Geomorphic and Ecological Effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Coastal Louisiana Marsh Communities.

摘要

The coastal wetlands of Louisiana have sustained the highest rate of wetland loss in the United States, with approximately 2,976 km2 of wetlands converting to open water from 1956 to 2004 (Barras, 2006). Many factors, both natural and human-induced, have been linked to land loss, including altered hydrology, saltwater intrusion, wave erosion, and high relative sea level rise (RSLR) (Boesch and others, 1994). Stone and others (1997) identified hurricanes as a primary force controlling the transgressive evolution of the barrier islands of Louisiana. Recent evidence also suggests the importance of hurricanes in altering coastal wetland landscapes (Guntenspergen and others, 1995; Barras, 2006, 2007; Steyer, 2008). Since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, there have been two major (3 category 3) storms, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to strike Louisiana and significantly influence barrier islands and interior coastal wetlands.