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Abstract: The future of coastal wetlands will depend on the combined effects of climate change and human impacts from urbanization and coastal management. Disentangling the effects of these factors is difficult, but satellite imagery archives provide a way to track biological and physical changes in wetlands over recent decades to reveal how coastal wetlands have been changing in response to climate and human drivers. In this study, we used Landsat to monitor the conditions of 32 coastal wetlands in southern California from 1984 to 2019 and identify environmental and human drivers of these trends. Wetland conditions were characterized by vegetation greenness, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and by habitat composition, derived from areal estimates of wetland and subtidal habitats. Overall, wetlands displayed three types of long‐term response: greening and gaining wetland (10), greening and losing wetland (16), and browning and losing wetland (6). Regional environmental drivers with overall positive effects on wetland NDVI were sea level, wave height, and precipitation, whereas stream discharge, vapor pressure deficit, and air temperature had negative or nonlinear effects. Wetland area change was primarily correlated with sea level, but response was highly contextual among sites. Negative trends in wetland NDVI and area were more common in larger sites with low elevations and in sites with open inlets. Restoration had mixed effects, with only half of the restored sites showing positive changes in NDVI and wetland area post‐restoration. The important work of managing and restoring urban coastal wetlands is complicated by variability and context and requires us to account for the influence of humans and climate as we build a regional understanding of historic, present, and future wetland health.

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages more than 340 acres of open space between Ellwood Mesa and Goleta Slough, carrying out ecological restoration, research, and education projects at these sites. Characterized by a rich complex of oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, grassland, and wetland ecosystems, the area is known for its relatively high level of biodiversity. The Cheadle Center’s project sites and management areas serve to protect and strengthen the region’s ecology and ecosystems through habitat conservation, upland restoration, wetland creation and enhancement, and the implementation of sustainable stormwater management solutions. Through careful integration with local watersheds and surrounding natural areas, The Cheadle Center's management areas provide an important corridor and refuge for wildlife, ensure the long term preservation of the region's natural resources, and serve as outdoor classrooms, research sites, and recreational areas for the campus community and the public. This archived version of the March 2024 newsletter includes updates on wildlfowers, Ellwood Marine Terminal restoration, and the Ocean Meadows housing project. The feature story focuses on Genetic Diversity and California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Community photos include Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), and more!

Coastal wetlands experience acute and chronic disturbances which can affect rates of surface elevation change and vertical accretion of surface sediments. Disturbance can either amplify or impair the ability of wetlands to maintain their position within the tidal frame, with implications for their long-term persistence. Using an 8-year dataset collected from coupled surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) stations spanning riverine, bayside, and barrier island settings in the Apalachicola Bay region of north Florida, USA, this study investigated decadal-scale surface elevation change and vertical accretion rates to assess wetland vulnerability to acute (Hurricane Michael) and chronic (relative sea-level rise; RSLR) disturbance in different geomorphic settings. All sites had long-term accretion rates that exceeded rates of surface elevation change (pre-Michael), indicating that surface accretion was not a good indicator of changes in surface elevation for any of these coastal geomorphic settings. Hurricane Michael increased surface elevation change rates at bayside and riverine sites; barrier island sites consistently displayed the lowest surface elevation change rates, which did not differ between pre- and post-Michael periods. Accretion rates were greatest in the riverine sites, which were characterized by highly organic soils. Barrier island and bayside sites demonstrated elevation and accretion deficits relative to the rate of RSLR for Apalachicola Bay between 2010 and 2022, indicating high vulnerability of these sites to chronic increases in sea level. These estimates of marsh resilience relied exclusively on rates of vertical change and neglecting to account for lateral erosion failed to predict that each of the three barrier island sites experienced rapid loss of the seaward SET-MH stations during the observation period. These results provide evidence of different vertical change responses among coastal wetlands of three geomorphic settings exposed to hurricanes and RSLR in the same region and suggest different timelines for long-term persistence of these sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Climate and edaphic properties drive the biogeographic distribution of dominant soil microbial phylotypes in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the impact of plant species and their root nutritional traits on microbial distribution in coastal wetlands remains unclear.Here, we investigated the nutritional traits of 100 halophyte root samples and the bacterial communities in the corresponding soil samples from coastal wetlands across eastern China. This study spans 22° of latitude, covering over 2500 km from north to south.We found that 1% of soil bacterial phylotypes accounted for nearly 30% of the soil bacterial community abundance, suggesting that a few bacterial phylotypes dominated the coastal wetlands. These dominated phylotypes could be grouped into three ecological clusters as per their preference over climatic (temperature and precipitation), edaphic (soil carbon and nitrogen), and plant factors (halophyte vegetation, root carbon, and nitrogen). We further provide novel evidence that plant root nutritional traits, especially root C and N, can strongly influence the distribution of these ecological clusters.Taken together, our study provides solid evidence of revealing the dominance of specific bacterial phylotypes and the complex interactions with their environment, highlighting the importance of plant root nutritional traits on biogeographic distribution of soil microbiome in coastal wetland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetland has many ecological service functions such as shoreline protection, biodiversity conservation, material production, energy exchange, and providing leisure and scientific research space. Vegetation is an important part of coastal wetland, and its distribution, structural changes and other landscape information reflect the health status of coastal wetlands to a large extent. In order to analyze the feasibility of identifying vegetation species under ebb and flow of coastal wetland by remote sensing, two periods of Landsat 8 ebb and flow images were selected to classify vegetation in coastal wetland of Yellow River Delta based on statistical discriminant, decision tree supervised classification and unsupervised classification methods. The results showed that the classification effect of statistical discriminant supervised classification was the best, the classification accuracy was up to 97%, and the vegetation types could be accurately distinguished, and the ebb and flow had little effect on the classification results. The research indicated that remote sensing technology is feasible to extract vegetation information of coastal wetland under different tidal conditions, which can provide technical and data support for vegetation monitoring, ecological restoration and blue carbon storage estimation of coastal wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Previous studies have shown that silicon (Si) can affect plant growth and yield by regulating the availability of other nutrients. However, the mechanisms by which Si affects plant biomass accumulation in coastal wetlands are not well explored. Methods: We conducted a sampling campaign across the whole growing season of Phragmites australis under waterlogging and drought conditions in coastal wetland, and quantified the effects of Si availability on biomass accumulation. Results: Compared with drought condition, the waterlogged condition improved the utilization efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) of P. australis regulated by higher Si contents. Meanwhile, the increased Si contents promoted the utilization of N and P in leaf, suggesting that the increase in Si contents optimizes the photosynthetic process. Lignin contents in P. australis decreased with the increasing Si contents, which confirmed that Si can replace structural carbon components. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) showed aboveground biomass accumulation of P. australis was synchronized with Si accumulation, indicating that Si was a beneficial element to promote biomass accumulation. Conclusions: Our study implies that increasing Si availability is conducive to biomass accumulation of P. australis in waterlogged wetlands, which will provide important scientific references for the management of coastal wetland ecosystem and the increase of global 'blue carbon' sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The planting of mangroves is extensively used to control the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands. Different plant species release diverse sets of small organic compounds that affect rhizosphere conditions and support high levels of microbial activity. The root-associated microbial community is crucial for plant health and soil nutrient cycling, and for maintaining the stability of the wetland ecosystem. Methods: High-throughput sequencing was used to assess the structure and function of the soil bacterial communities in mudflat soil and in the rhizosphere soils of S. alterniflora, mangroves, and native plants in the Oujiang estuarine wetland, China. A distance-based redundancy analysis (based on Bray–Curtis metrics) was used to identify key soil factors driving bacterial community structure. Results: S. alterniflora invasion and subsequent mangrove afforestation led to the formation of distinct bacterial communities. The main soil factors driving the structure of bacterial communities were electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK), available phosphorus (AP), and organic matter (OM). S. alterniflora obviously increased EC, OM, available nitrogen (AN), and NO3−-N contents, and consequently attracted copiotrophic Bacteroidates to conduct invasion in the coastal areas. Mangroves, especially Kandelia obovata, were suitable pioneer species for restoration and recruited beneficial Desulfobacterota and Bacilli to the rhizosphere. These conditions ultimately increased the contents of AP, available sulfur (AS), and AN in soil. The native plant species Carex scabrifolia and Suaeda glauca affected coastal saline soil primarily by decreasing the EC, rather than by increasing nutrient contents. The predicted functions of bacterial communities in rhizosphere soils were related to active catabolism, whereas those of the bacterial community in mudflat soil were related to synthesis and resistance to environmental factors. Conclusions: Ecological restoration using K. obovata has effectively improved a degraded coastal wetland mainly through increasing phosphorus availability and promoting the succession of the microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coast of Dalian in Liaoning Province, China, is one of the most important habitats for migratory shorebirds along the East Asia–Australasian Flyway. However, the coastal areas of Dalian have been modified extensively by various projects, including reclamation and the construction of aquaculture and port facilities, embankment buildings, cross-sea passages, and wind farms, which have led to significant damage to the coastal habitats of shorebirds. Assessing the spatiotemporal distribution and habitat characteristics of shorebirds is of great importance to biodiversity conservation. The present study involved a 15-month-long survey of shorebirds in nine coastal wetlands of Dalian from August 2021 to October 2022. In total, 31 species of shorebirds, belonging to five families, were recorded. Migratory shorebirds were the most frequently observed, accounting for 77% of the recorded shorebirds. Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), and Far Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) were the most abundant species. Both species richness and species abundance peaked in May and again in September. The Zhuanghe Estuary boasted the highest species diversity, while the Huli Estuary wetland exhibited the greatest species abundance. The type of habitat and the spatial extent of natural wetlands were the main variables influencing the spatial distribution of waterbirds. By identifying the population characteristics and habitat status of shorebirds in Dalian, the results provide support for shorebird conservation and habitat management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal‐wetlands play a crucial role as carbon (C) reservoirs on Earth due to their C pool composition and functional sink, making them significant for mitigating global climate change. However, due to the development and utilization of wetland resources, many wetlands have been transformed into other land‐use types. The current study focuses on the alterations in soil organic‐C (SOC) in coastal‐wetlands following reclamation into aquaculture ponds. We conducted sampling at 11 different coastal‐wetlands along the tropical to temperate regions of the China coast. Each site included two community types, one with solely native species (Suaeda salsa, Phragmites australis and Mangroves) and the other with an adjacent reclaimed aquaculture pond. Across these 11 locations we compared SOC stock, active OC fractions, and soil physicochemical properties between coastal wetlands and aquaculture ponds. We observed that different soil uses, sampling sites, and their interaction had significant effects on SOC and its stock (p <.05). Reclamation significantly declined SOC concentration at depths of 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm by 35.5% and 30.3%, respectively, and also decreased SOC stock at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depths by 29.1% and 37.9%, respectively. Similar trends were evident for SOC stock, labile organic‐C, dissolved organic‐C and microbial biomass organic‐C concentrations (p <.05), indicating soil C‐destabilization and losses from soil following conversion. Soils in aquaculture ponds exhibited higher bulk density (BD; 11.3%) and lower levels of salinity (61.0%), soil water content (SWC; 11.7%), total nitrogen (TN) concentration (23.8%) and available‐nitrogen concentration (37.7%; p <.05) than coastal‐wetlands. Redundancy‐analysis revealed that pH, BD and TN concentration were the key variables most linked with temporal variations in SOC fractions and stock between two land use types. This study provides a theoretical basis for the rational utilization and management of wetland resources, the achievement of an environment‐friendly society, and the preservation of multiple service functions within wetland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Coastal wetlands, a unique type of wetland with complex hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles, have ignificant carbon sequestration potential. Research on soil organic carbon (SOC) is critical for understanding carbon cycle, climatic regulation, and ecosystem health. Methods This study focused on four typical vegetation types grown in the coastal wetlands of Lianyungang, namely, Mudflats, Seepweed, Spartina alterniflora and Reeds. We analyzed the distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon content across different plant communities, and utilized statistical methods such as pearson correlation analysis, redundancy analysis (RDA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the regulatory effects of plant community characteristics and soil physicochemical properties on soil organic carbon. Particular attention was given to the relationships between environmental factors of coastal wetlands and soil organic carbon content. Results Horizontally, the soil organic carbon content of the different plant communities decreased in the following order: Reeds ((7.79±4.72) g/kg)>Spartina alterniflora ((7.42±3.14) g/kg)>Seepweed ((4.95±3.40) g/kg)>Mudflats ((3.66±1.90) g/kg). Vertically, the soil organic carbon content decreased with increasing depth within 0-50 cm. Additionally, significant correlations were found between SOC content and soil physicochemical properties, as well as plant community characteristics. The results of the redundancy analysis indicate that soil organic carbon content is negatively correlated with BD (bulk density) in different wetland types but is positively correlated with SWC (soil water content), height, diameter, coverage, AGB (above ground biomass) and BGB (below ground biomass). The structural equation model showed that the soil water content was the most important factor affecting soil organic carbon content in coastal wetlands. Conclusion These findings can not only promote a better understanding of coastal wetlands from their ecosystem structure and function but also provide relevant data support for policy making on global climate change.

The Yellow Sea ecoregion (YSE) is internationally recognized as a global conservation priority due to its abundant natural resources. However, habitat destruction and loss severely threaten its biodiversity, resulting in its classification as an IUCN endangered ecosystem. The spotted seal (Phoca largha), a charismatic flagship species of the YSE, has received increasing conservation investment. There is an urgent need to understand the umbrella effect of spotted seal conservation to clarify future actions for the conservation of biodiversity inhabiting the YSE. In this study, we identified the top 5%, 10% and 30% conservation priority areas (CPA) for spotted seals. We examined their spatial overlap with 108 IUCN threatened species and coastal wetlands while also analyzing if the layout of existing protected areas is effective in conserving spotted seals. The results showed that the threatened species in the YSE were primarily fish, with a total of 88 species. The top 5% CPA encompassed approximately 80% of threatened species and 17% of coastal wetlands within the YSE. Expanding protection to include these areas would result in umbrella protection covering up to 97% of threatened species and 71% of coastal wetlands when reaching a 30% threshold. The spatial coverage of existing marine protected areas (MPAs) for threatened biodiversity fell below that of the top 5% CPA. However, the MPAs only covered approximately 34% of the top 5% CPA despite accounting for merely 9.46% of the total area within the YSE. Aquatic germplasm reserves (AGRs) exhibited superior performance among the various types of MPAs assessed, with overlap proportions ranging 58–75% with CPA. Therefore, future efforts should prioritize following the conservation priorities outlined for spotted seals during the progress toward achieving the "30 by 30" Kunming-Montreal Global Target by year 2030 within the YSE with an emphasis on recognizing and preserving the AGRs' role in in situ conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major storms can cause significant changes to coastal and wetland environments. A series of storm events in 2020 resulted in closure of the historically open estuary at Cabbage Tree Basin, Port Hacking, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Prolonged tidal impoundment (3 months) led to substantial changes in hydrological and sedimentological processes, resulting in widespread mangrove dieback. This study aimed to quantify the degree of impact and recovery for mangroves, identify factors contributing to dieback, and consider the implications for carbon sequestration. This was achieved using remotely piloted aircraft structure-from-motion approaches, aerial photography, and field-based assessments of vegetation health and above-ground biomass (AGB). Mangroves were classified as 'dead', 'partially dead', and 'live'. In October 2019, there was 10.8 ha of live mangroves, with this reduced to 6.6 ha by August 2022. Digital surface models (DSMs) were intersected with classified mangroves to assess the vertical distribution of each zone. All mangroves classified as 'dead' were distributed at elevations < 0.4 m with respect to the Australian Height Datum (AHD), suggesting these regions were persistently inundated, which was confirmed by water level loggers (inundated during logger deployment). Field data confirmed substrate elevation related to dieback with the proportion of 'live' mangroves greatest at elevations > 0.6 m AHD. Substrate elevation and distance to the estuary mouth were significantly correlated with species, with Avicennia marina located at lower tidal positions and closer to the entrance compared to Aegiceras corniculatum. The dieback event equated to a loss of 81.5 ± 48 Mg of above-ground biomass, 38.1 ± 22.5 Mg C, or 140 ± 82 Mg CO2 equivalence (CO2e). This study provides an important baseline for monitoring dieback events. Continued monitoring is crucial to assess recovery and to tailor management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Chinese government implemented many policies and actions to restore coastal wetlands. This study focused on assessing how these projects have influenced the landscape patterns of the Liaohe Estuary, an area of critical importance. By analyzing remote sensing images from 2009 to 2022, we determined the spatiotemporal changes in landscape pattern, fragmentation, and conversion. Results showed that (1) Reed (Phragmites australis) fields were the dominant landscape feature and covered 46.3–48.2% of the area; however, road was the serious factor in fragmenting these wetlands. Seepweed (Suaeda salsa) marshes, an iconic and characteristic wetland of the region, gradually expanded towards the estuary and coast over the study years. (2) Landscape fragmentation increased and seasonally changed during the study period and restoration measures actually resulted in more fragmentation of the landscape. (3) Ponds replaced 14.28 km2 natural landscape in the development stage and 40.93 km2 were restored to natural landscape during restoration and maintenance. (4) Active restoration projects caused landscape fragmentation to sharply increase initially, but then fragmentation declined as passive restoration continued in the maintenance stage. This study suggests that road construction should be carefully deliberated in ecologically sensitive areas and that ecological restoration (a combination of active and passive restoration) in the Liaohe Estuary region showed evidence of temporal lag and hysteresis that may be important for research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetlands play an important role in the global water and biogeochemical cycles. Climate change makes it more difficult for these ecosystems to adapt to the fluctuation in sea levels and other environmental changes. Given the importance of eco-geomorphological processes for coastal wetland resilience, many eco-geomorphology models differing in complexity and numerical schemes have been developed in recent decades. However, their divergent estimates of the response of coastal wetlands to climate change indicate that substantial structural uncertainties exist in these models. To investigate the structural uncertainty of coastal wetland eco-geomorphology models, we developed a multi-algorithm model framework of eco-geomorphological processes, such as mineral accretion and organic matter accretion, within a single hydrodynamics model. The framework is designed to explore possible ways to represent coastal wetland eco-geomorphology in Earth system models and reduce the related uncertainties in global applications. We tested this model framework at three representative coastal wetland sites: two saltmarsh wetlands (Venice Lagoon and Plum Island Estuary) and a mangrove wetland (Hunter Estuary). Through the model-data comparison, we showed the importance of using a multi-algorithm ensemble approach for more robust predictions of the evolution of coastal wetlands. We also found that more observations of mineral and organic matter accretion at different elevations of coastal wetlands and evaluation of the coastal wetland models at different sites in diverse environments can help reduce the model uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-level rise (SLR) is one of the most unequivocal consequences of climate change, yet the implications for shorebirds and their coastal habitats are not well understood, especially outside of the north temperate zone. Here, we show that by the year 2050, SLR has the potential to cause significant habitat loss and reduce the quality of the remaining coastal wetlands in Northwest Mexico—one of the most important regions for Nearctic breeding migratory shorebirds. Specifically, we used species distribution modeling and a moderate SLR static inundation scenario to assess the effects of future SLR on coastal wetlands in Northwest Mexico and the potential distribution of Calidris canutus roselaari (Red Knot), a threatened long-distance migratory shorebird. Our results suggest that under a moderate SLR scenario, 55% of the current coastal wetland extent in northwest Mexico will be at risk of permanent submergence by 2050, and the high-quality habitat areas that remain will be 20% less suitable for C. c. roselaari. What is more, 8 out of the 10 wetlands currently supporting the largest numbers of C. c. roselaari are predicted to lose, on average, 17.8% of their Highly Suitable Habitat (HSH) areas, with 2 sites completely losing all of their HSH. In combination with increasing levels of coastal development and anthropogenic disturbance in Northwest Mexico, these predicted changes suggest that the potential future distribution of C. c. roselaari (and other shorebirds) will likely contract, exacerbating their ongoing population declines. Our results also make clear that SLR will likely have profound effects on ecosystems outside the north temperate zones, providing a clarion call to natural resource managers. Urgent action is required to begin securing sufficient space to accommodate the natural capacity of wetlands to migrate inland and implement local-scale solutions that strengthen the resilience of wetlands and human populations to SLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove ecosystems provide numerous ecological services and serve as vital habitats for a wide range of flora and fauna. Thus, accurate mapping and monitoring of relevant land covers in mangrove ecosystems are crucial for effective conservation and management efforts. In this study, we proposed a novel approach for mangrove ecosystem mapping using a Hybrid Selective Kernel-based Convolutional Neural Network (HSK-CNN) framework and multi-temporal Sentinel-2 imagery. A time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products derived from Sentinel-2 imagery was produced to capture the temporal behavior of land cover types in the dynamic ecosystem of the study area. The proposed algorithm integrated Selective Kernel-based feature extraction techniques to facilitate the effective learning and classification of multiple land cover types within the dynamic mangrove ecosystems. The model demonstrated a high Overall Accuracy (OA) of 94% in classifying eight land cover classes, including mangrove, tidal zone, water, mudflat, urban, and vegetation. The HSK-CNN demonstrated superior performance compared to other algorithms, including random forest (OA = 85%), XGBoost (OA = 87%), Three-Dimensional (3D)-DenseNet (OA = 90%), Two-Dimensional (2D)-CNN (OA = 91%), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP)-Mixer (OA = 92%), and Swin Transformer (OA = 93%). Additionally, it was observed that the structure of the network, such as the types of convolutional layers and patch sizes, affected the classification accuracy using the proposed model and, thus, the optimum scenarios and values of these parameters should be determined to obtain the highest possible classification accuracy. Overall, it was observed that the produced map could offer valuable insights into the distribution of different land cover types in the mangrove ecosystem, facilitating informed decision-making for conservation and sustainable management efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequestration of soil inorganic carbon ( SIC) especially pedogenic carbonate ( PC) is one of the important pathways reducing the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus mitigating climate change in coastal areas. Using the technology of l3C stable isotope, we analyzed the differences in the composition and storage of SIC, and explored the key physicochemical properties influencing soil PC storage in different horizons (0-10, 11-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 and 81-100 cm) from Suaeda salsa wetland (SS), Spartina alterniflora wetland ( SA), young poplar plantation ( YP), and mature poplar plantation ( MP) in coastal area of the northern Jiangsu Province. The results showed that except for the surface (0-10 cm) soil in MP, the SIC content was higher than SOC in all soil horizons. Overall, neither the soil PC to SIC ratio nor the SIC storage were significantly different in SA and SS soils. Compared to wetland soils (0-40 cm), the soil PC to SIC ratio was reduced by 32.7% and 54.1% and the PC storage was reduced by 40.5% and 59.2%, the lithogenic carbonate ( LC) storage changed little, while the SIC storage was reduced by 21.0% and 17.9%, respectively in the YP and MP soils. Compared to the YP soils (0-100 cm), both the soil PC to SIC ratio and the PC storage were significantly reduced while the LC storage was significantly increased, especially at the 41-100 cm soil horizons, meanwhile, the SIC storage was not significantly changed in the MP soils. Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that key factors influencing soil PC storage were the ratio of PC to SIC, followed by the SOC content and bulk density. SOC could inhibit the formation of soil PC. Generally, the coastal wetlands have greater SIC storage and sequestration potential than poplar plantations, and the PC sequestration can be regulated by modulating the ratio of PC to SIC and SOC content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil temperature regulates biogeochemical processes and is a key environmental factor affecting salt marsh ecosystems. Previous studies on soil temperature and heat transport in intertidal marshes predominantly focused on short‐term changes, leaving seasonal variations unclear. This study conducted a yearlong field and modeling investigation to examine temporal and spatial temperature variations in a creek‐marsh section under estuarine and meteorological influences. The results showed that inundating tidal water propagated the seasonal water temperature signal to marsh soils, especially at low elevations, thereby modulating air temperature‐induced soil temperature variations and distributions. The response of soil temperature to air and tidal water temperatures exhibited a damped and delayed pattern. In contrast, tide‐induced porewater circulations near the creek facilitated the temperature responses. A regression model incorporating a Gamma distribution function was developed to quantify the delayed and cumulative thermal effects of tidal water and air on shallow soil temperatures. The model coefficients varied along the creek‐marsh section, capturing the seasonal regulation of periodic tidal inundation on soil temperature in the low‐elevation marsh and near the creek. Sensitivity analyses indicated that relative sea level rise lowered yearly‐averaged temperatures for the marsh platform by enhancing latent heat export. Surface water warming increased the marsh temperatures at lower elevations. This study demonstrates that the creek‐marsh topography, warming, and relative sea level rise jointly affect soil temperature dynamics, advancing our understanding of temperature‐dependent biogeochemical processes in marsh ecosystems. Key Points: Seasonal temperature distributions along a creek‐marsh section were identifiedShallow soil temperature dynamics were predominated by seasonal tidal water and air temperaturesRelative sea level rise decreased the yearly‐averaged temperature in the high‐elevation marsh [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of applying exotic plants to wetland ecological restoration, insufficiently evaluated alien species may exhibit strong competitiveness and fecundity. Once introduced, they can displace native flora, disrupt the original ecological balance, diminish biodiversity, and even induce ecosystem dysfunction. Furthermore, exotic plants have the potential to alter soil microbial community structure, including the composition and activity of beneficial symbiotic microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), thereby impacting soil nutrient cycling and interplant nutrient competition. Here, we conducted three consecutive years of sampling experiments to investigate the succession of AMF communities associated with the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora along an initial introduction chronosequence, and to identify the key environmental factors influencing its response to S. alterniflora invasion. Our findings reveal that early-stage invasion by S. alterniflora alters the composition of soil AMF communities with unclassified_c__Glomeromycetes and Glomus-viscosum-VTX00063 consistently dominating. Additionally, as the duration of introduction increases, the diversity of rhizosphere soil AMF significantly decreases, while its evenness remains relatively stable. It's indicated that soil ω, AN, AK and N/P ratio were the main influencing factors of the integral AMF community. Notably, soil available phosphorus (AP) emerges as a positive influence on the important AMF taxa. The results confirm the mutual feedback effect between the invasion of the perennial herb S. alterniflora and AMF, in which specific AMF assist in nutrient absorption to promote S. alterniflora growth, potentially facilitating its rapid and successful invasion of new habitats. Given the likely differential effects of AMF communities on various plant species, our findings could contribute to anticipating future AMF-mediated effects during the introduction of alien plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove wetland restoration projects have been conducted for many years and it is important to evaluate their success. In this study, we explored the role of monitoring macrobenthos in assessing the success of mangrove restoration. In particular, we sampled soil and macrobenthos from a mangrove wetland area after restoration for one, three, and five years in the Pearl River Estuary Delta in China to explore the effects of different restoration periods on the macrobenthos community structure. The results showed that the macrobenthos collected in the study area mainly comprised Polychaete annelids and Bivalvia mollusks, and there were no significant differences in the species, biomass, richness index, diversity index, and evenness index among different mangrove wetland restoration stages. The macrobenthos biomass, species richness, diversity index, and evenness index were mainly correlated with the soil electrical conductivity, pH, total phosphorus, and soil organic carbon. Compared with mangrove restoration for one year, the average species richness, Margalef richness index, Shannon diversity index, and Pielou evenness index for macrobenthos were significantly higher after three years, thereby indicating that the macrobenthos species diversity increased significantly after mangrove wetland restoration for three years. However, the macrobenthos diversity was lower after mangrove wetland restoration for five years, which may have been due to human activities and soil pollution. The findings obtained in this study provide basic information to facilitate mangrove wetland restoration and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons are valuable ecosystems, providing socioeconomic benefits and supporting human populations and biodiversity. However, these systems face several challenges, making them vulnerable to both natural and human factors. In this study, we apply the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Approach to conduct a comprehensive socioeconomic and environmental assessment of the Khenifiss Lagoon to promote sustainable development and support decision-makers. Located on the southern Atlantic coast of Morocco, the lagoon was designated a natural reserve in 1962, a biological reserve in 1983, and a protected wetland under the Ramsar Convention since 1980. This study represents the initial endeavor to conduct a comprehensive global and multidisciplinary environmental assessment of the lagoon by using a wide range of data sources, including relevant publications and reports, satellite images and remote sensing data, field observations, and interviews, all analyzed under the DPSIR framework. Our findings show that both natural and human factors have an impact on the ecosystem. Natural Factors associated with the geomorphological features of the region likely contribute to the silting of the lagoon, possibly intensified by a large shipwreck stuck at its inlet. Meanwhile, human factors encompass population growth (at a rate of 2% per year), tourism, shellfish farming, fishing, shellfish harvesting, and salt extraction. Our results reveal significant changes in the lagoon's condition in recent years, including a reduction in water body extent, a probable decrease in depth, and an increase in the accumulation of solid waste, plastics, and wastewater in three sectors spanning a total surface area of 464 ha (equivalent to 7% of the lagoon), a substantial expansion of the salt mining area encompassing 368 ha, and a remarkable loss of biodiversity, manifested in declining fish stocks and seabird populations. This study showed that the lagoon is positioned as a potential site for economic growth and serves to alert stakeholders and the local population to the ecosystem's environmental issues. Based on the findings of this study, we highly recommend regulating human activities within the lagoon, the removal of the wreck at the entrance, proper waste management, community awareness programs, and strict monitoring and enforcement of regulations to protect the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetlands are of paramount importance as major reservoirs of blue carbon (C), playing a crucial role in providing nature-based solutions to mitigate climatic changes. This research aimed to analyse the dynamics of total blue C (TBC) and its components; viz. soil organic C (SOC), below ground C, and above ground C; as well how they are influenced by land use/ land cover (LULC) categories and wetland situations. Subsequently, study were identified as one restored wetland and another degraded wetland in the Medinipur Coastal Plain, India. The LULC categories were analyzed using Pleiades 1A and 1B satellite imagery, corresponding to the restored and degraded wetland, respectively. The quantification of SOC was based on point-specific sample data collected from both wetlands (nr=250; nd=84). Above ground biomass (AGB) was appraised employing allometric relationships involving field-measured dendrometric variables. Below ground biomass values were calculated using indirect allometric equations that take into account the AGB values. Integrating all the components, TBC stock of the restored and degraded wetlands were estimated at 246710.91 Mg and 7865.49 Mg, respectively. In the restored wetland, dense mangrove and open mangrove exhibited higher concentrations of blue C components, while other LULC categories demonstrated moderate to low densities. In the degraded wetland, the open mangrove category rec-high densities of C pools, whereas herbaceous vegetation, bare earth and sand, and waterbody exhibited lower concentrations. The results portrayed significant disparities (P<0.05) in blue C pools among different LULC categories in both wetlands. Furthermore, it was evident that wetland type and LULC category had notable (P<0.001) impacts on TBC dynamics, both individually and in combination. Overall, this research may aid in effective management of coastal wetlands as blue C sinks, emphasizing their significance as essential elements of climate mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves, a major ecosystem for carbon sequestration, have been recently identified as a microplastic sink, yet the impact of microplastics on the mangrove microbial community is poorly known. Here, we investigated the metabolic activities of mangrove rhizosphere microbiome in the presence of polyethylene, polystyrene, polyamide, and polyvinylchloride, in microcosms, using Biolog™ Ecoplates. Results show that microbial communities in mangrove sediment hold their functional diversity and comprehensive metabolic activity within 56 days of microplastic exposure. However, polyamide and polyvinylchloride microplastics induced a 59.6–66.7% reduction in the rhizosphere microbes' utilization for their preferred polymer carbon sources. Microbes exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed an activated biotransformation for nitrogen-contained carbon sources. Polyethylene and polyamide microplastics caused a 20.1–22.4% loss available nitrogen. Overall, microplastics are altering the carbon and nitrogen metabolism activities of microbiomes in mangrove wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a highly urbanized bay area bustling with socio-economic activities, Shenzhen Bay is a pivotal stopover and wintering habitat for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The Futian Mangrove National Important Wetland, located in the northeast of Shenzhen bay, is a part of the Guangdong Neilingding--Futian National Nature Reserve. As the smallest national nature reserve in China, the wintering habitat of migratory birds has been significantly impacted by the compacted surrounding built-up environment. It has become an urgent need for refined high-quality ecological restoration for the habitats. This project leveraged Nature-based Solutions to develop a refined model for the ecological restoration of coastal wetland waterbird habitats in compact urban areas. By analyzing waterbird behaviors and habitat requirements, this model outlined six strategies: water surface expansion, water level control, hydrodynamic conditions improvement, shoal transformation, adaptive vegetation management, and disturbance control. To effectively guide the restoration implementation, high-, medium-, and low-adaptive approaches were proposed accordingly. After restoration in 2022, notable increases in target species, such as Platalea minor, were observed. The variety of waterbirds of the reserve in 2022 increased by 33% compared with 2021, while increased by 50.9% compared with 2016, significantly enhancing ecosystem services of the coastal area. As urban renewal in China is shifting towards spatial redevelopment, this model offers valuable insights for ecological restoration aiming at coastal wetland waterbird conservation across the country, and substantially supports establishing the "International Mangrove Center" in Shenzhen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In salt marshes of the Southeastern USA, purple marsh crabs (Sesarma reticulatum), hereafter Sesarma, aggregate in grazing and burrowing fronts at the heads of tidal creeks, accelerating creek incision into marsh platforms. We explored the effects of this keystone grazer and sediment engineer on salt marsh sediment accumulation, hydrology, and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) turnover using radionuclides (210Pb and 7Be), total hydrolyzable amino acids (THAA), and C and N stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in sediment from paired Sesarma-grazed and un-grazed creeks. Sesarma-grazed-creek sediments exhibited greater bioturbation and tidal inundation compared to sediments in un-grazed creeks, as indicated by larger 210Pb and 7Be inventories. Total organic carbon (TOC) to total nitrogen (TN) weight ratios (C:N) were higher and δ15N values were lower in grazed-creek sediments than in un-grazed-creek sediments, suggesting Sesarma remove and assimilate N in their tissues, and excrete N with lower δ15N values into sediments. In support of this inference, the percent total carbon (TC) and percent TOC declined by nearly half, percent TN decreased by ~ 80%, and the C:N ratio exhibited a ~ threefold increase between Sesarma fore-gut and hind-gut contents. An estimated 91% of Sesarma's diet was derived from Spartina alterniflora, the region's dominant salt marsh plant. We found that, as Sesarma grazing fronts progress across marsh landscapes, they enhance the decay of Spartina-derived organic matter and prolong marsh tidal inundation. These findings highlight the need to better account for the effects of keystone grazers and sediment engineers, like Sesarma, in estimates of the stability and size of blue C stores in coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of organic matter by extracellular enzymes can reveal important insights into carbon and nutrient cycling. The activity and stoichiometry of hydrolytic extracellular enzymes were investigated to assess the effects of vegetation cover and sediment characteristics on microbial-enzyme-mediated decomposition in coastal ecosystems. Extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) was quantified across transects extending from mangrove to tidal flat habitats in two New Zealand coastal ecosystems that differ in mud content (sandy: Hobson Bay, muddy: Snells Beach). We determined the activity of five key hydrolyzing enzymes: β-glucosidase (hydrolyzes cellulose to glucose); β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (catalyzes the terminal reaction in chitin degradation); alkaline phosphatase (releases soluble inorganic phosphate groups from organophosphates); β-D-cellobiohydrolase (hydrolyzes cellulose to generate cellobiose); and β-xylosidase (catalyzes hemicellulose). All enzymes involved in C acquisition and in N and P cycling had higher activity at the muddy site. No habitat differences in EEA were observed at the sandy site, whereas EEA was lower in the non-vegetated habitats for some enzymes at the muddy site. Models of microbial metabolic limitations highlighted that most habitats at both muddy and sandy sites were predominately C and P limited. The EEA in these coastal wetlands was generally lower than has been reported for other terrestrial, freshwater, and estuarine ecosystems, with values often one to two orders of magnitude lower than other wetland studies. These results can be used to advance our understanding of the biogeochemical processes underpinning the response of coastal ecosystems to land-derived nutrient and sediment inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant invasion and land reclamation have drastically transformed the landscape of coastal wetlands globally, but their resulting effects on soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization and nitrous oxide (N2O) production remain unclear. In this study, we examined 21 coastal wetlands across southern China that have undergone habitat transformation from native mudflats (MFs) to Spartina alterniflora marshes (SAs), and subsequently to earthen aquaculture ponds (APs). We determined the SON net mineralization rate and the presence of pertinent enzyme‐encoding genes, namely chiA, pepA, and pepN. The SON net mineralization rate increased by 46.7% following the conversion of MFs to SAs but decreased by 33.1% in response to the transformation of SAs to APs. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the estimated mineralization efficiency of soil microbes among the habitat types. The results of structural equation modeling showed that N‐mineralization gene abundance played a major role in regulating SON mineralization. Although less than 20% of the SON was estimated to be labile/semi‐labile, SON mineralization was important in sustaining soil N2O production, with 5.8% of the mineralized N being fed into N2O production. Overall, our findings showed that the presence of S. alterniflora increased both SON content and mineralization rate, which would in turn promote further proliferation of this exotic plant along the coast. The conversion of S. alterniflora marshes to APs partially mitigated the positive effects of exotic plant invasion on SON turnover. Key Points: Spartina invasion and aquaculture reclamation affected soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization ratesSON mineralization was strongly driven by substrate and functional microbial genesN2O production potential correlated significantly with SON mineralization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the September 2018 newsletter includes updates on public events, fish monitoring revealing an abundance of Longjaw Mudsuckers (Gillicthys mirabilis) and Killifish, and pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) excavation. The feature story highlights the results of ongoing bird surveys. Community photos include Great and Snowy Egrets (Ardea alba and Egretta thula) and the Blue-Eyed Darner (Rhionaeshna multicolor).

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the June 2018 newsletter includes updates on guided tours and endowment opportunities. The feature story highlights some of the student research taking place at the open space, such as aquatic invertebrate sampling, soil studies, and camera monitoring of habitat features. Community photos include the endangered Belding’s Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) as well as a Great-Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), and Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) caught on motion detecting cameras.

Background The planting of mangroves is extensively used to control the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands. Different plant species release diverse sets of small organic compounds that affect rhizosphere conditions and support high levels of microbial activity. The root-associated microbial community is crucial for plant health and soil nutrient cycling, and for maintaining the stability of the wetland ecosystem. Methods High-throughput sequencing was used to assess the structure and function of the soil bacterial communities in mudflat soil and in the rhizosphere soils of S. alterniflora, mangroves, and native plants in the Oujiang estuarine wetland, China. A distance-based redundancy analysis (based on Bray–Curtis metrics) was used to identify key soil factors driving bacterial community structure. Results S. alterniflora invasion and subsequent mangrove afforestation led to the formation of distinct bacterial communities. The main soil factors driving the structure of bacterial communities were electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK), available phosphorus (AP), and organic matter (OM). S. alterniflora obviously increased EC, OM, available nitrogen (AN), and NO3−-N contents, and consequently attracted copiotrophic Bacteroidates to conduct invasion in the coastal areas. Mangroves, especially Kandelia obovata, were suitable pioneer species for restoration and recruited beneficial Desulfobacterota and Bacilli to the rhizosphere. These conditions ultimately increased the contents of AP, available sulfur (AS), and AN in soil. The native plant species Carex scabrifolia and Suaeda glauca affected coastal saline soil primarily by decreasing the EC, rather than by increasing nutrient contents. The predicted functions of bacterial communities in rhizosphere soils were related to active catabolism, whereas those of the bacterial community in mudflat soil were related to synthesis and resistance to environmental factors. Conclusions Ecological restoration using K. obovata has effectively improved a degraded coastal wetland mainly through increasing phosphorus availability and promoting the succession of the microbial community.

Mangrove wetlands are among the ecosystems with the highest value of ecosystem services worldwide. Determining the standards of payment for ecosystem services based on the value of ecosystem services is a crucial aspect of the socio-ecological feedback linked to ecosystem services. The gap between the current standards of payment for ecosystem services and those based on the value of ecosystem services may result in inadequate sustainability and effectiveness of ecosystem conservation and management. In view of this, this study aims to determine the standard of payment for mangrove ecosystem services based on the value of mangrove ecosystem services, and subsequently identify the gap in the current payment. This study assessed the value of mangrove ecosystem services in the Guangxi Shankou Mangrove Ecological National Nature Reserve based on the distinction of use value and the non-use value, and then calculated the standard of payment for mangrove ecosystem services by combining social-economic level. The results indicate that the establishment of the nature reserve has effectively increased the value of mangrove ecosystem services. However, the local residents' lack of awareness of the value of mangrove ecosystem services and the current standard of payment for mangrove ecosystem services is substantially low, which has resulted in a low willingness to participate in mangrove conservation.

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages more than 340 acres of open space between Ellwood Mesa and Goleta Slough, carrying out ecological restoration, research, and education projects at these sites. Characterized by a rich complex of oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, grassland, and wetland ecosystems, the area is known for its relatively high level of biodiversity. The Cheadle Center’s project sites and management areas serve to protect and strengthen the region’s ecology and ecosystems through habitat conservation, upland restoration, wetland creation and enhancement, and the implementation of sustainable stormwater management solutions. Through careful integration with local watersheds and surrounding natural areas, The Cheadle Center's management areas provide an important corridor and refuge for wildlife, ensure the long term preservation of the region's natural resources, and serve as outdoor classrooms, research sites, and recreational areas for the campus community and the public. The UCSB Restoration Register is a bimonthly newsletter released by the Cheadle Center that provides ecological restoration updates, a feature story, and community photos taken at management areas. This archived version of the May 2023 newsletter includes updates on a screening of the documentary Bringing Back Our Wetland and water level and salinity fluctuations in Devereux Slough. The feature story focuses on controlled burning and wildflower seeding on Lagoon Island to convert nonnative grassland to native coastal sage scrub. Community photos include red fox (Vulpes vulpes), reddish egret (Egretta rufescens), cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), ash-throated flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens), desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), and great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

Spartina alterniflora Loisel poses risks to local vegetation types and coastal wetland. Managing the S. alterniflora invasion necessitates modeling its ecological response to the combined effects of flooding and soil salinity. Therefore, we integrate in situ sampling data and unmanned aerial vehicle point cloud data to quantitatively assess the effect of interaction between inundation and soil salinity on S. alterniflora and model the spatial distribution of S. alterniflora at the landscape scale. The study findings indicated that the optimal ecological amplitude for S. alterniflora in terms of flooding depth ranged from 0 to 1.02 m. Similarly, the optimal ecological amplitude for soil salinity was found to be between 9.47 and 26.13 g/kg. Based on these parameters, we were able to generate comprehensive habitat maps that depict the most suitable locations for the growth of S. alterniflora species across a larger landscape. The optimal distribution ranges for the canopy height and aboveground biomass of S. alterniflora were 1474.88 and 1307.99 ha, respectively. This research represents the first spatially quantitative investigation into the interaction effect of inundation and soil salinity on S. alterniflora. Furthermore, it provides a model for the optimal distribution range of S. alterniflora across expansive landscapes.

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the January 2023 newsletter includes updates on the Year 5 NCOS monitoring report, invasive plant removal, and blooming wildflowers at the Lagoon and the bluff side of Henley Gate. The feature story focuses on the response of the NCOS wetland system to recent rains. Community photos include Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Coyote (Canis latrans), Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya), Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus), and Dark Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis).

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the December 2022 newsletter includes updates on how recent rainfall has influenced NCOS. The feature story focuses on bird diversity and efforts to sustain populations of rare and/or threatened breeding birds. Community photos include Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), California Ebony Tarantula (Aphonopelma eutylenum), American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), and Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii).

Unveiling spatial variation in vegetation resilience to climate extremes can inform effective conservation planning under climate change. Although many conservation efforts are implemented on landscape scales, they often remain blind to landscape variation in vegetation resilience. We explored the distribution of drought‐resilient vegetation (i.e., vegetation that could withstand and quickly recover from drought) and its predictors across a heterogeneous coastal landscape under long‐term wetland conversion, through a series of high‐resolution satellite image interpretations, spatial analyses, and nonlinear modelling. We found that vegetation varied greatly in drought resilience across the coastal wetland landscape and that drought‐resilient vegetation could be predicted with distances to coastline and tidal channel. Specifically, drought‐resilient vegetation exhibited a nearly bimodal distribution and had a seaward optimum at ~2 km from coastline (corresponding to an inundation frequency of ~30%), a pattern particularly pronounced in areas further away from tidal channels. Furthermore, we found that areas with drought‐resilient vegetation were more likely to be eliminated by wetland conversion. Even in protected areas where wetland conversion was slowed, drought‐resilient vegetation was increasingly lost to wetland conversion at its landward optimum in combination with rapid plant invasions at its seaward optimum. Our study highlights that the distribution of drought‐resilient vegetation can be predicted using landscape features but without incorporating this predictive understanding, conservation efforts may risk failing in the face of climate extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate warming on soil microbial communities can significantly influence the global carbon cycle. Coastal wetlands, in particular, are susceptible to changes in soil microbial community structure due to climate warming and the presence of invasive plant species. However, there is limited knowledge about how native and invasive plant wetland soil microbes differ in their response to warming. In this study, we investigated the temporal dynamics of soil microbes (prokaryotes and fungi) under experimental warming in two coastal wetlands dominated by native Phragmites australis (P. australis) and invasive Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora). Our research indicated that short-term warming had minimal effects on microbial abundance, diversity, and composition. However, it did accelerate the succession of soil microbial communities, with potentially greater impacts on fungi than prokaryotes. Furthermore, in the S. alterniflora wetland, experimental warming notably increased the complexity and connectivity of the microbial networks. While in the P. australis wetland, it decreased these factors. Analysis of robustness showed that experimental warming stabilized the co-occurrence network of the microbial community in the P. australis wetland, but destabilized it in the S. alterniflora wetland. Additionally, the functional prediction analysis using the Faprotax and FunGuild databases revealed that the S. alterniflora wetland had a higher proportion of saprotrophic fungi and prokaryotic OTUs involved in carbon degradation (p < 0.05). With warming treatments, there was an increasing trend in the proportion of prokaryotic OTUs involved in carbon degradation, particularly in the S. alterniflora wetland. Therefore, it is crucial to protect native P. australis wetlands from S. alterniflora invasion to mitigate carbon emissions and preserve the health of coastal wetland ecosystems under future climate warming in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing climate exerts significant pressure on coastal wetland fishery, ecosystems and livelihood at the eco-regional level. In the present study, an indicator and scoring-based vulnerability assessment framework was developed to assess climate change-induced potential impacts and vulnerability of the coastal wetlands through stakeholder perception and primary data collection on ecology and fisheries. The study was conducted in 12 coastal wetlands in the Gangetic estuarine regions of eastern India. Analysis of rainfall, temperature and extreme climatic events was also carried out. The climate variability in the region was analysed and discussed in the context of ecosystem health and sustainability indicators. The results indicated that anthropogenic stress has a greater influence on ecosystem services than climatic stress. However, the nature and degree of vulnerability of fishers to climate change vary with their capacity to adapt to such changes and alternate sources of livelihood. Altogether, 34 fish species were documented, belonging to 11 taxonomic orders, and categorized as per intensity of resilience using selected criteria. Perception-based climate-resilient adaptation strategies have also been discussed. Developing appropriate adaptation policies and implementing climate-resilient practices and management can minimize vulnerability and increase the adaptive capacity of fishers ensuring sustainable livelihood options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetlands play an important role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and contribute significantly to climate change mitigation. However, climate change, reclamation, and restoration have been causing substantial changes in coastal wetland areas and carbon exchange in China during recent decades. Here we compiled a carbon flux database consisting of 15 coastal wetland sites to assess the magnitude, patterns, and drivers of carbon fluxes and to compare fluxes among contrasting natural, disturbed, and restored wetlands. The natural coastal wetlands have the average net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) of −577 g C m−2 year−1, with −821 g C m−2 year−1 for mangrove forests and −430 g C m−2 year−1 for salt marshes. There are pronounced latitudinal patterns for carbon dioxide exchange of natural coastal wetlands: NEE increased whereas gross primary production (GPP) and respiration of ecosystem decreased with increasing latitude. Distinct environmental factors drive annual variations of GPP between mangroves and salt marshes; temperature was the dominant controlling factor in salt marshes, while temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were co‐dominant in mangroves. Meanwhile, both anthropogenic reclamation and restoration had substantial effects on coastal wetland carbon fluxes, and the effect of the anthropogenic perturbation in mangroves was more extensive than that in salt marshes. Furthermore, from 1980 to 2020, anthropogenic reclamation of China's coastal wetlands caused a carbon loss of ~3720 Gg C, while the mangrove restoration project during the period of 2021–2025 may switch restored coastal wetlands from a carbon source to carbon sink with a net carbon gain of 73 Gg C. The comparison of carbon fluxes among these coastal wetlands can improve our understanding of how anthropogenic perturbation can affect the potentials of coastal blue carbon in China, which has implications for informing conservation and restoration strategies and efforts of coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, carbon-based substances are widely used in agriculture and industry, leading to obvious accumulation in ecosystems. Natural ecosystems, especially water-logged areas, are important sources of greenhouse gases. However, it is not clear whether the dimensions of carbon-based substances can affect their emission. Herein, the effects of three kinds of carbon-based substances (including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and graphite powder) with dimensions from one to three on the CO2 and CH4 production potential were tested from a saltmarsh wetland soil. Carbon nanotubes inhibited CH4 production, and graphene showed slight inhibition. In contrast, graphite powder could promote methanogenesis, and the maximum CH4 concentration was 53.02 mmol g−1 L−1. With a decrease, the maximum CH4 concentration with carbon nanotubes was only 38.09 mmol g−1 L−1. Interestingly, the effect of carbon-based substances on CO2 production was opposite to that on CH4. Carbon nanotubes showed the greatest promotion effect on CO2 production. In addition, by comparing the effects of carbon-based substances on global warming equivalent, graphite powder showed a promotion effect compared with the control, while carbon nanotubes decreased it. This study provides basic data for understanding the effects of carbon-based substances with diverse dimensions on greenhouse gas dynamics in saltmarsh wetland soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The input of fresh organic carbon into soils can stimulate organic carbon mineralization via priming effects (PEs). However, little is known about the characterization of PEs in coastal wetlands. We investigated the PEs of two salt marshes (Suaeda salsa and Phragmites australis) in the Yellow River Delta by adding 13C-labeled glucose to soils collected from the 0–10 cm and 20–30 cm layers of both salt marshes. The addition of glucose produced a significant positive PE in both soil layers for both vegetation types. There were no differences in the PE of the topsoil layer between the two vegetation types (p > 0.05), whereas the PE of S. salsa was 19.5% higher than that of P. australis in the subsoil layer (p < 0.05). In addition, the topsoil layer showed a higher average PE of 29.1% compared to that of the subsoil layer for both vegetation types (p < 0.05). The differences in the PEs between the two vegetation types and the two layers could be associated with a differential soil salinity, substrate availability, and microbial community structure. Our findings highlight the important role of PEs in regulating the soil carbon storage of coastal salt marshes, which should be considered when assessing and modeling the soil carbon cycling of coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding where consumers control plant reproduction in a time of changing plant–consumer interactions with environmental change can inform conservation. A seminal hypothesis—the environmental stress model (the ESM)—posits that consumer control of plants varies predictably with environmental stress. The ESM has been tested often along gradients of an abiotic stressor, yielding highly mixed support, although plants and consumers are often differently affected by a stressor.Here, to provide a conciliation, we introduced and tested a new ESM—the ESM in plants' versus consumers' perspectives. In field exclusion experiments conducted at three marsh sites that varied broadly in plant productivity, crab abundance and salinity within a coastal landscape, we tested the new ESM in predicting the impact of crab herbivores on the sexual reproduction of Phragmites australis. We analysed how their impact varied with plant productivity and crab abundance—proxies for environmental stresses in plants' and consumers' perspectives, respectively.We found that environmental stresses in plants' and consumers' perspectives were uncoupled across this coastal landscape. Neither crab abundance nor crab grazing intensity was correlated with plant productivity. Plant productivity and crab abundance were inconsistently related to key abiotic stressors including soil salinity.Depending on site, crab herbivores substantially suppressed Phragmites sexual reproductive effort (by >90%, by regulating a series of population‐ and individual‐level reproductive processes) or had little effect. Where crab herbivores had stronger impacts was not predicted by plant productivity, but largely by crab abundance via a threshold model. Above an abundance threshold, crabs increasingly suppressed Phragmites sexual reproductive effort.Synthesis. Our study revealed that consumer control of plant reproduction may be highly variable, even within a coastal landscape and for the same species, and that consumer abundance, rather than plant productivity, was a key predictor of this variation. As plants and consumers become increasingly uncoupled in many ecosystems under environmental change, the newly introduced ESM in plants' versus consumers' perspectives may be more versatile than previously recognized to inform conservation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the effect of mangrove restoration on the soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents, the artificial mangrove wetland, natural mangrove wetland and aquaculture tidal flat in Fuding City were selected as the research objects, and the in-situ and laboratory analysis was carried out to explore the effect of mangrove restoration on the soil nutrient dynamics. The results showed that: (1) Compared with the natural mangrove wetlands, the restoration of artificial mangrove increased the soil nitrogen and phosphorus contents, and its carbon content of soil also returned to the level in the natural mangrove wetlands. (2) Among different wetland types, the carbon and phosphorus storage of soil in the aquaculture tidal flats were the highest. Compared with the natural mangrove wetland, the restoration of artificial mangrove increased the soil nitrogen and phosphorus storage. (3) The ratio of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in soil among different wetland types generally followed the pattern: carbon-phosphorus ratio> carbon-nitrogen ratio> nitrogen-phosphorous ratio. The carbon-nitrogen ratio of soil was the highest in the aquaculture tidal flats, followed by the natural mangroves and artificial mangroves. The carbon-phosphorus ratio and nitrogen-phosphorous ratio of soil were the highest in the natural mangroves, followed by the artificial mangroves and aquaculture tidal flats. The studies have shown that with the restoration of mangroves, their ecological functions have gradually returned to the level of natural mangroves, but their carbon storage was not much better than that of aquaculture tidal flats. In the future, the longer time-scale observation and research should be carried out to clarify the process and mechanism of mangrove restoration in regulating the soil carbon and nutrient dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of soil moisture spatio‐temporal variability is highly relevant for water resources management. This paper reports an analysis of the spatial–temporal variability of soil moisture data for a small to medium‐scale soil‐sensors network in a coastal wetland of southwestern Spain. Measurements were taken from five sites located in the Doñana National Park over the time‐period of one hydrological year from September 2017 to September 2018. The total area of the soil‐sensors network shows an extension about 25 × 3 km. Soil moisture data was separated into time invariant (the temporal mean of the whole period at each site) and time‐variant terms (the deviations of soil moisture from the mean, or anomalies). The time‐invariant component was generally the main contributor to the total spatial variance of soil moisture and it was mostly controlled by the groundwater levels in the area. Nevertheless, the time variant terms have a huge effect on soil moisture variability in very dry states. Characteristic convex time‐dependent patterns for this field site were found between spatially averaged soil moisture and its variability. This information could be used for the up and downscaling of soil moisture from satellite data. Those patterns of relation between spatial mean and variability of soil moisture were only affected by heavy rainfalls giving rise to hysteretic behaviour. This study shows that even though groundwater level is a time‐variant variable, it significantly affects soil moisture's time‐variant but also time‐invariant terms due to the different average groundwater level depths at the different sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lagoons are valuable ecosystems, providing socioeconomic benefits and supporting human populations and biodiversity. However, these systems face several challenges, making them vulnerable to both natural and human factors. In this study, we apply the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Approach to conduct a comprehensive socioeconomic and environmental assessment of the Khenifiss Lagoon to promote sustainable development and support decision-makers. Located on the southern Atlantic coast of Morocco, the lagoon was designated a natural reserve in 1962, a biological reserve in 1983, and a protected wetland under the Ramsar Convention since 1980. This study represents the initial endeavor to conduct a comprehensive global and multidisciplinary environmental assessment of the lagoon by using a wide range of data sources, including relevant publications and reports, satellite images and remote sensing data, field observations, and interviews, all analyzed under the DPSIR framework. Our findings show that both natural and human factors have an impact on the ecosystem. Natural Factors associated with the geomorphological features of the region likely contribute to the silting of the lagoon, possibly intensified by a large shipwreck stuck at its inlet. Meanwhile, human factors encompass population growth (at a rate of 2% per year), tourism, shellfish farming, fishing, shellfish harvesting, and salt extraction. Our results reveal significant changes in the lagoon’s condition in recent years, including a reduction in water body extent, a probable decrease in depth, and an increase in the accumulation of solid waste, plastics, and wastewater in three sectors spanning a total surface area of 464 ha (equivalent to 7% of the lagoon), a substantial expansion of the salt mining area encompassing 368 ha, and a remarkable loss of biodiversity, manifested in declining fish stocks and seabird populations. This study showed that the lagoon is positioned as a potential site for economic growth and serves to alert stakeholders and the local population to the ecosystem’s environmental issues. Based on the findings of this study, we highly recommend regulating human activities within the lagoon, the removal of the wreck at the entrance, proper waste management, community awareness programs, and strict monitoring and enforcement of regulations to protect the environment.

Coastal salt marshes play a key role in coastal carbon sequestration. Understanding the spatial distribution and annual changes of carbon storage of salt marsh plants at a local scale is helpful for accurate protection and restoration. However, the annual carbon storage of salt marsh plants has not yet been obtained in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve (YRDNNR), China. Here, we developed a fast and reliable method to produce an annual map of carbon storage of herbaceous salt marsh plants from 2017 to 2022 based on multi-year in situ data and 10-meter resolution Sentinel-2 images in YRDNNR. That is, a deep belief network based on conjugate gradient (CGDBN) pixel-level classification, a generative adversarial network with a constrained factor (GAN-CF) measured sample expansion and multiple linear regression (MLR) quantitative inversion algorithm is used. The results showed that: (1) The carbon storage of herbaceous salt marsh plants in the YRDNNR increased in 2017–2018 and 2019–2021, with an average carbon storage dynamic of 4.53–8.39 Mg/ha. (2) In 2021, the area of salt marsh vegetation increased significantly by 20 % compared to 2017. Although its area decreased sharply due to the removal of invasive species (S. alterniflora) in 2022, the carbon storage per unit area of salt marsh plants remained at 7.77 Mg/ha. (3) The carbon storage of salt marsh vegetation showed a gradient change along the community succession from land to sea. Estimating annual carbon storage of salt marsh plants could provide basic data for recognizing the ‘blue carbon’ contribution of coastal plants and managing the coastal salt marsh ecosystem in Yellow River Delta.

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the November 2022 newsletter includes updates on wetland assessment results with California Rapid Assessment Methodology (CRAM), recent rains, and student research projects. The feature story focuses on vegetation monitoring results and their implications on the success of the NCOS restoration. Community photos include Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum), Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata), Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), and Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias).

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the October 2022 newsletter includes updates on migratory bird sightings, a new NCOS native plant guide, and NCOS t-shirts. The feature story focuses on growth of the native trees that have been planted at NCOS. Community photos include White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus), Cooper’s and Red-tailed Hawks (Accipiter cooperii and Buteo jamaicensis), and Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).

The Cheadle Center at UCSB manages the North Campus Open Space (NCOS), which is a project that has restored 136 acres of upland and wetland habitats that existed before the area was converted into the Ocean Meadows Golf Course in the 1960s. The NCOS restoration project began in 2017 with a fine-scale grading of the site in order to recreate the salt marsh and use the excavated soil to rebuild the upland habitats to the southwest, which are now called the NCOS Mesa. In addition to re-establishing native biodiversity, a key goal of the restoration is to utilize the site as an educational, scientific, and recreational resource. This archived version of the September 2022 newsletter includes updates on irrigation removal, self-guided walking tours, pollinators visiting the native wildflowers, an annual tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi) survey, camera trap wildlife sightings at Whittier Pond, and the next phase of the NCOS project. The feature story focuses on efforts to catalogue the plants of NCOS as herbarium specimens. Community photos include Wilson’s and Orange-crowned Warblers (Cardellina pusilla and Leiothlypis celata), Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans), and Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeshna multicolor).