Projected mangrove distribution and ecosystem properties in the southeastern United States under climate change

We evaluated changes in mangrove distribution and ecosystem properties in the southeastern United States under climate change using known climate-ecological relationships, recent climate data for the period 1981-2010, and future projected climate data for the period 2071-2100 under two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs): the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, which correspond to intermediate and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, respectively. We quantified potential mangrove presence, mangrove relative abundance, coastal wetland vegetation height, and coastal wetland vegetation aboveground biomass under recent climatic conditions and under the two alternative future climate scenarios.