Date of Award
8-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School
College of Science and Mathematics
Department/Program
Earth and Environmental Studies
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba
Committee Member
Mark Chopping
Committee Member
Greg Pope
Committee Member
Temilola Fatoyinbo
Committee Member
Robert Twilley
Abstract
Along tropical and subtropical coastlines, mangroves are one of the dominant species of tree providing several beneficial ecosystem services such as blue carbon storage and coastal protection. Despite the invaluable services mangroves provide, they are currently facing threats due to anthropogenic influence and climate controls. Although mangroves are a halophytic species of tree, increases in salinity concentration equate to an increase in mangrove stress, stunted growth and die-back. With respect to climate controls, mangroves cannot survive under abnormally high rates of evaporation with respect to precipitation. When the evaporation rate is greater than the precipitation rate, porewater salinity increases. To understand the role of evaporation and precipitation rates on mangrove ecosystems, this work studies morphological changes in mangrove area extent on mangrove islands. Mangrove islands are remote island systems growing on top of carbonate platform environments, primarily composed of mangroves. In this work, several investigations have been conducted to explore the effects of climate controls on mangrove ecosystems with respect to: 1) spatial differences in vegetated area extent, 2) temporal differences in vegetated area extent, 3) 2-dimensional island simulations to characterize die-back regions. To understand the role of climate controls on mangroves, a numerical modeling framework is built and coupled with various types of satellite imagery analysis. Among the most intriguing results herein is the 2D numerical modeling framework which can capture complexities in die-back location within islands with complex geometries. Moreover, compared to reference data obtained via analysis of high resolution imagery, both our 2D and 1D modeling framework can capture vegetated area across mangrove islands. In the 1D modeling framework, vegetated area is quantified and compared to vegetated area in satellite imagery. There is good agreement with the modeling framework and reference data. In the 2D modeling framework, die-back areas are captured across a 2D space. The 2D model results yield good comparison with satellite data.
File Format
Recommended Citation
Cortés, Isamar M., "Exploring the Effects of Climate Conditions on Mangrove Island Systems Across the Caribbean" (2024). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1451.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1451