Monitoring and Modeling the vulnerability of coastal Great Lakes wetlands to climate change and land use

Laura Louise Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Tech Research Institute, laura.chavez@mtu.edu (Presenter)
Mary Ellen Miller, Michigan Tech Research Institute, marymill@mtu.edu
Liza Jenkins, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), lliverse@mtu.edu
Nancy HF French, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), nancy.french@mtu.edu
Deborah Goldberg, University of Michigan, degold@umich.edu
Kenneth Elgersma, University of Michigan, elgersma@umich.edu
David Hyndman, Michigan State University, hyndman@cns.msu.edu
Anthony D Kendall, Michigan State University, kendal30@msu.edu
William Currie, University of Michigan, wcurrie@umich.edu

Spread of invasive plant species in the coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes is degrading wetland habitat, decreasing biodiversity and reducing ecosystem services. The simultaneous impacts of land use and climate change are expected to increase the spread of invasive plant species. Understanding the mechanisms of invasion is crucial to controlling this growing threat, and requires coupling hydrologic and ecosystem models. Research has begun to integrate remote sensing and field based studies with a process-based hydrologic model and an ecosystem model, developed specifically to understand mechanisms of invasions, to study the watersheds of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This integrated research is linking flow and transport of water and nutrients from the land to the coasts to understand the effects of a changing landscape and climate on the spread of invasives. Research has been initiated to create 100 mesocosms in northern and southern Michigan for evaluating the influence of temperature and nutrients on health of native wetland species and on invasion of non-native problematic wetland plant species (Phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia and Typha xglauca). Remote sensing research to create high resolution products to improve the hydrological modeling has begun with development of Landsat-derived leaf area index (LAI) products and assessment of radar imagery for mapping seasonally flooded areas. These products will be used to inform the hydrological model. Wetland locations around Michigan's coasts have been identified for instrumentation to monitor river flow and transport of nutrients for training and testing of the modeling.

Presentation: 2011_Poster_BourgeauChavez_117_332.pdf (482k)

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  Global Change Impact & Vulnerability   (Tue 11:30 AM)

Associated Project(s): 

• Bourgeau-Chavez, Laura: Linking Remote Sensing and Process-Based Models to Better Understand the Influence of Land Use and Climate Changes on Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands ...details

Poster Location ID: 117