Half a Century of Science
In 1971, the scientists at the Ecosystems Center had no idea they would be using their data to study global sea level rise.
“This was an experiment that started looking at one ecological control (nitrogen), and then because of the longevity of the project, we were able to add new knowledge about this major accelerating agent of global change—global sea level rise,” says Valiela.
That’s the benefit of long-term datasets like the one at Great Sippewissett Marsh.
“You’re setting a baseline to the problems that haven’t even happened yet,” says Chenoweth.
When measuring ecological processes like climate change and eutrophication, the data can ebb and flow over the course of years as the ecosystem responds to external stimuli. The changes operate on a much longer time scale than changes on other biological systems.
“To study a tree, you look at changes through seasons and you should be able to see its whole cycle. For a leaf, you look at patterns between day and night. In single cells, you look at processes that take place at the timescale of minutes or seconds … but for an entire ecosystem, we’re talking many years or decades,” says Lloret. “You need to be thinking at the scale of decades or even centuries in order to be able to see substantial changes.”
Citation:
Valiela, I., Chenoweth, K., Lloret, J., Teal, J., Howes, B., & Toner, D. G. (2023). Salt marsh vegetation change during a half-century of experimental nutrient addition and climate-driven controls in Great Sippewissett Marsh. The Science of the Total Environment. DOI: