Barriers and Opportunities for Landward Migration of Coastal Wetlands along Texas' Upper and Middle Coast
Researchers at WARC will use data and models to produce probabilistic maps of current and future wetland inundation, coastal wetland extent, and coastal and wetland trangression.
The Science Issue and Relevance: Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecosystem goods and services, including supporting important fish and wildlife habitat, improving water quality, storing carbon, protecting coastlines and coastal communities, and providing recreational opportunities. In Texas, coastal wetlands provide important habitat for ducks wintering in the Central Flyway, annually supporting 1.3 to 4.5 million birds (i.e., 30 to 71% of the total flyway population). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) currently owns and manages hundreds of thousands of acres of coastal wetlands in Texas, including some of the most important bird habitats and recreational areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. However, coastal wetlands in this region are expected to undergo widespread transformation due to climate change and rapidly rising sea level. Ecological and recreational importance coupled with anticipated climate change impacts necessitates that natural resource managers acquire and utilize information on how existing coastal wetlands may change over time to assist with future-focused land management and stewardship. The anticipation of future changes to wetland flooding levels, frequency, and salinity regimes has led to natural resource managers becoming concerned with how species habitat availability may change under future conditions.
Elevation, slope, and land use play an important role in regulating the ability of coastal wetlands to move upslope (Figure 1). Areas with a lower slope will allow coastal wetlands to migrate upslope. However, topographic barriers, such as ridges and steep coastal gradients, and anthropogenic barriers, such as developed areas, sea walls and levees, water control structures, and roads, may constrain the ability of coastal wetlands to migrate upslope in certain areas. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Wetland and Aquatic Research Center is collaborating with scientists from USFWS Region 2 to improve decision support products that highlight barriers and opportunities for landward migration of coastal wetlands along Texas' upper and middle coast with an emphasis on the impact of infrastructure (e.g., roads, levees, and water control structures). Results from this study will enhance our understanding of where corridors may allow for upslope migration, where barriers may constrain migration, and what upslope habitats may change. Collectively, these results will provide important information for making current and future decisions regarding land management and stewardship for National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) lands.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: The study area will span Texas' upper and middle coast from Corpus Christi Bay to the Sabine River (Texas and Louisiana state line; Figure 2) and will include lands from eight different USFWS NWRs (Figure 2). The approach will leverage current data and models to produce probabilistic maps of current and future wetland inundation, coastal wetland extent, and coastal wetland transgression. The inundation analyses implemented in this study will incorporate infrastructure data obtained from USFWS project contacts and the Gulf Coast Joint Venture managed lands geodatabase. Sea-level rise scenarios used in this study will be selected in collaboration with the USFWS partners.
Future Steps: After completing the maps and analyses described above, this information will be shared with coastal managers and the overall scientific community through presentations, data releases, reports, and journal articles.
Researchers at WARC will use data and models to produce probabilistic maps of current and future wetland inundation, coastal wetland extent, and coastal and wetland trangression.
The Science Issue and Relevance: Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecosystem goods and services, including supporting important fish and wildlife habitat, improving water quality, storing carbon, protecting coastlines and coastal communities, and providing recreational opportunities. In Texas, coastal wetlands provide important habitat for ducks wintering in the Central Flyway, annually supporting 1.3 to 4.5 million birds (i.e., 30 to 71% of the total flyway population). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) currently owns and manages hundreds of thousands of acres of coastal wetlands in Texas, including some of the most important bird habitats and recreational areas along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. However, coastal wetlands in this region are expected to undergo widespread transformation due to climate change and rapidly rising sea level. Ecological and recreational importance coupled with anticipated climate change impacts necessitates that natural resource managers acquire and utilize information on how existing coastal wetlands may change over time to assist with future-focused land management and stewardship. The anticipation of future changes to wetland flooding levels, frequency, and salinity regimes has led to natural resource managers becoming concerned with how species habitat availability may change under future conditions.
Elevation, slope, and land use play an important role in regulating the ability of coastal wetlands to move upslope (Figure 1). Areas with a lower slope will allow coastal wetlands to migrate upslope. However, topographic barriers, such as ridges and steep coastal gradients, and anthropogenic barriers, such as developed areas, sea walls and levees, water control structures, and roads, may constrain the ability of coastal wetlands to migrate upslope in certain areas. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Wetland and Aquatic Research Center is collaborating with scientists from USFWS Region 2 to improve decision support products that highlight barriers and opportunities for landward migration of coastal wetlands along Texas' upper and middle coast with an emphasis on the impact of infrastructure (e.g., roads, levees, and water control structures). Results from this study will enhance our understanding of where corridors may allow for upslope migration, where barriers may constrain migration, and what upslope habitats may change. Collectively, these results will provide important information for making current and future decisions regarding land management and stewardship for National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) lands.
Methodology for Addressing the Issue: The study area will span Texas' upper and middle coast from Corpus Christi Bay to the Sabine River (Texas and Louisiana state line; Figure 2) and will include lands from eight different USFWS NWRs (Figure 2). The approach will leverage current data and models to produce probabilistic maps of current and future wetland inundation, coastal wetland extent, and coastal wetland transgression. The inundation analyses implemented in this study will incorporate infrastructure data obtained from USFWS project contacts and the Gulf Coast Joint Venture managed lands geodatabase. Sea-level rise scenarios used in this study will be selected in collaboration with the USFWS partners.
Future Steps: After completing the maps and analyses described above, this information will be shared with coastal managers and the overall scientific community through presentations, data releases, reports, and journal articles.