Cherry 08-09 Abstract

Title:  Effects of fire on water quality, plant production, and biogenic accretion in a Juncus roemerianus dominated marsh
Project Leader:  Cherry, Julia A.

Coastal wetlands provide a number of goods and services to human communities, including storm abatement, flood mitigation, and biodiversity for recreational activities and coastal economies. The long-term stability of these valuable ecosystems is threatened by habitat loss, habitat degradation, over-exploitation of natural resources, and climate change, especially sea-level rise. 

Management and restoration of these ecosystems should not only restore critical habitat for ecologically and economically important species, but maintain long-term marsh stability by enhancing accretion as a means of combating relative sea-level rise. 

Prescribed burning is a common management practice employed in coastal marshes and adjacent pine hammocks of the United States to maintain habitat, preserve native biodiversity, promote survival of fire-dependent species, increase food availability for wildlife, and decrease fuel loads that contribute to catastrophic wildfires. However, the effects of fires on nutrient availability, productivity, and accretion of organic matter (biogenic accretion) in Juncus roemerianus marshes of the Gulf Coast are poorly understood. 

Because fires may alter water quality, plant productivity, and ultimately, biogenic accretion within marshes, prescribed burning may be a useful tool for enhancing elevation gain in marshes threatened by submergence due to sea-level rise. In addition, prescribed burning may be a useful tool for removal of hurricane-related debris and restoration of coastal marshes following severe storms. 

This project will elucidate the effects of fire in a J. roemerianus marsh at Grand Bay National Estuarine Reserve in Mississippi by quantifying changes in water quality and nutrient availability, plant production, biogenic accretion, and hurricane-debris removal before and after a prescribed burn. 

Results from this research will increase knowledge of the relative importance of ecological processes for maintenance of marsh ecosystems, provide insight to the resiliency of coastal marshes following disturbance, contribute to our understanding of factors influencing water quality and nutrient cycling in marshes, inform management practices, aid in the conservation of habitat that is important for local fisheries and recreation industries, and address the need for debris removal following coastal storms.  Thus, this study will address the “Health and Restoration of Coastal Habitats” MAGSG priority area and will provide important scientific, economic, and social benefits to communities.