IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0027374.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Protective Role of Coastal Marshes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Christine C Shepard
  • Caitlin M Crain
  • Michael W Beck

Abstract

Background: Salt marshes lie between many human communities and the coast and have been presumed to protect these communities from coastal hazards by providing important ecosystem services. However, previous characterizations of these ecosystem services have typically been based on a small number of historical studies, and the consistency and extent to which marshes provide these services has not been investigated. Here, we review the current evidence for the specific processes of wave attenuation, shoreline stabilization and floodwater attenuation to determine if and under what conditions salt marshes offer these coastal protection services. Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted a thorough search and synthesis of the literature with reference to these processes. Seventy-five publications met our selection criteria, and we conducted meta-analyses for publications with sufficient data available for quantitative analysis. We found that combined across all studies (n = 7), salt marsh vegetation had a significant positive effect on wave attenuation as measured by reductions in wave height per unit distance across marsh vegetation. Salt marsh vegetation also had a significant positive effect on shoreline stabilization as measured by accretion, lateral erosion reduction, and marsh surface elevation change (n = 30). Salt marsh characteristics that were positively correlated to both wave attenuation and shoreline stabilization were vegetation density, biomass production, and marsh size. Although we could not find studies quantitatively evaluating floodwater attenuation within salt marshes, there are several studies noting the negative effects of wetland alteration on water quantity regulation within coastal areas. Conclusions/Significance: Our results show that salt marshes have value for coastal hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation. Because we do not yet fully understand the magnitude of this value, we propose that decision makers employ natural systems to maximize the benefits and ecosystem services provided by salt marshes and exercise caution when making decisions that erode these services.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine C Shepard & Caitlin M Crain & Michael W Beck, 2011. "The Protective Role of Coastal Marshes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(11), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0027374
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027374
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0027374
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0027374&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0027374?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ty Wamsley & Mary Cialone & Jane Smith & Bruce Ebersole & Alison Grzegorzewski, 2009. "Influence of landscape restoration and degradation on storm surge and waves in southern Louisiana," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 51(1), pages 207-224, October.
    2. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    3. Vassilios Tsihrintzis & Edgar Madiedo, 2000. "Hydraulic Resistance Determination in Marsh Wetlands," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 14(4), pages 285-309, August.
    4. Samuel Brody & Wesley Highfield & Hyung-Cheal Ryu & Laura Spanel-Weber, 2007. "Examining the relationship between wetland alteration and watershed flooding in Texas and Florida," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 40(2), pages 413-428, February.
    5. Perez-Maqueo, O. & Intralawan, A. & Martinez, M.L., 2007. "Coastal disasters from the perspective of ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2-3), pages 273-284, August.
    6. World Bank, 2009. "Convenient Solutions to an Inconvenient Truth : Ecosystem-based Approaches to Climate Change," World Bank Publications - Reports 3062, The World Bank Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jorge H. Maldonado & Rocío Moreno Sánchez & Myriam Elizabeth Vargas Morales & Juan Pablo Henao Henao & Yurani González Tarazona & Roberto Guerrero Compeán & Maja Schling, 2020. "Análisis económico de proyectos para protección costera y restauración de ecosistemas en el Gran Caribe: métodos, desafíos e innovaciones," Documentos CEDE 18183, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    2. Siddharth Narayan & Michael W Beck & Borja G Reguero & Iñigo J Losada & Bregje van Wesenbeeck & Nigel Pontee & James N Sanchirico & Jane Carter Ingram & Glenn-Marie Lange & Kelly A Burks-Copes, 2016. "The Effectiveness, Costs and Coastal Protection Benefits of Natural and Nature-Based Defences," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Jana Haddad & Seth Lawler & Celso Ferreira, 2016. "Assessing the relevance of wetlands for storm surge protection: a coupled hydrodynamic and geospatial framework," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 80(2), pages 839-861, January.
    4. Alizad, Karim & Hagen, Scott C. & Morris, James T. & Bacopoulos, Peter & Bilskie, Matthew V. & Weishampel, John F. & Medeiros, Stephen C., 2016. "A coupled, two-dimensional hydrodynamic-marsh model with biological feedback," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 327(C), pages 29-43.
    5. Mali‘o Kodis & Marci Bortman & Sarah Newkirk, 2021. "Strategic retreat for resilient and equitable climate adaptation: the roles for conservation organizations," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(3), pages 493-502, September.
    6. Reguero, Borja G. & Beck, Michael W. & Schmid, David & Stadtmüller, Daniel & Raepple, Justus & Schüssele, Stefan & Pfliegner, Kerstin, 2020. "Financing coastal resilience by combining nature-based risk reduction with insurance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    7. Sutton-Grier, Ariana E. & Moore, Amber K. & Wiley, Peter C. & Edwards, Peter E.T., 2014. "Incorporating ecosystem services into the implementation of existing U.S. natural resource management regulations: Operationalizing carbon sequestration and storage," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 246-253.
    8. Jantsje Loon-Steensma, 2015. "Salt marshes to adapt the flood defences along the Dutch Wadden Sea coast," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 929-948, August.
    9. Sierra-Correa, Paula Cristina & Cantera Kintz, Jaime Ricardo, 2015. "Ecosystem-based adaptation for improving coastal planning for sea-level rise: A systematic review for mangrove coasts," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 385-393.
    10. Steven B. Scyphers & Michael W. Beck & Kelsi L. Furman & Judy Haner & Lauren I. Josephs & Rebecca Lynskey & Andrew G. Keeler & Craig E. Landry & Sean P. Powers & Bret M. Webb & Jonathan H. Grabowski, 2019. "A Waterfront View of Coastal Hazards: Contextualizing Relationships among Geographic Exposure, Shoreline Type, and Hazard Concerns among Coastal Residents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-11, November.
    11. Paul A. Sandifer & Ariana E. Sutton‐Grier, 2014. "Connecting stressors, ocean ecosystem services, and human health," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(3), pages 157-167, August.
    12. Rebeca de Jesus Crespo & Richard Fulford, 2018. "Eco-Health linkages: assessing the role of ecosystem goods and services on human health using causal criteria analysis," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(1), pages 81-92, January.
    13. Das, Saudamini, 2024. "Examining weak sustainability for storm protection by mangroves," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    14. Strain, E.M.A. & Kompas, T. & Boxshall, A. & Kelvin, J. & Swearer, S. & Morris, R.L., 2022. "Assessing the coastal protection services of natural mangrove forests and artificial rock revetments," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    15. O’Leary, Bethan C. & Bayliss, Helen R. & Haddaway, Neal R., 2015. "Beyond PRISMA: Systematic reviews to inform marine science and policy," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 261-263.
    16. Mahbub Ul Hasan & Evangelia G. Drakou & Efthimios Karymbalis & Alexandra Tragaki & Christina Gallousi & Camino Liquete, 2022. "Modelling and Mapping Coastal Protection: Adapting an EU-Wide Model to National Specificities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    17. Bregje K. van Wesenbeeck & Wiebe de Boer & Siddharth Narayan & Wouter R. L. van der Star & Mindert B. de Vries, 2017. "Coastal and riverine ecosystems as adaptive flood defenses under a changing climate," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 1087-1094, October.
    18. Stanley, Rebecca E. & Bilskie, Matthew V. & Woodson, C. Brock & Byers, James E., 2024. "A model for understanding the effects of flow conditions on oyster reef development and impacts to wave attenuation," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 489(C).
    19. Borja G Reguero & Michael W Beck & David N Bresch & Juliano Calil & Imen Meliane, 2018. "Comparing the cost effectiveness of nature-based and coastal adaptation: A case study from the Gulf Coast of the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(4), pages 1-24, April.
    20. Mhlanganisi Africa Ndude & Kudzanai Rosebud Gwena & Hamisai Hamandawana, 2022. "The Nature, Causes and Extent of Land cover Changes in Gamtoos River Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: 1991–2017," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-17, June.
    21. Valencia Torres, Angélica & Tiwari, Chetan & Atkinson, Samuel F., 2021. "Progress in ecosystem services research: A guide for scholars and practitioners," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    22. Jana Haddad & Seth Lawler & Celso M. Ferreira, 2016. "Assessing the relevance of wetlands for storm surge protection: a coupled hydrodynamic and geospatial framework," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 80(2), pages 839-861, January.
    23. Jungjoon Kim & Sangpil Lee & We Shim & Jongseok Kang, 2016. "A Mapping of Marine Biodiversity Research Trends and Collaboration in the East Asia Region from 1996–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-17, October.
    24. Rojas, Carolina & Munizaga, Juan & Rojas, Octavio & Martínez, Carolina & Pino, Joan, 2019. "Urban development versus wetland loss in a coastal Latin American city: Lessons for sustainable land use planning," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 47-56.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-81 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. İlkay Unay-Gailhard & Mark A. Brennen, 2022. "How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: a review study focused on farming as a career option," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1491-1508, December.
    3. Mahin Ghafari & Vali Baigi & Zahra Cheraghi & Amin Doosti-Irani, 2016. "The Prevalence of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Iranian Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-10, June.
    4. Elizabeth T Cafiero-Fonseca & Andrew Stawasz & Sydney T Johnson & Reiko Sato & David E Bloom, 2017. "The full benefits of adult pneumococcal vaccination: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, October.
    5. Santos Urbina & Sofía Villatoro & Jesús Salinas, 2021. "Self-Regulated Learning and Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments in Higher Education: A Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-12, June.
    6. Oded Berger-Tal & Alison L Greggor & Biljana Macura & Carrie Ann Adams & Arden Blumenthal & Amos Bouskila & Ulrika Candolin & Carolina Doran & Esteban Fernández-Juricic & Kiyoko M Gotanda & Catherine , 2019. "Systematic reviews and maps as tools for applying behavioral ecology to management and policy," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 30(1), pages 1-8.
    7. Nadine Desrochers & Adèle Paul‐Hus & Jen Pecoskie, 2017. "Five decades of gratitude: A meta‐synthesis of acknowledgments research," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 68(12), pages 2821-2833, December.
    8. Maryono, Maryono & Killoes, Aditya Marendra & Adhikari, Rajendra & Abdul Aziz, Ammar, 2024. "Agriculture development through multi-stakeholder partnerships in developing countries: A systematic literature review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    9. Alene Sze Jing Yong & Yi Heng Lim & Mark Wing Loong Cheong & Ednin Hamzah & Siew Li Teoh, 2022. "Willingness-to-pay for cancer treatment and outcome: a systematic review," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 23(6), pages 1037-1057, August.
    10. Xue-Ying Xu & Hong Kong & Rui-Xiang Song & Yu-Han Zhai & Xiao-Fei Wu & Wen-Si Ai & Hong-Bo Liu, 2014. "The Effectiveness of Noninvasive Biomarkers to Predict Hepatitis B-Related Significant Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-16, June.
    11. Vicente Miñana-Signes & Manuel Monfort-Pañego & Javier Valiente, 2021. "Teaching Back Health in the School Setting: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-18, January.
    12. Agnieszka A. Tubis & Katarzyna Grzybowska, 2022. "In Search of Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0 in Small-Medium Enterprises—A State of the Art Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-26, November.
    13. Obsa Urgessa Ayana & Jima Degaga, 2022. "Effects of rural electrification on household welfare: a meta-regression analysis," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 209-261, June.
    14. Caloffi, Annalisa & Colovic, Ana & Rizzoli, Valentina & Rossi, Federica, 2023. "Innovation intermediaries' types and functions: A computational analysis of the literature," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    15. García-Poole, Chloe & Byrne, Sonia & Rodrigo, María José, 2019. "How do communities intervene with adolescents at psychosocial risk? A systematic review of positive development programs," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 194-209.
    16. Jie Zhao & Ji Chen & Damien Beillouin & Hans Lambers & Yadong Yang & Pete Smith & Zhaohai Zeng & Jørgen E. Olesen & Huadong Zang, 2022. "Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    17. Qing Ye & Bao-Xin Qian & Wei-Li Yin & Feng-Mei Wang & Tao Han, 2016. "Association between the HFE C282Y, H63D Polymorphisms and the Risks of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis o," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, September.
    18. Bishal Mohindru & David Turner & Tracey Sach & Diana Bilton & Siobhan Carr & Olga Archangelidi & Arjun Bhadhuri & Jennifer A. Whitty, 2020. "Health State Utility Data in Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review," PharmacoEconomics - Open, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 13-25, March.
    19. Subramaniam, Mega & Pang, Natalie & Morehouse, Shandra & Asgarali-Hoffman, S. Nisa, 2020. "Examining vulnerability in youth digital information practices scholarship: What are we missing or exhausting?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    20. Neal R. Haddaway & Matthew J. Page & Chris C. Pritchard & Luke A. McGuinness, 2022. "PRISMA2020: An R package and Shiny app for producing PRISMA 2020‐compliant flow diagrams, with interactivity for optimised digital transparency and Open Synthesis," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(2), June.
    21. Ding Zhu & Mindan Wu & Yuan Cao & Shihua Lin & Nanxia Xuan & Chen Zhu & Wen Li & Huahao Shen, 2018. "Heated humidification did not improve compliance of positive airway pressure and subjective daytime sleepiness in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0027374. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.