Living on the Edge

Salt marshes are coastal ecosystems, which form the transition zone between the terrestrial and marine environment.

They are influenced by tides and therefore provide a valuable habitat for specialized plants and animals. Furthermore, they play an important role in climate change mitigation (carbon sequestration) and adaptation (coastal protection).

Stefanie Nolte's research focusses on how this ecosystem, with its biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services, is affected by anthropogenic effects and climate change.

In this talk we will look at how the keystone species Elymus athericus and the ecosystem is affected by sea-level rise. Next to sea-level rise, increased storminess might be a threat to the ecosystem in the future. Therefore, a large-scale wave flume was used to investigate the effects of hydrodynamic forces on salt marsh plants and sediment surfaces.

We will study the effects of higher temperatures in a field experiment, open top chambers and electric heating cables are used to increase air and soil temperature, respectively. We can thereby assess effects of increased temperature on vegetation, soil fauna, greenhouse gas fluxes, decomposition, microbial communities, and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and coastal protection in salt marshes.

Speaker

Dr Stefanie Nolte is a Lecturer in Marine Ecosystem Services at University of East Anglia.

How to attend

This seminar is being held in person in STEM 3.1 (STEM Centre on Square 1, Colchester campus).

If you have any queries about this seminar please email Dr Amanda Kavanagh (a.cavanagh@essex.ac.uk) or Dr Natalie Hicks (natalie.hicks@essex.ac.uk).