Camille's research focuses on how ecosystem functions, such as elevation change, carbon cycling, and resilience, are affected by global stressors. Her goal is to understand how these processes respond to climate change stressors, including rising sea levels, elevated atmospheric CO2, and land use change, to provide guidance for management and restoration of these dynamic ecosystems.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, 2009
M.S., Environmental Toxicology, Clemson University, 2004
B.S., Biology, Christian Brothers University, 2002
RESEARCH
Camille's research focuses on how ecosystem functions, such as elevation change, carbon cycling, and resilience, are affected by global stressors. Her goal is to understand how these processes respond to changing conditions, including rising sea levels, elevated atmospheric CO2, and land use change, to provide guidance for management and restoration of these dynamic ecosystems.
Science and Products
Developing a Decision Support Tool to Inform Louisiana’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
Wetland Carbon Working Group: Improving Methodologies and Estimates of Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Flux in Wetlands
Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
The Response of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-level Rise: Understanding how Macroscale Drivers Influence Local Processes and Feedbacks
Impacts of coastal and watershed changes on upper estuaries: causes and implications of wetland ecosystem transitions along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
Creating a System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) for Coastal Louisiana
Identification of Hydrologic Controls on Coastal Spartina patens Marshes and Optimal Hydrological Conditions for Sustainable Mottled Duck Habitat
Climate Change Effects on Coastal Marsh Foundation Species
RESTORE Science: Inventory of Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Indicators Using an Ecological Resilience Framework
Restoration of Climate Change-Induced Retreat of Tidally Influenced Freshwater Forested Wetlands
Factors Controlling Resilience and Resistance of Coastal Salt Marshes to Sudden Marsh Dieback
Cone penetrometer and elevation measurement data of coastal wetland plant states for resilience quantification, Louisiana, USA (2019)
Harmonizing wetland soil organic carbon datasets to improve spatial representation of 2011 soil carbon stocks in the conterminous United States
Modeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon fluxes and storage in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss at a Louisiana coastal salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain in 2019
Above- and belowground biomass production, decomposition, and wetland elevation change in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition: a mesocosm study from 2012 to 2014
Coastal wetland vegetation and elevation data characterizing a Sudden Vegetation Dieback event in San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in 2019
Long-term soil carbon data and accretion from four marsh types in Mississippi River Delta in 2015
Field and simulated data to construct hypervolumes of coastal wetland plant states for resilience quantification, Louisiana, USA (2016-2017)
Short term soil carbon data and accretion rates from four marsh types in Mississippi River Delta collected in 2015
Modeling soil pore water salinity response to drought in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Rapid peat development beneath maturing mangrove forests: quantifying ecosystem changes along a 25-year chronosequence of created coastal wetlands
Local and landscape-scale data describing patterns of coastal wetland loss in the Texas Chenier Plain, U.S.A.
Characterization of vegetated and ponded wetlands with implications towards coastal wetland marsh collapse
Understanding impacts of sea-level rise and land management on critical coastal marsh habitat
A model of the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss applied to a Louisiana salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain
Modeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Presence of the herbaceous marsh species Schoenoplectus americanus enhances surface elevation gain in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition events
Improved wetland soil organic carbon stocks of the conterminous U.S. through data harmonization
Preface to book: Wetland carbon and environmental management
Potential for carbon and nitrogen sequestration by restoring tidal connectivity and enhancing soil surface elevations in denuded and degraded south Florida mangrove ecosystems
Summary of wetland carbon and environmental management: Path forward
Modeling the impacts of hydrology and management on carbon balance at the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carolina, USA
Carbon fluxes and potential soil accumulation within Greater Everglades cypress and pine forested wetlands
Carbon flux, storage, and wildlife co-benefits in a restoring estuary
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
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Developing a Decision Support Tool to Inform Louisiana’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
In 2020, Governor Edwards of Louisiana issued two executive orders: establishing the Climate Initiatives Task Force to develop the state’s first ever Climate Action Plan to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to enhance coastal resilience in the state. Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and natural lands are of vital importance not just for hurricane protection, health and wellbeing, and...Wetland Carbon Working Group: Improving Methodologies and Estimates of Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Flux in Wetlands
WARC researchers are working to quantify the impacts of future climate and land use/land cover change on greenhouse gas emissions and reductions.Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
To ensure successful restoration of coastal wetlands, WARC researchers will measure carbon cycling processes that indicate ecosystem health and sustainability.The Response of Coastal Wetlands to Sea-level Rise: Understanding how Macroscale Drivers Influence Local Processes and Feedbacks
The purpose of this work is to advance our understanding of how coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise (SLR) within the conterminous United States are likely to vary as a function of local, regional, and macroscale drivers, including climate. Based on our interactions with managers and decision makers, as well as our knowledge of the current state of the science, we propose to: (a) conduct a...Impacts of coastal and watershed changes on upper estuaries: causes and implications of wetland ecosystem transitions along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are coastal transition zones where freshwater rivers meet tidal seawater. As sea levels rise, tidal forces move saltier water farther upstream, extending into freshwater wetland areas. Human changes to the surrounding landscape may amplify the effects of this tidal extension, impacting the resiliency and function of the upper estuarine wetlands. One visible...Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat
The Science Issue and Relevance: Coastal wetlands are some of the most productive and valuable habitats in the world. Louisiana contains 40% of the United States’ coastal wetlands, which provide critical habitat for waterfowl and fisheries, as well as many other benefits, such as storm surge protection for coastal communities. In terms of ecosystem services, biological resource production, and inf...Creating a System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) for Coastal Louisiana
USGS researchers will provide technical guidance to inform the development of monitoring plans for the western coast of Louisiana.Identification of Hydrologic Controls on Coastal Spartina patens Marshes and Optimal Hydrological Conditions for Sustainable Mottled Duck Habitat
Mottled ducks rely on the coastal marshes of the Texas Chenier Plain, which are considered among the most critically endangered habitats in the United States. USGS scientists are evaluating what might be contributing to the degradation of high-quality mottled duck habitat to better understand the causes of habitat loss and subsequently mitigate those losses.Climate Change Effects on Coastal Marsh Foundation Species
Mangrove forests have migrated inland over the past few decades at many locations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. This expansion has been attributed to factors associated with climate change, such as increased salinity resulting from sea-level rise and longer intervals between winter freezes, which can kill cold-intolerant mangrove species.RESTORE Science: Inventory of Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Indicators Using an Ecological Resilience Framework
To effectively manage an ecosystem, resource managers need a way to evaluate its health and ability to function. Metrics that indicate ecosystem condition - or indicators - can be used to help determine how well management strategies work.Restoration of Climate Change-Induced Retreat of Tidally Influenced Freshwater Forested Wetlands
Wetlands in river deltas - like the Mississippi River Delta Plain - may be more vulnerable to sea-level rise. Historically, coastal wetlands responded to these changes by increasing surface elevation or migrating up-slope. USGS conducts research to identify the biogeochemical influences on sediment addition in coastal wetland areas.Factors Controlling Resilience and Resistance of Coastal Salt Marshes to Sudden Marsh Dieback
Sudden Marsh Dieback - SMD - has been documented for the past two decades throughout coastal areas of the United States. With these large-scale diebacks comes the loss of ecosystem functions and services. USGS scientsts use field work and greenhouse studies to investigate the factors that control the resilience and resistance of coastal salt marshes to SMD. - Data
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Cone penetrometer and elevation measurement data of coastal wetland plant states for resilience quantification, Louisiana, USA (2019)
These datasets provide: 1) field-collected geotechnical data, and 2) Real-Time-Kinematic GPS elevation data for coastal salt marsh in the Port Sulphur area, Louisiana from 2019.Harmonizing wetland soil organic carbon datasets to improve spatial representation of 2011 soil carbon stocks in the conterminous United States
These datasets represent a revised national scale estimate of wetland soil carbon stock assessments by improving representation of soil organic carbon densities. This assessment is based on a three-step approach to harmonize survey and point-based data for predicting soil organic carbon density from percent organic carbon alone (or percent organic matter, with conversion), when reliable dry bulk dModeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon fluxes and storage in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
A biogeochemistry model was developed to examine plant gross primary productivity (GPP), net primary productivity (NPP), plant respiration, soil respiration, soil organic carbon sequestration rate and storage under scenarios of drought and normal conditions at Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands (TFFW) sites along the Waccamaw River and Savannah River in the Southeastern United States.Spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss at a Louisiana coastal salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain in 2019
This dataset provides the water content, bulk density, carbon concentrations, nitrogen concentrations, and carbon content of all fourteen cores sampled in coastal Louisiana (CRMS 0224) in October of 2019. Each sample is identified by a unique identifier that corresponds to each site by depth increment combination. The pond age range associated with each site is provided. The depth increment associAbove- and belowground biomass production, decomposition, and wetland elevation change in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition: a mesocosm study from 2012 to 2014
This data release includes belowground primary productivity, decomposition, and surface elevation change data from a two-year mesocosm experiment from 2012 to 2014. We conducted experimental greenhouse manipulations of atmospheric CO2 (double ambient CO2) and sediment deposition to simulate a land-falling hurricane under future climate conditions. Experimental greenhouse conditions mimicked a landCoastal wetland vegetation and elevation data characterizing a Sudden Vegetation Dieback event in San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in 2019
Climatic extremes are becoming more frequent with climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological shifts and ecosystem collapse. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas suffered significant and acute vegetation dieback following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We identified plant zonal boundaries along an elevation gradienLong-term soil carbon data and accretion from four marsh types in Mississippi River Delta in 2015
The Mississippi River Deltaic Plain has extensive marsh habitats (fresh, intermediate, brackish, and saline) where soil cores were collected to a depth of 100 cm at 24 sites to assess long-term carbon accumulation rates and coast-wide burial rates. Each core was sectioned into 2-cm depth intervals, and select intervals were analyzed for percent moisture, bulk density, total carbon, and radionuclidField and simulated data to construct hypervolumes of coastal wetland plant states for resilience quantification, Louisiana, USA (2016-2017)
These datasets provide: 1) field-collected biomass and structural attributes for coastal salt marsh in the Port Fourchon area, Louisiana; 2) simulated biomass and structural attributes along flooding gradients using mixed model regression outputs; and 3) resilience metrics calculated using multivariate hypervolumes along with potential environmental covariates of resilience metrics.Short term soil carbon data and accretion rates from four marsh types in Mississippi River Delta collected in 2015
Short-term carbon accumulation rates were examined by collecting 10-cm deep soil cores at 24 sites located in marshes spanning the salinity gradient in coastal Louisiana. Percent moisture, bulk density, total carbon content, and the short-term accretion rates obtained with feldspar horizon markers were measured to determine total carbon accumulation and storage rates.Modeling soil pore water salinity response to drought in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Model generated soil pore water salinity (psu) values under scenarios of drought and normal conditions at Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands (TFFW) sites along the Waccamaw River and Savannah River in the Southeastern United States.Rapid peat development beneath maturing mangrove forests: quantifying ecosystem changes along a 25-year chronosequence of created coastal wetlands
Mangrove forests are among the world's most productive and carbon-rich ecosystems. In addition to providing important fish and wildlife habitat and supporting coastal food webs, these coastal wetlands provide many ecosystem goods and services including clean water, stable coastlines, food, recreational opportunities, and stored carbon. Despite a growing understanding of the factors controlling manLocal and landscape-scale data describing patterns of coastal wetland loss in the Texas Chenier Plain, U.S.A.
We characterized coastal wetland responses to flooding stress by measuring vegetation cover, wetland elevation and water elevation in healthy and degrading wetlands dominated by Spartina patens. Wetland elevation was measured using real-time kinematic survey methods. Vegetation cover was determined by visual estimation methods, and water elevation was measured using in situ continuous recorders. I - Publications
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Characterization of vegetated and ponded wetlands with implications towards coastal wetland marsh collapse
Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services; yet these ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to climate change stressors, especially excessive flooding from sea-level rise and storm events. This study highlights the important contribution of vegetation belowground biomass to marsh stability and identifies loss of vegetation as a critical driver of marsh collapse. We investigated the sheaUnderstanding impacts of sea-level rise and land management on critical coastal marsh habitat
Coastal wetlands in the Louisiana Mississippi River Deltaic Plain (MRDP) experience some of the highest rates of relative sea-level rise (SLR) in the world, leading to elevated surface water salinity and prolonged flooding. Elevated salinity causes a shift toward more salt-tolerant vegetation communities, associated with changes in ecosystem function and services. As sea level continues to rise, eA model of the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil carbon following coastal wetland loss applied to a Louisiana salt marsh in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain
The potential for carbon sequestration in coastal wetlands is high due to protection of carbon (C) in flooded soils. However, excessive flooding can result in the conversion of the vegetated wetland to open water. This transition results in the loss of wetland habitat in addition to the potential loss of soil carbon. Thus, in areas experiencing rapid wetland submergence, such as the Mississippi RiModeling impacts of drought-induced salinity intrusion on carbon dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) provide critical ecosystem services including essential habitat for a variety of wildlife species and significant carbon sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, large uncertainties remain concerning the impacts of climate change on the magnitude and variability of carbon fluxes and storage across a range of TFFW. In this study, we developed a procesPresence of the herbaceous marsh species Schoenoplectus americanus enhances surface elevation gain in transitional coastal wetland communities exposed to elevated CO2 and sediment deposition events
Coastal wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that exist along a landscape continuum that can range from freshwater forested wetlands to tidal marsh to mudflat communities. Climate-driven stressors, such as sea-level rise, can cause shifts among these communities, resulting in changes to ecological functions and services. While a growing body of research has characterized the landscape-scale impacts ofImproved wetland soil organic carbon stocks of the conterminous U.S. through data harmonization
Wetland soil stocks are important global repositories of carbon (C) but are difficult to quantify and model due to varying sampling protocols, and geomorphic/spatio-temporal discontinuity. Merging scales of soil-survey spatial extents with wetland-specific point-based data offers an explicit, empirical and updatable improvement for regional and continental scale soil C stock assessments. Agency-coPreface to book: Wetland carbon and environmental management
The idea for this book, including its organization and contents, has its origin in the latest environmental and climate policy requirements in the United States, as well as science advances. In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), from which Section 712 required U.S. Federal agencies to provide a better understanding of carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes acPotential for carbon and nitrogen sequestration by restoring tidal connectivity and enhancing soil surface elevations in denuded and degraded south Florida mangrove ecosystems
Mangroves are tidally dependent wetlands that are influenced often by alterations in hydrology associated with coastal developments that impact their distribution, health, and function. Alteration in frequency, depth, duration, and seasonality of tidal inundation can lead to changes in forest condition, although these stress-adapted ecosystems may persist for many years before succumbing to mortalSummary of wetland carbon and environmental management: Path forward
Wetlands around the world are under pressure from both anthropogenic sources such as land-use change and accelerating climate change (Erwin, 2009; Moomaw et al., 2018). Storage of carbon resources is a key ecosystem service of wetlands and offer natural solutions to climate change mitigation; policies and management actions could determine the fate of these resources and their contributions to cliModeling the impacts of hydrology and management on carbon balance at the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carolina, USA
The impact of drainage on the stability of peatland carbon sinks is well known; however, much less is understood regarding the way active management of the water-table affects carbon balance. In this study, we determined the carbon balance in the Great Dismal Swamp, a large, forested peatland in the southeastern USA, which has been drained for over two hundred years and is now being restored throuCarbon fluxes and potential soil accumulation within Greater Everglades cypress and pine forested wetlands
In forested wetlands, accumulation of organic matter in soil is partly governed by carbon fluxes where photosynthesis, respiration, lateral advection of waterborne carbon, fire-derived carbon emissions, and methanogenesis are balanced by changes in stored carbon. Stored carbon can eventually accumulate as soil over time if net primary productivity exceeds biomass decomposition. For this study, potCarbon flux, storage, and wildlife co-benefits in a restoring estuary
Tidal marsh restorations may result in transitional mudflat habitats depending on hydrological and geomorphological conditions. Compared to tidal marsh, mudflats are thought to have limited value for carbon sequestration, carbon storage, and foraging benefits for salmon. We evaluated greenhouse gas exchange, sediment carbon storage, and invertebrate production at restoration and reference tidal maNon-USGS Publications**
Stagg, Camille L. and Mendelssohn, Irving A. 2011. Controls on resilience and stability in a sediment subsidized salt marsh. Ecological Applications, 21(5): 1731-1744.Stagg, Camille L. and Mendelssohn, Irving A. 2012. Littoraria irrorata growth and survival in a sediment-restored salt marsh. Wetlands, 32(4): 643-652.Stagg, C. L., and Mendelssohn, I. A. 2010. Restoring ecological function to a submerged salt marsh. Restoration Ecology, 18: 10-17.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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