Evaluating the effects of land-use change and future climate change on vulnerability of coastal landscapes to saltwater intrusion

The exposure of freshwater-dependent coastal ecosystems to saltwater is a present-day impact of climate and land-use changes in many coastal regions, with the potential to harm freshwater and terrestrial biota, alter biogeochemical cycles and reduce agricultural yields. Land-use activities associated with artificial drainage infrastructure (canals, ditches, and drains) could exacerbate saltwater exposure. However, studies assessing the effects of artificial drainage on the vulnerability of coastal landscapes to saltwater exposure are lacking. We examined the extent to which artificial drainage infrastructure has altered the potential for saltwater intrusion in the coastal plain of eastern North Carolina. Regional spatial analyses demonstrate that artificial drainages not only lower the overall elevation in coastal landscapes, but they also alter the routing and concentration of hydrological flows.  Together, these factors have the potential to increase the total proportion of the landsc...

依赖淡水的沿海生态系统遭遇盐水侵袭，是当前诸多沿海区域受气候变化与土地利用变化影响的现实后果，该过程可能损害淡水与陆地生物群落、改变生物地球化学循环，并降低农业产量。与人工排水基础设施（artificial drainage infrastructure）相关的土地利用活动，可能加剧盐水侵袭风险。然而，目前尚无研究评估人工排水对沿海景观受盐水侵袭脆弱性的影响。本研究以美国北卡罗来纳州东部沿海平原为研究区域，探究了人工排水基础设施对盐水入侵潜力的改变程度。区域空间分析结果显示，人工排水系统不仅降低了沿海景观的整体海拔，还改变了水文径流的输送路径与浓度分布。综上，上述因素或可提升沿海景观中受影响区域的总占比……