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INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SEA-LEVEL RISE AND INCREASED SALINITY ON PEAT SOILS OF THE EVERGLADES (FLORIDA): IMPLICATIONS FOR CHANGES IN BIOGENIC GAS DYNAMICS AND PEAT COLLAPSE

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Date Issued:
2020
Abstract/Description:
While repeated transgressive and regressive sea level cycles have shaped south Florida throughout geological history, modern rates of sea level rise pose a significant risk to the structure and function of the freshwater wetland ecosystems throughout the low-lying Everglades region. Current regionally corrected sea level projections for south Florida indicate a rise of 0.42m by 2050 and 1.15m by 2100, suggesting the salinization of previously freshwater areas of the Everglades is conceivable. As freshwater areas become increasingly exposed to saltwater they experience shifts in vegetation composition, soil microbial populations, plant productivity, and physical soil properties that ultimately result in a phenomenon called peat collapse. Recent work in the Everglades has sought to further explain the mechanisms of peat collapse, however the physical changes to the peat matrix induced by saltwater intrusion are still uncertain. Moreover, the combination of physical alterations to the peat matrix associated with peat collapse and shifts in wetland salinity regimes will also likely disrupt the current carbon gas dynamics of the Everglades.
Title: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SEA-LEVEL RISE AND INCREASED SALINITY ON PEAT SOILS OF THE EVERGLADES (FLORIDA): IMPLICATIONS FOR CHANGES IN BIOGENIC GAS DYNAMICS AND PEAT COLLAPSE.
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Name(s): Sirianni, Matthew J. , author
Comas, Xavier, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Geosciences
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2020
Date Issued: 2020
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 213 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: While repeated transgressive and regressive sea level cycles have shaped south Florida throughout geological history, modern rates of sea level rise pose a significant risk to the structure and function of the freshwater wetland ecosystems throughout the low-lying Everglades region. Current regionally corrected sea level projections for south Florida indicate a rise of 0.42m by 2050 and 1.15m by 2100, suggesting the salinization of previously freshwater areas of the Everglades is conceivable. As freshwater areas become increasingly exposed to saltwater they experience shifts in vegetation composition, soil microbial populations, plant productivity, and physical soil properties that ultimately result in a phenomenon called peat collapse. Recent work in the Everglades has sought to further explain the mechanisms of peat collapse, however the physical changes to the peat matrix induced by saltwater intrusion are still uncertain. Moreover, the combination of physical alterations to the peat matrix associated with peat collapse and shifts in wetland salinity regimes will also likely disrupt the current carbon gas dynamics of the Everglades.
Identifier: FA00013589 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Sea level rise
Peat soils
Everglades (Fla)
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013589
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.