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Tidal Wetlands in a Changing Climate: Introduction to a Special Feature

  • Wetlands and Climate Change
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Abstract

Through multiple interacting forcing factors, global climate change is poised to alter the structure and function of tidal wetlands worldwide, and consequently, the ecosystem services they provide. For low-lying tidal wetlands, these impacts arise largely as a result of changes in macroclimatic conditions; inputs of freshwater, nutrients, and sediments from coastal watersheds; sea-level rise; and storm activity. Collectively, these climate-driven impacts influence the hydrology, physicochemical environment, species composition, and ecological functioning of tidal wetlands. Given the scope of the threat, it is important to examine climate-change impacts at various spatial and temporal scales and across the various sub-disciplines of wetland science. Insight into climate impacts can inform vulnerability assessments, conservation and restoration plans, and adaptation and mitigation strategies. The articles in this special feature cover a range to topics related to climate-change impacts on tidal wetlands from different biogeographic regions around the world. They examine shifts in foundation species, impacts to wildlife habitat, the use of models to predict responses to different climate-change scenarios, and the potential for restoration to sustain tidal wetlands in the face of climate change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New College and Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Box 870229, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA

    Julia A. Cherry

  2. School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

    Loretta L. Battaglia

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Cherry, J.A., Battaglia, L.L. Tidal Wetlands in a Changing Climate: Introduction to a Special Feature. Wetlands 39, 1139–1144 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-019-01245-9

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