Abstract
Coastal wetlands are significant components of the coastal landscape with important roles in ecosystem service provision and mitigation of climate change. They are also likely to be the system most impacted by climate change, feeling the effects of sea levels rise, temperature increases and rainfall regime changes. Climate change impacts on estuarine coastal wetlands (mangroves, saltmarsh) have been thoroughly investigated; however, the impacts on coastal freshwater wetlands (CFWs) are relatively unknown. To explore the current knowledge of the impacts of climate change on CFWs globally, we undertook a systematic quantitative literature review of peer-reviewed published literature. We found surprisingly little research (110 papers of an initial 678), the majority of which was conducted in the USA, focusing on the effects of sea level rise (SLR) on CFW vegetation or sediment accretion processes. From this research, we know that SLR will lead to reduced productivity, reduced regeneration, and increased mortality in CFW vegetation but little is known regarding the effects of other climate change drivers. Sediment accretion is also not sufficient to keep pace with SLR in many CFWs and again the effects of other climate drivers have not been investigated. The combination of unhealthy vegetation communities and minimal gain in vertical elevation can result in a transition towards a vegetation community of salt-tolerant species but more research is required to understand this process.
Highlights
Coastal wetlands, alongside alpine and arctic systems, and tropical coral reefs, are widely considered to be ecosystems most threatened by climate change (IPCC 2014; Schuerch et al 2018)
Note: Short-listed papers will be referenced by numbers throughout the results section with the full references included in supplementary material 2 (S2)
Coastal freshwater wetlands are key components of the coastal landscape which are significantly threatened by global climate change
Summary
Alongside alpine and arctic systems, and tropical coral reefs, are widely considered to be ecosystems most threatened by climate change (IPCC 2014; Schuerch et al 2018). Anticipated increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events (e.g. cyclones, storm surges, and floods), may significantly, sometimes permanently, alter the structure and processes of many coastal wetlands along with the ecosystem services these provide (IPCC 2014; Middleton 2016a; Middleton 2016b). Changing atmospheric gas concentrations will alter coastal wetland productivity, shifting systems from carbon sinks to sources of emissions as rates of decomposition and methanogenesis outstrip the carbon storage capacity of vegetation and soil biomass (Krauss et al 2018). Given the significant effects of climate change anticipated, there is an urgent need to understand the responses of coastal wetlands to inform the development of effective adaptation strategies
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