Marine: Beaches and bluffs

Submitted by Jorge Tomasevic on Fri, 2012-06-01 09:33

Geography:

PNW

Direct Sensitivities

Direct sensitivities to changes in temperature and precipitation:
There are two ways to consider a system's direct sensitivity to changes in temperature and precipitation; 1) Does the system inhabit a relatively narrow climatic zone(s) (making it more sensitive)? and 2) Does the system show large changes in composition or structure in response to relatively small changes in temperature or precipitation (making it more sensitive) or conversely, would it take much larger changes in temperature and precipitation to elicit a change in composition or structure (i.e., a less sensitive system)?

How sensitive is this system to temperature (means and extremes):

Confidence in the direct sensitivity to changes in temperature and precipitation:

How sensitive is this system to precipitation (means and extremes):

Comments:

Marine systems were assessed during a March 2012 workshop of experts. Experts identified that the species assemblages in beaches have evolved under variable conditions (i.e., daily and seasonal fluctuations) and therefore they are somewhat robust to future changes. Beaches were assessed to be more sensitive to temperature changes than bluffs and bluffs were assessed to be more sensitive to precipitation.

Indirect Sensitivities

Indirect sensitivities:
More sensitive systems will show larger changes in composition or structure in response to small changes in indirect factors, such as disturbance regimes. Conversely, it would take much larger changes in these factors to elicit a change in composition or structure in less sensitive systems.

How sensitive is this system on one or more indirect factors:

Confidence in the sensitivity to indirect factors:

Please select all indirect factors upon which this habitat is sensitive:

Water chemistry

Sea-level rise

Coastal erosion

Flooding

Wave action

Currents

Storms

Disease

Other, please describe in Comments below

Comments:

Marine systems were assessed during a March 2012 workshop of experts. The following are the individual scores that each expert identified: ** Protected: * water temperature (species evolved in variable conditions) (1) * water chemistry (major effects on shellfish and crustaceans from pH) (5) * sea-level rise (6-7) * flooding (3-5) * coastal erosion (6) * wave action (5-7) * currents (5) * storms (5-7) * disease (3-5). * Other: groundwater flow/discharge (3-5) ** Exposed: * Water temperature (species evolved in variable conditions) (1) * water chemistry (major effects on shellfish and crustaceans from pH) (5) * sea-level rise (6-7) * flooding (3-5) * coastal erosion (7) * wave action (5-7) * currents (5) * storms (5-7) * disease (3-5). * Other: groundwater flow/discharge (3-5) See Eric Grossman's paper for better differentiation of protected and exposed. Experts had a difficult time separating scoring on waves (esp. wind driven) and currents (often wind driven in Puget Sound).

Other Stressors

Sensitivity to impacts of other stressors:

To what degree do other, non‐climate‐related threats to the system make it more sensitive to climate change:

Confidence in the degree to which non‐climate‐related threats affect the systems’ sensitivity to climate change:

Please select all of the stressors that make the system more sensitive to climate change::

Land‐use change

Invasive/exotic species

Pollution

Other, please describe in Comments below

Comments:

Marine systems were assessed during a March 2012 workshop of experts. The following are the individual scores that each expert identified: * Pollution (7), * Invasive/exotic species (4-5) * Land-use change (7) esp. shoreline modifications (e.g. armoring, groins, etc) * Other: water management for human uses (3-4)

Other Sensitivities

Other Sensitivities:
Are there other critical factors that have not been addressed that will likely make this system more sensitive to climate change?*
*Please include any other factor that you may consider critical to understand the potential response of this system to climate change that was not represented with the previous questions. If no other factors apply, please leave it blank but specify your confidence associated with this question.

Collectively, to what degree do these factors make the system sensitive to climate change:

Confidence in the degree to which these factors make this system sensitive to climate change:

What weight should these factors have on the overall sensitivity of this system to climate change:

Comments:

Public perceptions of species reactions to climate change, esp sea level rise and perceived risk to property. Increased human immigration to Pacific Northwest will compound these factors Weight factor: 1-2

Overall User Ranking

This question is not included in the sensitivity score.
Overall User Ranking:

In your opinion, how would you rank the overall sensitivity of this system to climate change:

Confidence in your overall assessment of the sensitivity of this system to climate change:

Comments:

Beaches are the interface of oceans, upland and human use. Marine systems were assessed during a March 2012 workshop of experts.

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Climate Change Sensitivity Database

Marine: Beaches and bluffs