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The Influence of Nutrients on the Coastal Wetlands of the Mississippi Delta

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Perspectives on the Restoration of the Mississippi Delta

Part of the book series: Estuaries of the World ((EOTW))

Abstract

Among the solutions being proposed for reversing wetland loss in the Mississippi River Delta are the creation of diversions to reintroduce suspended sediment carried in the river. In areas of rapid relative sea-level rise, as in the Mississippi Delta, it is generally accepted that a supply of sediment in flood water and mineral sedimentation are critical to sustaining wetlands. But plans to create diversions have raised questions about the collateral effects of nutrients carried in the Mississippi River, effects that may contravene the benefits of sediment. This review finds the balance of empirical and theoretical evidence supports that nutrients benefit above- and belowground plant production and that fresh water and sediment diversions can be effective and beneficial for restoring wetlands in the Delta, especially if designed to maximize sediment inputs. The input of sediment, nutrients, and fresh water will change the community composition of some wetlands and their biogeochemical processes. Most of the nitrogen input should be assimilated or denitrified. Labile organic matter is likely to degrade more quickly, but labile organic matter does not add ‘new’ soil volume and its speed of decay is of little consequence. Additional research is needed before we fully understand the consequences of nutrients on the preservation of organic matter in sediment, but building on what is known of the activities of lignin-degrading fungi and their enzymes, it is likely that refractory organic matter should increase and contribute positively to sediment accretion.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers who provided very helpful suggestions for improving the manuscript. This review was supported by the National Audubon Society, Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Wildlife Federation through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation. We apologize in advance to the authors of literature not cited; oversights were unintentional.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Belle Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    James T. Morris

  2. School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    J. Andy Nyman

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, USA

    Gary P. Shaffer

Authors
  1. James T. Morris
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  2. J. Andy Nyman
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  3. Gary P. Shaffer
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Correspondence to James T. Morris .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    John W. Day

  2. School of Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    G. Paul Kemp

  3. Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Angelina M. Freeman

  4. Mississippi River Delta Restoration Camp, National Wildlife Federation, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    David P. Muth

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Morris, J., Nyman, J., Shaffer, G. (2014). The Influence of Nutrients on the Coastal Wetlands of the Mississippi Delta. In: Day, J., Kemp, G., Freeman, A., Muth, D. (eds) Perspectives on the Restoration of the Mississippi Delta. Estuaries of the World. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8733-8_8

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