Ebook: Expected Effects of Climatic Change on Marine Coastal Ecosystems

J. J. Beukema, w. J. Wolff & J. J. W. M. Brouns Man is changing the biosphere at an ever increasing Netherlands ministery of Housing, Physical Planning rate. Several of these man-made changes are on a and Health (represented by Dr. G. P. Hekstra), chaired worldwide scale, such as the increase in atmospheric by Dr. w. J. Wolff (Research Institute for Nature concentrations of several gases. In particular the Management) and housed by the Netherlands In­ ongoing increase of the concentration of at­ stitute for Sea Research (N. I. O. Z. , represented by Dr. mospheric carbon dioxide, by excessive burning of J. J. Beukema). fossil fuels and forest destruction, is well­ The written versions of the presentations by 23 par­ documented. By the year 2050, CO levels will ticipants have been brought together in these pro­ 2 almost certainly be twice the pre-industrial concen­ ceedings of the Workshop. trations and this is expected to have far-reaching consequences. Direct effects include higher rates of The first paper, by G. P. HEKSTRA, explains how plant production (also in agriculture). Indirect effects trace gases affect UV-B radiation, alkalinity of the might be less favourable: by the intensified sea, rate of photosynthesis, and greenhouse warm­ 'greenhouse process' (to which several other gases ing.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-v
Introduction....Pages 1-3
Man’s Impact on Atmosphere and Climate: A Global Threat? Strategies to Combat Global Warming....Pages 5-16
Ecological Interpretation of Climate Projections....Pages 17-22
Western European Regional Climate Scenarios in a High Greenhouse Gas World and Agricultural Impacts....Pages 23-32
The Primary Productivity of Puccinellia Maritima and Spartina Anglica: A Simple Predictive Model of Response to Climatic Change....Pages 33-39
Direct Effects of Elevated CO2 Concentration Levels on Grass and Clover in ‘Model-Ecosystems’....Pages 41-47
Effects of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Enrichment on Salt-Marsh Plants....Pages 49-54
The Geographic Distribution of Seaweed Species in Relation to Temperature: Present and Past....Pages 55-67
Expected Effects of Changing Seawater Temperatures on the Geographic Distribution of Seaweed Species....Pages 69-76
Expected Biological Effects of Long-Term Changes in Temperatures on Benthic Ecosystems in Coastal Waters Around the Netherlands....Pages 77-82
Expected Effects of Changes in Winter Temperatures on Benthic Animals Living in Soft Sediments in Coastal North Sea Areas....Pages 83-92
Expected Effects of Temperature Changes on Estuarine Fish Populations....Pages 93-97
Sea-Level Changes and Tidal Flat Characteristics....Pages 99-103
Long-Term Beach and Shoreface Changes, NW Jutland, Denmark: Effects of a Change in Wind Direction....Pages 105-112
Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and Morphological Developments in the Dutch Wadden Sea, a Marine Wetland....Pages 113-122
Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Sedimentation in Central Noord-Holland (The Netherlands) Around 5000 BP: A Case Study of Changes in Sedimentation Dynamics and Sediment Distribution Patterns....Pages 123-131
Ecological Impact of Sea Level Rise on Coastal Ecosystems of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (France)....Pages 133-138
Consequences of Sea Level Rise: Implications from the Mississippi Delta....Pages 139-153
Possible Effects of Sea Level Changes on Salt-Marsh Vegetation....Pages 155-165
Salt Marshes in the Netherlands Wadden Sea: Rising High-Tide Levels and Accretion Enhancement....Pages 167-172
Inshore Birds of the Soft Coasts and Sea-Level Rise....Pages 173-188
Effects of Increased Solar UV-B Radiation on Coastal Marine Ecosystems: An Overview....Pages 189-193
Expected Changes in Dutch Coastal Vegetation Resulting from Enhanced Levels of Solar UV-B....Pages 195-210
Back Matter....Pages 211-217
....Pages 219-221