Site-specific Intensive Monitoring of Wetlands of the Delaware River ...
Site-specific Intensive Monitoring of Wetlands of the Delaware River Estuary and Barnegat Bay
T. Elsey-Quirk, D.J. Velinsky, D.A. Kreeger, M. Maxwell-Doyle, and A. Padaletti
PDE Science Summit January 28, 2013
Importance of Monitoring Baseline information about a system Understand consequences of multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors Integrated approach – various parameters Long-term data – assess dynamics and relationships among parameters
Habitat High productivity Nutrient cycling Carbon burial Opportunity Ecological processes – tides, salinity, sedimentation, and nutrients
Causes for concern 1. ALTERED LANDSCAPE - Coastal development - Altered sediment load - Increased nutrient load - Direct human alterations 2. RELATIVE SEA LEVEL RISE - Salinity, tide range increase Philadelphia 2.8 mm/yr Lewes, DE
3.2 mm/yr
Sandy Hook, NJ 3.9 mm/yr Atlantic City, NJ
4.0 mm/yr
Wetlands designated as a long-term monitoring sites Mid-Atlantic Coastal Wetlands Assessment (MACWA) MACWA Partners Partnership for Delaware Estuary Barnegat Bay Partnership Academy of Natural Sciences NJDEP US Fish and Wildlife Refuges Villanova University Rutgers University Monitoring activities Surface elevation changes Plant production Soil chemistry Water quality
EPA 3-Tiered Framework for Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Level 1
Landscape assessment
GIS data (e.g., % forest cover, land use)
Level 2
Rapid assessment
Simple metrics of wetland condition
Intensive site assessment
Direct and detailed measurement of biological taxa and hydrogeomorphic function
Site-specific intensive monitoring
Repeated measurements of physical, chemical and biological metrics
Level 3 Level 4
Central questions: Are wetlands keeping up with sea level rise? Is there spatial and temporal variation in wetland structure and function over time? 1. Are elevations and topography changing over time? 2. Are plant zones and morphology changing over time? 3. Is plant biomass above- and belowground changing and how does it contribute to elevation change? 4. How does water and soil quality relate to elevation change and change over time?
Elevation and Accretion
Methods
Plant community
Plant Biomass
Algal Biomass
Soil and Water Chemistry
Conceptual design SET MH Biomass plots Soil plots Water quality Transects
Estuary (sediment source)
Wetland Monitoring Locations Delaware Bay
Barnegat Bay, New Jersey
Elevation
Elevation change (NAVD88, cm)
120 Crosswicks Tinicum Christina
100
80
60
40
20
0 3/1/11
6/1/11
9/1/11
12/1/11
3/1/12
Date
6/1/12
9/1/12
12/1/12
Elevation
Elevation change (NAVD88, cm)
120 Crosswicks Tinicum Christina Dividing Maurice Dennis
100
80
60
40
20
0 3/1/11
6/1/11
9/1/11
12/1/11
3/1/12
Date
6/1/12
9/1/12
12/1/12
Elevation
Elevation change (NAVD88, cm)
120 Crosswicks Tinicum Christina Dividing Maurice Dennis Reedy IBSP West
100
80
60
40
20
0 3/1/11
6/1/11
9/1/11
12/1/11
3/1/12
Date
6/1/12
9/1/12
12/1/12
Accretion
Elevation change
40
Maurice 30
mm
20 10 0
4 ± 1 mm/yr -10
10 ± 1 mm/yr*
elevation change -20 accretion 40
Dennis
20
20
10
10
0
24 ± 2 mm/yr*
0
-10
21 ± 1 mm/yr*
-10
-20
40
Tinicum
Reedy Creek 30
30
Elevation change
20
mm
20
mm
Accretion
10 0
14 ± 10 mm/yr
-10
16 ± 15 mm/yr
8 ± 6 mm/yr
-10
7 ± 2 mm/yr
-20
-20 40
40
IBSP 30
7 ± 7 mm/yr
20
20
4 ± 2 mm/yr
10
10
mm
mm
30
0
deep subsidence
10 0
Christina
compaction
6 ± 2 mm/yr
-20
50 40
1 ± 0.8 mm/yr
30
mm
mm
30
40
Crosswicks
-20
0
16 ± 9 mm/yr
-10
19 ± 7 mm/yr
-20
-10
3/1/11 6/1/11 9/1/11 12/1/11 3/1/12 6/1/12 9/1/12 12/1/12
Date
Date
-30 3/1/11 6/1/11 9/1/11 12/1/11 3/1/12 6/1/12 9/1/12 12/1/12
Date
Soil Organic Matter Delaware Bay Barnegat Bay 100
Soil organic matter (%)
F6, 65 = 66.85, P < 0.0001
Salt marsh
80
A AB
60
B
C
Tidal fresh marsh 40
D
D
D
20
0 Tinicum Christina Maurice Dennis Reedy
Site
IBSP
West
Hypothesis 1. Higher % soil organic material in areas with less sediment available for deposition
Tidal Creek Water Solids Salt marsh
A
200
Tidal fresh marsh
150
B 100
B A
B
B
B C
50
es t W
IB SP
R ee dy
is D en n
au ric e M
a C hr is tin
Ti ni cu m
ic ks
0
C ro ss w
Total suspended solids (mg/L)
250
Site
Delaware Estuary
Barnegat Bay
Hypothesis 1. Higher % soil organic material in areas with less sediment available for deposition 2. Higher % soil organic material in areas with lower available nutrients
Tidal Creek Nutrients Nitrate + Nitrite
NO3 + NO2 concentration (mg/L)
3.0
A
2.5
A
p < 0.0001
2.0
1.5
1.0
A
A B
0.5
C
D
0.0
Ammonium
0.5
A
AB
0.0236 pp= =0.0236
NH4+ concentration (mg/L)
0.4
A 0.3
A
0.2
B
0.1
C
D
0.0
CrosswicksTinicum Christina Maurice Dennis
Site
Reedy
IBSP
Conclusions Spatial Variation elevation – Barnegat Bay marshes lowest elevation change nsd from zero at most sites soil organic matter greater in BB marshes salt marshes – lower SOM in areas with greater TSS and nutrient concentrations in water
Temporal Variation and Relationships next steps…
Tidal fresh marsh Salt marsh
T. Elsey-Quirk, D.J. Velinsky, D.A. Kreeger, M. Maxwell-Doyle, and A. Padaletti
PDE Science Summit January 28, 2013
Importance of Monitoring Baseline information about a system Understand consequences of multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors Integrated approach – various parameters Long-term data – assess dynamics and relationships among parameters
Habitat High productivity Nutrient cycling Carbon burial Opportunity Ecological processes – tides, salinity, sedimentation, and nutrients
Causes for concern 1. ALTERED LANDSCAPE - Coastal development - Altered sediment load - Increased nutrient load - Direct human alterations 2. RELATIVE SEA LEVEL RISE - Salinity, tide range increase Philadelphia 2.8 mm/yr Lewes, DE
3.2 mm/yr
Sandy Hook, NJ 3.9 mm/yr Atlantic City, NJ
4.0 mm/yr
Wetlands designated as a long-term monitoring sites Mid-Atlantic Coastal Wetlands Assessment (MACWA) MACWA Partners Partnership for Delaware Estuary Barnegat Bay Partnership Academy of Natural Sciences NJDEP US Fish and Wildlife Refuges Villanova University Rutgers University Monitoring activities Surface elevation changes Plant production Soil chemistry Water quality
EPA 3-Tiered Framework for Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Level 1
Landscape assessment
GIS data (e.g., % forest cover, land use)
Level 2
Rapid assessment
Simple metrics of wetland condition
Intensive site assessment
Direct and detailed measurement of biological taxa and hydrogeomorphic function
Site-specific intensive monitoring
Repeated measurements of physical, chemical and biological metrics
Level 3 Level 4
Central questions: Are wetlands keeping up with sea level rise? Is there spatial and temporal variation in wetland structure and function over time? 1. Are elevations and topography changing over time? 2. Are plant zones and morphology changing over time? 3. Is plant biomass above- and belowground changing and how does it contribute to elevation change? 4. How does water and soil quality relate to elevation change and change over time?
Elevation and Accretion
Methods
Plant community
Plant Biomass
Algal Biomass
Soil and Water Chemistry
Conceptual design SET MH Biomass plots Soil plots Water quality Transects
Estuary (sediment source)
Wetland Monitoring Locations Delaware Bay
Barnegat Bay, New Jersey
Elevation
Elevation change (NAVD88, cm)
120 Crosswicks Tinicum Christina
100
80
60
40
20
0 3/1/11
6/1/11
9/1/11
12/1/11
3/1/12
Date
6/1/12
9/1/12
12/1/12
Elevation
Elevation change (NAVD88, cm)
120 Crosswicks Tinicum Christina Dividing Maurice Dennis
100
80
60
40
20
0 3/1/11
6/1/11
9/1/11
12/1/11
3/1/12
Date
6/1/12
9/1/12
12/1/12
Elevation
Elevation change (NAVD88, cm)
120 Crosswicks Tinicum Christina Dividing Maurice Dennis Reedy IBSP West
100
80
60
40
20
0 3/1/11
6/1/11
9/1/11
12/1/11
3/1/12
Date
6/1/12
9/1/12
12/1/12
Accretion
Elevation change
40
Maurice 30
mm
20 10 0
4 ± 1 mm/yr -10
10 ± 1 mm/yr*
elevation change -20 accretion 40
Dennis
20
20
10
10
0
24 ± 2 mm/yr*
0
-10
21 ± 1 mm/yr*
-10
-20
40
Tinicum
Reedy Creek 30
30
Elevation change
20
mm
20
mm
Accretion
10 0
14 ± 10 mm/yr
-10
16 ± 15 mm/yr
8 ± 6 mm/yr
-10
7 ± 2 mm/yr
-20
-20 40
40
IBSP 30
7 ± 7 mm/yr
20
20
4 ± 2 mm/yr
10
10
mm
mm
30
0
deep subsidence
10 0
Christina
compaction
6 ± 2 mm/yr
-20
50 40
1 ± 0.8 mm/yr
30
mm
mm
30
40
Crosswicks
-20
0
16 ± 9 mm/yr
-10
19 ± 7 mm/yr
-20
-10
3/1/11 6/1/11 9/1/11 12/1/11 3/1/12 6/1/12 9/1/12 12/1/12
Date
Date
-30 3/1/11 6/1/11 9/1/11 12/1/11 3/1/12 6/1/12 9/1/12 12/1/12
Date
Soil Organic Matter Delaware Bay Barnegat Bay 100
Soil organic matter (%)
F6, 65 = 66.85, P < 0.0001
Salt marsh
80
A AB
60
B
C
Tidal fresh marsh 40
D
D
D
20
0 Tinicum Christina Maurice Dennis Reedy
Site
IBSP
West
Hypothesis 1. Higher % soil organic material in areas with less sediment available for deposition
Tidal Creek Water Solids Salt marsh
A
200
Tidal fresh marsh
150
B 100
B A
B
B
B C
50
es t W
IB SP
R ee dy
is D en n
au ric e M
a C hr is tin
Ti ni cu m
ic ks
0
C ro ss w
Total suspended solids (mg/L)
250
Site
Delaware Estuary
Barnegat Bay
Hypothesis 1. Higher % soil organic material in areas with less sediment available for deposition 2. Higher % soil organic material in areas with lower available nutrients
Tidal Creek Nutrients Nitrate + Nitrite
NO3 + NO2 concentration (mg/L)
3.0
A
2.5
A
p < 0.0001
2.0
1.5
1.0
A
A B
0.5
C
D
0.0
Ammonium
0.5
A
AB
0.0236 pp= =0.0236
NH4+ concentration (mg/L)
0.4
A 0.3
A
0.2
B
0.1
C
D
0.0
CrosswicksTinicum Christina Maurice Dennis
Site
Reedy
IBSP
Conclusions Spatial Variation elevation – Barnegat Bay marshes lowest elevation change nsd from zero at most sites soil organic matter greater in BB marshes salt marshes – lower SOM in areas with greater TSS and nutrient concentrations in water
Temporal Variation and Relationships next steps…
Tidal fresh marsh Salt marsh
