. This necessitates a bal- ance between
Ecology of Buzzards Bay Ecology of Buzzards Bay : an estuarine profile ecologyofbuzzard00howe Year: 1996 114 BIOLOGICAL REPORT 31 Fig. Upland retreat rates for Massachusetts coastal communities, expressed as the percentage of total upland lost per century at the present rate of relative sea-level rise Note several barrier beaches and sand spits are not shaded and are not included in the calculations of upland loss for their respective towns From Giese and Aubrey (1987) altering the flooding frequency and duration of the wetland plant communities. This necessitates a bal- ance between the rate of sea-level rise and sedi- ment accretion, however. At present rates of sea- level rise. Buzzard Bay wetlands appear to be able to maintain their elevation, and marsh drowning and the conversion of vegetated marsh to open water is not occurring. Given that almost all of the vertical accretion is self-generated (organic matter produced by the plants) rather than trapped imported inor- ganic matter, however, it is likely that at the highest rates of relative sea-level rise some of the wetland area will be converted to open water. This conver- sion will have an associated loss of wetland a o / 6 - O o jS • E o n nj 3 4 - iii l/i o X in CD CO id 5 CD 2 - Ifi -a o o O £ Q- O • O o ' i ' 1 0 2 4 6 8 10 Tidal range (ft) Fig. Vertical range of Spartina alterniflora in rela- tion to the range of the tide Open circles: positions between Massachusetts and Florida, solid circles: positions on Cape Cod The slope of the line is From Redfield( 1972) functions within the estuarine system, such as nutri- ent transformations, spawning and nursery grounds for fish and shellfish, etc. The rate of sea-level rise that results in the conversion of wetlands to open water is currently the subject of intense study. Even if the wetlands can 'keep up,' changes will occur, and in the Buzzards Bay system the salt marsh area is likely to diminish. As stated, as relative sea- leve
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