the san francisco estuary marshes past, present and...

The San Francisco Estuary Marshes Past, Present and Future

The San Francisco Estuary Marshes The San Francisco Estuary Marshes Past, Present and FuturePast, Present and Future

Frances Malamud-RoamGeography Department, U.C. Berkeley

Frances Malamud-RoamGeography Department, U.C. Berkeley

MALAMUD-ROAM, 1999

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

This research was funded in part by grants from NIGECThis research was funded in part by grants from NIGEC--West West GecGec and NSFand NSF

ExtraExtra--special thanks to:special thanks to:Karl, Daniel, Benjamin and Lucy Karl, Daniel, Benjamin and Lucy MalamudMalamud--RoamRoam

My Advisors:My Advisors:B. Lynn Ingram, U.C. GeographyB. Lynn Ingram, U.C. GeographyA. Roger Byrne, U.C. GeographyA. Roger Byrne, U.C. GeographyRon Ron AmundsonAmundson, U.C. E.S.P.M., U.C. E.S.P.M.

ColleaguesColleagues in in The Ingram Lab.The Ingram Lab.The Pollen Lab.The Pollen Lab.

MALAMUD-ROAM, 2002

I S.F. Estuary Marshes: Present- Features - Plants - Functions and Values

II S.F. Estuary Marshes: Past- Proxy records- Paleo-reconstructions

III S.F. Estuary Marshes: Future. . .

II S.F. Estuary Marshes: PresentS.F. Estuary Marshes: Present-- Features Features -- Plants Plants -- Functions and ValuesFunctions and Values

IIII S.F. Estuary Marshes: PastS.F. Estuary Marshes: Past-- Proxy recordsProxy records-- PaleoPaleo--reconstructionsreconstructions

IIIIII S.F. Estuary Marshes: FutureS.F. Estuary Marshes: Future. . .. . .

The San Francisco Estuary Marshes:The San Francisco Estuary Marshes:Present, Past and FuturePresent, Past and Future

Features of Tidal MarshesFeatures of Tidal Marshes

PacificPacificOceanOcean

S.F. S.F. EstuaryEstuary

Tidal marshes Tidal marshes are themselves are themselves features features resulting from resulting from specific specific combinations combinations of geology, of geology, hydrology and hydrology and geography.geography.

LANDSATLANDSAT


Tidal marshes Tidal marshes are, by are, by definition, definition, dominated by dominated by the cycles of the the cycles of the tides, which tides, which results in results in unique physical unique physical stresses.stresses.

BASED ON S. F. ESTUARY BAYLANDS ECOSYSTEM GOALS DRAFT RPT. 1998


Plants are Plants are associated with associated with zones that are zones that are demarcated by demarcated by the tides. the tides.

–– High marsh High marsh zonezone

–– Low marsh Low marsh zonezone

MHHWMHHW

MLLWMLLW

Extreme HighExtreme High

Mean HighMean HighMean sea levelMean sea level

Mean LowMean Low

Extreme LowExtreme Low

PickleweedCordgrass

San Francisco Bay Tides and MarshesSan Francisco Bay Tides and Marshes

6420246810

Features of Tidal MarshesFeatures of Tidal MarshesLow marsh zone: salt tidal marsh

High marsh zone: brackish tidal marsh

MALAMUD-ROAM, 1999

Watson, 1999

Tidal Marshes have ImportantTidal Marshes have ImportantFunctions and ValuesFunctions and Values

Functions and Values of Tidal MarshesFunctions and Values of Tidal Marshes

• Protected SpeciesHabitat

•• Protected SpeciesProtected SpeciesHabitatHabitat

•• FoodFood--webweb



•• Protected SpeciesProtected SpeciesHabitat.Habitat.


•• Flood protectionFlood protection




•• Flood protectionFlood protection•• Shoreline protectionShoreline protection



•• FoodFood--webweb•• Flood protectionFlood protection

•• Water Quality Water Quality = Filtration= Filtration

•• Shoreline protectionShoreline protection

Treatment marsh: MartinezTreatment marsh: Martinez

Remnant Tide MarshesRemnant Tide Marshes

18601860--1900190019001900--1940194019401940--1970197018601860--19701970

Never Never dikeddikedDiked Diked or filledor filled EstablishedEstablished

Before Before 18601860

After 1860After 1860

Based on Atwater, 1977.U.S.G.S. Marine and Coastal Geology Program

•• Sediments collectSediments collect

•• The Past can protect The Past can protect the Future the Future

The Bay MarshesThe Bay Marshes as Recorders as Recorders of the Pastof the Past

Research GoalsResearch Goals

•• Vegetation Vegetation PaleoPaleo--historyhistory

Watson, 2001

Research GoalsResearch Goals

•• Vegetation Vegetation PaleoPaleo--historyhistory

•• Salinity Salinity PaleoPaleo--historyhistory

Watson, 2001

Research GoalsResearch Goals•• Vegetation Vegetation PaleoPaleo--historyhistory

•• Salinity Salinity PaleoPaleo--historyhistory

•• Climate Climate PaleoPaleo--historyhistory Watson, 2001

1313C/C/1212C ratio C ratio PollenPollen

In the Buried Sediments:In the Buried Sediments:

Durling, 2001

Background on Research Background on Research MethodologyMethodology

Carbon Isotopes, Carbon Isotopes, Plants, Photosynthesis,Plants, Photosynthesis,

andandDepositional EnvironmentsDepositional Environments

Carbon (C) IsotopesCarbon (C) Isotopes

•• Vary by Atomic Vary by Atomic massmass

•• NaturalNatural-- 1212C (stable)C (stable)-- 1313C (stable)C (stable)-- 1414C (radioactive)C (radioactive)

131313 C ~ <1%C ~ <1%C ~ <1%141414 C <.1%C <.1%C <.1%

121212 C ~ 99%C ~ 99%C ~ 99%

Carbon Isotopes and Carbon Isotopes and PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis

CO2-8

FRACTIONATION

-13-25-31-29

Classifying Plants by PhotosynthesisClassifying Plants by Photosynthesis

C3C3 C4C4 CAMCAM

PickleweedPickleweedSaltgrassSaltgrass

CordgrassCordgrassSedgesSedgesCattailCattail

~ ~ --29‰29‰ ~ ~ --12‰12‰ IntermediateIntermediate

1313C/C/1212C ratios in (‰) unitsC ratios in (‰) units

MALAMUD-ROAM, 1999

δδδδδδδδ1313C Values of Common Marsh PlantsC Values of Common Marsh Plants

CAM

C3

C4

-32.0 -27.0 -22.0 -17.0 -12.0

(Sunflower)

(Bullrush)

(Sedge)

(Cattail)

(Rush)

(Pickleweed)

(Salt grass)

(Cord grass)FromFrom MalamudMalamud--Roam, unpublished dissertation 2002 Roam, unpublished dissertation 2002

Remove CaCO3

Methods for Sedimentary C Isotope Analysis

Collect sediment core

Return to labwell-sealed

Sample at regularintervals

Wet sieve at 125µ

Oven dry @ 100°C 24 hours

Grind sampleto powder

Weigh ~ 5 mginto tin cups

which are placed on M.S. carousel

Europa20/20

Results

Sed. 1 -29.0

Sed. 3 -28.1

13Cδ

linked to a PCcomputer

and mountedon an auto-mated massspectrometer

Sed. 2 -29.2

MALAMUD-ROAM, 1999

Method for Pollen AnalysisMethod for Pollen Analysis•• Pollen is concentrated Pollen is concentrated

•• Pollen mounted on Pollen mounted on microscope slidesmicroscope slides

•• Pollen identified and Pollen identified and countedcounted

Pollen images from: Museum ofPollen images from: Museum of PalynologyPalynology, U.C. Berkeley, U.C. BerkeleyPhotos from: Photos from: MalamudMalamud--Roam and WatsonRoam and Watson

Research study area and sitesResearch study area and sites

Brown’sIsland

RoeIsland

BeniciaSt. Park

ChinaCamp

St. Park

U.S.G.S. AirU.S.G.S. Air--photophoto

StratigraphyStratigraphy::China CampChina Camp

Plant parts incl.rhyzomes andsheaths

Transitionto peatPeat

Plant roots

Clay-richPeat

Mineral richestuarine seds(Bay Mud)

Coarse sand

Depth(cm)

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

475

25

70

0

45035683655

496

831

2728

826

Organic Carbon0 0.4 0.8

FromFrom MalamudMalamud--Roam, unpublished dissertation 2002 Roam, unpublished dissertation 2002

66432100

500

1000

1500

2000

3000

3500

2500

-28 -24 -20 -16 0.0 0.4 0.8Organic Contentmm/yrδ13 C ‰

Data I: China CampData I: China Camp


Data II: China CampData II: China Camp

0

500

1000

1500

2000

3000

3500

2500

Percent total pollen10 5 5 25 50 50 100

-28 -24 -20 -16δ 13 C ‰


Pollen ratio:Pollen ratio:

PickleweedPickleweed //PickleweedPickleweed + Sedges+ Sedges

Summarizing Pollen DataSummarizing Pollen Data


Data III: All SitesData III: All Sites

China Camp-28 -24 -20 -16

500

1000

1500

2000

3000

2500

0

3500

-28 -24 -20 -16

Benicia S.P

0 0.5 1.0

0 0.5 1.0

Roe Island-27 -22 -17 -12-32

0 0.5 1.0

Brown’s Island-32 -27 -22 -17 -12

0 0.5 1.0 FromFrom MalamudMalamud--Roam, unpublished dataRoam, unpublished data

Inferred Periods of High SalinityInferred Periods of High SalinityIn San Francisco BayIn San Francisco Bay

China Petaluma Benicia Roe Rush Brown’sCamp ‡ S. P. Is.* Ranch# Is.*

(cal yrs B.P.) 3000-2500 2260-21001350-1145 1500-1300 1750-750

465-340 480-650 660-120 625-480 870-560350-200

(cal yrs A.D.)1940-pres 1940-pres 1950-1980 1930-pres 1875-1940

‡ Data from Ingram et al. (1998)# Data from Byrne et al. (2001) * Based on isotopic analyses


Future of the Future of the San Francisco Estuary MarshesSan Francisco Estuary Marshes

•• Challenges:Challenges:–– GlobalGlobal WarmingWarming


•• Challenges:Challenges:–– DevelopmentDevelopment


•• “Restoration” efforts“Restoration” efforts

Map from San Francisco Estuary Institute


Malamud-Roam, CCMVD


DurlingDurling, 2002, 2002

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