Groundwater Flushing Time and Vegetation Health in a Georgia Salt Marsh
Location
Presentation- College of Science and Mathematics
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis Presentation (Archived)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Jacque Kelly
Faculty Mentor Email
jkelly@georgiasouthern.edu
Presentation Year
2021
Start Date
26-4-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2021 12:00 AM
Keywords
Georgia Southern University, Honors Symposium, Presentation
Description
Marsh dieback is a periodic and sudden event where large regions of salt marsh grass thin in coverage or die completely. The causes of dieback are currently uncertain although it has been linked to hyper-salinity, sea-level rise, anthropogenic factors, drought, and groundwater hypoxia. The state of Georgia has approximately 619 km2 of coastal marshlands in and around its fourteen barrier islands. Marsh dieback affects the health of these salt marshes, which are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide many benefits to the surrounding environment and community. One of the questions this research aims to answer, is if there is a difference between groundwater in areas of marsh dieback and areas for healthy marsh. This study is measuring radium concentration, radon concentration, water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), specific conductivity, salinity, and calculating groundwater flushing time in an attempt to discover if a link between groundwater and marsh vegetation health exists and if their relationship can be used to predict areas of marsh dieback. Since groundwater is the primary supplier of nutrients to marsh vegetation, the behavior of the groundwater has a large effect on plant health. This study will contribute to a longitudinal research at the study site, further knowledge in the field, and can be used in future marsh preservation efforts.
Academic Unit
College of Science and Mathematics
Groundwater Flushing Time and Vegetation Health in a Georgia Salt Marsh
Presentation- College of Science and Mathematics
Marsh dieback is a periodic and sudden event where large regions of salt marsh grass thin in coverage or die completely. The causes of dieback are currently uncertain although it has been linked to hyper-salinity, sea-level rise, anthropogenic factors, drought, and groundwater hypoxia. The state of Georgia has approximately 619 km2 of coastal marshlands in and around its fourteen barrier islands. Marsh dieback affects the health of these salt marshes, which are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide many benefits to the surrounding environment and community. One of the questions this research aims to answer, is if there is a difference between groundwater in areas of marsh dieback and areas for healthy marsh. This study is measuring radium concentration, radon concentration, water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), specific conductivity, salinity, and calculating groundwater flushing time in an attempt to discover if a link between groundwater and marsh vegetation health exists and if their relationship can be used to predict areas of marsh dieback. Since groundwater is the primary supplier of nutrients to marsh vegetation, the behavior of the groundwater has a large effect on plant health. This study will contribute to a longitudinal research at the study site, further knowledge in the field, and can be used in future marsh preservation efforts.
Comments
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