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Global Warming Wasted Wetlands

Global Warming Wasted Wetlands February 2007. Synopsys Science Fair.Global-Warming-Wasted-Wetlands - Will global warming favor growth of Spartina alterniflora x hybrids by decreasing world ocean salinity?, Benjamin Torsten (Ben) Jolitz. Continuing research presented at Synopsys 2006 Science and Technology Championship. It is understood that the cordgrasses have different salinity preferences. This year I modeled salinity changes induced by global warming for the next 100 years, using baseline values collected for Spartina alterniflora (invasive), Spartina foliosa (native), and Spartina alterniflora x hybrids (hybrid) and coincident water samples. Samples were collected from Blackie's Pasture, Tiburon, CA. The ocean and river samples were obtained in constant locations and determined current salinity range and differentiation to which each species was exposed. Spectrophotometry was used to verify species type. My computer model uses observational information, mapping studies, current research on global warming and salinity impact in the San Francisco Bay area, and my own prior work as described in this paper. Global climate change is happening today. Already the worlds oceans are changing sea level and salinity concentrations as the polar ice caps and other frozen water concentrations melt. Despite the obvious introduction of fresh water, the San Francisco Bay will, ironically, increase in salinity. This is due to an increase in coastal upwelling and salinization of rivers and local aquifers, dumping salt into the Bay while sea levels rise and seawater encroaches on the land. The ambitious South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is estimated to take several decades to complete. They intend to restore the salt ponds in south San Francisco bay to a pre-1900's state. Unfortunately, global climate change was a speck on the global radar when the project was initially planned. Other issues abounded, and as a consequence, the information was not easily available until recently. The project plans do not specially discuss salinity changes due to global climate change, which will alter the bay in unexpected directions. Could the results be positive, or prove to be the opposite? While the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration project assumes no radical changes with respect to global climate change, the ecosystem hints otherwise. According to data from USGS, global climate change will affect the San Francisco Bay. Through simulating the effects of global climate change on three Spartina cordgrass species, one can attempt to anticipate the future impact on the San Francisco Bay wetlands.

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