coastalbarrierislandscouplinganthropogenicandecosystem（16页）.docVIP

In Review, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment Running Title: Sustaining barrier island ecosystems Coastal Barrier Islands: Coupling Anthropogenic Stability with Ecosystem Sustainability William K Smith1*, Rusty A Feagin2, Norbert P Psuty3, Karl F Nordstrom4, Gregory A Carter5, Jane N Gemma6, James C Gibeaut7, David H Thomas8, Richard E Koske9, Maria L Martinez10, John C Whitehead11, Donald R Young12 Coastal barrier islands provide a host of critical ecosystem services to the heavily populated coastal regions of the world. Without these near-shore islands most of our coastal wetland resources would be lost to tidal surge and wave action. Following extreme episodic events such as hurricanes and tsunamis, coastal shorelines have experienced substantially reduced damage when protected by near-shore barrier islands. Despite these critical benefits, no strategic plan exists for sustaining barrier island ecosystems under the challenge of continued economic development and potentially severe global warming impacts. These ecosystems provide an opportunity for developing land management strategies that blend anthropogenic goals for stabilization with the inherent instability of a natural ecosystem, one that is highly vulnerable to global warming. ______________________________________________________________________________ Coastal barrier islands (CBI) are unique ecosystems that border coastal shorelines and physically separate the offshore oceanic province from inshore wetlands, bays, sounds, and estuaries. As their name implies, they form a protective barrier between continental shorelines and the ______________________________________________________________________________ In a nutshell: Coastal barrier islands are a prime attraction for human development, but are also vital components of coastal wetlands. The tight coupling between geology, vegetation, and extreme episodic storm events generates one of the most dynamic of all ecosystems Although na