Document Type
Report
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
VIMS Department/Program
Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM)
Publication Date
12-2017
Abstract
This project focused on developing strategies to improve understanding and protection of Virginia headwater resources susceptible to climate change. Intact headwater wetlands contribute significantly to ecological integrity; protecting downstream aquatic resources by acting as a natural filtering system for water quality, attenuating floods, and supporting biodiversity. There is growing evidence that headwater wetlands are especially vulnerable to changing climate and land use. Maintaining headwater system functions is imperative to protect the quality of the entire downstream watershed. The challenge in protecting wetlands and their functions lies in effective management of the entire landscape with considerations for long‐term climate‐driven changes. To sustain headwater wetland functions in Virginia, climate‐adaptation strategies must be incorporated into planning. Strategies may include the protection of high ecological value wetlands and allowing for the retreat of headwater wetlands while supporting economic growth.
This project specifically addressed four priority elements in Virginia’s approved state wetlands plan. In response to the loss of coastal wetland acreage, the EPA recently conducted a Coastal Wetland Review of the York River watershed and identified climate change as a significant stressor that may not be receiving appropriate attention; therefore, the York River Watershed was chosen as the focal watershed for this project. However, our intent was that the methodology developed in this project be transferable to all coastal localities in Virginia, as well as across regions. Prior work has highlighted local planning as the key to improving regulatory environmental outcomes through emphasis on avoidance and effective mitigation of impacts to wetlands. This project developed information and procedures necessary to enhance these plans, particularly with respect to protection of coastal plain headwater systems. As a first step, this project advanced our ability to properly identify headwater wetlands using remotely‐sensed data. Second, the project evaluated the vulnerability of headwater systems by determining primary stressors using modeled and observational data. These data can also be used to establish baseline conditions for effective tracking of long‐term changes in sentinel locations. In addition, the existing monitoring and assessment strategy in Virginia was strengthened through incorporation of new monitoring data on historic shifts in wetland plant communities over 30+ years, reflective of responses to sea level rise, to identify wetlands at‐risk to conversion. Third, project information on relative risk of wetlands conversion from climate change was integrated into management models for use in web‐based planning and management tools (particularly Virginia Wetlands Condition Assessment Tool, WetCAT) to inform planning for wetland protection and managed retreat in headwater systems. Lastly, outreach materials were developed to better inform the public and resource decision‐makers on ways to improve conservation of Virginia’s headwater wetland ecosystems. This project complements efforts (EPA State Wetland Grant, CD96316401‐0) to identify risks for ecosystem service capacity in headwater resources on the basis of existing land uses and development pressures, building a more comprehensive picture of headwater resilience.
Keywords
Headwater wetland systems, Resilience, vulnerability, sea level rise, marsh plant communities, marsh migration, wetlands birds
Funding
This project was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, Grant #CD-96329601-1
Recommended Citation
Bilkovic, DM, M. Mitchell, C. Hershner, K. Havens, K. Angstadt, T. Rudnicky, D. Stanhope, J. Herman, Pamela Braff, Fletcher Smith, Bart Paxton, and Bryan Watts. 2017. Development of strategies to improve conservation of Virginia headwater wetland ecosystems in the face of climate change. Final Report. Center for Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary.
