climate change and san francisco bay-delta tidal wetlands v.t. parker san francisco state university...
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Climate Change and San Francisco Bay-Delta Tidal Wetlands
V.T. ParkerSan Francisco State University
and
L.M. Schile, J.C. Callaway & M.C. VaseySan Francisco State University
and
University of San Francisco
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Context:Focal Area for Research
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SF Bay-Delta Tidal MarshesSalinity Gradient
Brackish Marshes
Salt
Marshes
Freshwater Marshesin the Delta
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Historic marshes along gradient
China Camp
Coon Island
Browns Island
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Pond 2A
Carls
Bull Island
Restored marshes along the gradient
Pond 3
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San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes
Brackish Marshes
Salt
Marshes
Freshwater Marshesin the Delta
Species Diversity
2-22 species
Species Diversity
27-65 species
Species Diversity
117+ species
Species Diversity
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San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes
Brackish Marshes
Salt
Marshes
Freshwater Marshesin the Delta
Annual Primary Production
ANPP
200-800g m-2 yr-1
ANPP ANPP
700-1300g m-2 yr-1
1300-2500g m-2 yr-1
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SF Bay-Delta:Freshwater> Salt Marshes
• Freshwater tidal marshes have 5-50 times more species than salt marshes
• Freshwater tidal marshes have 3-12 times more primary production
• Historic marshes have more species than restored marshes
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What happens to these systems under projected climate change?
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Processes predicted to change…Increases in CO2Rising temperaturesMore rain/less snow->reduced snowpack-> reduced water flow in Bay-Delta in late summerReduced water flow->increased salinityRising sea level
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Increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration
• Generally good for C3 plants at beginning
– Most wetland plants use C3 photosynthesis
• Generally no improvement for C4 plants (meaning net relative loss of productivity)– Spartina foliosa and Distichlis spicata are two common
C4 plants in SF Bay-Delta marshes
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6 global climate models for each of 4 different historic and future scenarios.
Northern California will increase in temperature.
The models are ambivalent about precipitation, but greater unpredictability
Dettinger 2005
Temperature regime increases
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Temperature effects on wetlands
• Direct
• Indirect
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Direct effects-temperature
• Influence on photosynthesis/respiration balance of dominant plants
rate
temperature
respirationphotosynthesis
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Direct effects-temperature
• Influence on photosynthesis/respiration balance of dominant plants
rate
temperature
Mortality
Increase in ANPP
Decrease in ANPP
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Indirect Effects-temperature
• Sierran snow pack melts earlier
• Rivers flow earlier
• Salinity increases upstream
Salinity (ppt)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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Salinity (ppt)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Current Summer
Salinities
Projected Summer
Salinities in 2060
Figure from Noah Knowles
Projected Salinity Changes Critical
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Salinity Effects on Tidal Wetlands
• Shifts composition• Reduces diversity• Reduces productivity
• Inhibits organic peat production• Changes soil structure
• Critical thresholds at low salinity levels
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(from IPCC)
Indirect effects, cont.
• Increase in the rate of sea level rise
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Inundation and flooding
current conditions
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0
50
100
150
200
250
300
% time wet
0 10 20 30 40 50
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1600
20
40
60
80
100
120
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
% time wet
0 10 20 30 40 50
0
20
40
60
80
100
Marsh Surface Elevations: Percent Time Wet
Restored sites are inundated longer than natural sites
Num
ber
of O
bser
vati
ons
Bull Island
Pond 2a
Carl’s Marsh
Restored Sites
Coon Island
Browns Island
Reference Sites
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Bull Island
Pond 2a
Carl’s Marsh
Restored Sites
elevation (m, NAVD)
1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Coon Island
Browns Island
Reference Sites
Diversity peaks at MHHW at reference sites; lower at restored sites
Num
ber
of S
peci
esMarsh Surface Elevations: Plant Diversity
Mean high water - MHW
Mean higher high water - MHHW
MHW
MHHW
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Species
Spfo Scac Tyan Boma Scam Sapa
elev
atio
n (m
NA
VD
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
Coon Island
Species
Spfo Scac Tyan Boma Scam Sapa
% ti
me
we
t
0
10
20
30
40
50
MTL MHW MHHW
c
ab
bc
bc
a
b
bc
b
Within a site, elevation predicts distribution of species
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Site
Browns Bull Coon
% ti
me
we
t
0
10
20
30
40
50
Site
Browns Bull Coon
elev
atio
n (m
NA
VD
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
Larry Allian
Formerly known as Scirpus acutus
Schoenoplectus acutustule
ab c
aa
a
Among sites, % inundation time predicts distribution
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Site
Bull Coon Pond 2a Carl's
elev
atio
n (m
NA
VD
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
SiteBull Coon Pond 2a Carl's
% ti
me
we
t
0
10
20
30
40
50
Bolboschoenus maritimusAlkali bulrush
Formerly known as Scirpus maritimus
a bc d
a bc c
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Site
Browns Bull Coon
elev
atio
n (m
NA
VD
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
Site
Browns Bull Coon
% ti
me
we
t
0
10
20
30
40
50
Schoenoplectus americanusCommon three-square
Formerly known as Scirpus americanus
ab c
ab
a
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Site
Bull Coon Pond 2a Carl's
elev
atio
n (m
NA
VD
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
Site
Bull Coon Pond 2a Carl's
% ti
me
we
t
0
10
20
30
40
50
Formerly known as Salicornia virginica
Sarcocornia pacificaPickleweed
ab c
a a b cc
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Site-level Elevation and Inundation Patterns
• Restored sites differ in length of inundation, and elevation at which species diversity peaks
• Elevation important in determining plant distributions within sites
• Among sites, inundation patterns for any species are relatively similar, but elevations may differ
• Salinity another influence needing consideration
Species
Spfo Scac Tyan Boma Scam Sapa
elev
atio
n (m
NA
VD
)
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
elevation (m, NAVD)
1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
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Likely influences of climate change on tidal wetlands
• Negative impacts– Increase in inundation
– Increase in salinity
– Increase in temperature?
• Positive impacts– Increase in CO2
– Increase in temperature?
Restored marshes lagging behind reference sites
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• Given environmental change– If temperature increases…– If salinity increases…– If marsh substrate accretion fails to keep up
with sea level rise and inundation increases…
• What might be a predictable scenario for SF Bay-Delta?
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Sarcocornia pacifica:
• Sarcocornia occurs in a diversity of salinity and inundation conditions
formerly Salicornia virginica
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Sarcocornia pacifica:
• Used spatially variability as a natural experiment to ask the question:
What happens to Sarcocornia productivity under higher salinities and more inundation?
Multiple harvests to assess annual production under a variety of salinity and inundation conditions
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While annual productivity increases with height…
The pattern with salinity seems scattered and complex…
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Until well-drained locations are separated from poorly-drained sites...
Well-drained plots
Poorly-drained plots
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Results: Natural Experiment
• Increases in salinity and inundation (predicted environmental changes)…
Result in significant reductions in wetland productivity in the species most likely to expand
low productivity?
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Conclusions
• Reducing the rate of change in wetlands: depends on maintaining or enhancing freshwater flows into the Delta in the summer/fall periods (levee protection, less diversion)
• Restoring new marshes sooner might increase their likelihood of long-term success and persistence
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What haven’t I mentioned?
• Temperature, salinity, inundation all strongly influence other major ecosystem processes within wetlands that have strong links to terrestrial and pelagic systems:– Decomposition – Soil organic matter accumulation– Every aspect of nitrogen dynamics– Plant composition shifts, seedling
establishment, seed bank persistence
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To keep from getting stuck in the details…
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PptShifts from
Snow to rain
SmallerSnowpack
Earlier meltSpring floods
IncreasingTemperatures
Lower Summer
flows
Global Warming Impact on SF Bay-Delta
IncreasedEstuarine
salinity
Sea levelRise
Increased inundation
ReducedPeat
formation
CO2
increasesmixed
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these environmental changes impact the performance of
wetland vegetation:
…and potentially lead to:
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Loss of species, reduction in annual productivity, with cascading effects on linked terrestrial and pelagic systems…
Acknowledgements:
…CA Parks, CA Fish & Game, EB Regional Park District, a large and excellent field crew, and colleagues in the IRWM project
…meaning marshes may fade to blue