C cycling, landscape disturbances and water management: Views through the marsh grass lens

South Florida is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise. In marsh ecosystems that receive little sediment load, root production is the primary driver of peat production and marsh elevation. The balance of freshwater and marine water supply is a major driver of plant productivity in the Florida Coastal Everglades, however the relative influence on peat production is uncertain. How this influence will change with climate, water management and disturbances and contribute to vulnerability of groundwater supply and coastal carbon storage are unknown. Our work to experimentally assess mechanisms of peat maintenance with predicted SLR was designed to help address these uncertainties.