Kiawah, and beach renourishment where it is practical and
financially reasonable, is the only reasonable course.
Kiawah Island is bounded on one side by the ocean, but
on the other side there is an equally important part of our
environment, the salt marsh. Some research on the effect
of climate change on salt marshes has been done. One such
study, on the marshes near New York City, said that “tidal
wetlands in the New York metropolitan region are at risk
from sea-level rise and increased storm surges.” The most
recent IPCC report also tells us that salt marshes are under
stress from increased temperatures. “Heat waves lead to
widespread saltgrass mortality.”
As with so many aspects of our environment, though,
the issue of salt marshes is complex. The IPCC report notes
that with increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO2,
there can be increased plant growth. Not only that, but as
the oceans become more acidic (again owing to the increase
in atmospheric CO2), this can increase the productivity of
the grasses. In spite of this, the IPCC conclusion is that salt
marshes will become less extensive as humans encroach into
more of those areas.
Wildlife
Kiawah Island is the home of a wide variety of wildlife, ranging
from reptiles (snakes and alligators), terrapins and turtles
to small mammals such as mice, rats and squirrels, larger
mammals (bobcats and deer) and well over 200 species of birds.
Has their existence or their behavior been influenced by climate
change? Local biologists are not certain. However, observations
on a global scale do show the impact of climate change.
In a wide-ranging literature review in the Annual Review
of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics (2006), Camille
Parmesan, a well-known biologist, said that “[a]n extensive,
but not exhaustive, literature search revealed 866 peerreviewed papers that documented changes through time
in species or systems that could, in whole or in part, be
attributed to climate change.” And in an earlier paper she also
estimated that “[t]he proportion of wild species impacted
by climate change was estimated at 41% of all species (655
of 1598).” Given the survey results, there are a few particular
observations that might concern us on Kiawah. First,
Parmesan notes that “[s]hifts in abundances and ranges of
parasites and their vectors are beginning to influence human
disease dynamics.” For example, biologists have observed
a northward migration of ticks of the type that carry Lyme
disease. Second, coral reefs and amphibians are the groups
most affected by climate change. Kiawah Island is not
bounded by coral reefs, but we do have more than 20 species
of amphibians including frogs, toads and salamanders.
As we all know, bird life here is abundant but there
have been population shifts. In 1975 the developers of
the Island (Coastal Shores) hired the Environmental
Research Center of Columbia, South Carolina, to carry
out a survey of every aspect of the Island’s ecology. This
report is invaluable in that it is a database of information
on our Island. The Environmental Science Committee of
the Kiawah Conservancy reviewed the report, and a few of
the comparisons between our environment in 1975 and the
present are:
•• Ducks were much more common than they are now and
there was a greater diversity of species including black
ducks, mallards, northern shoveler, and wood ducks.
Beach and dunes at the eastern end of Kiawah Island. Significant changes have occurred relatively rapidly here in the past and
are continuing. This is due to activity in Stono Inlet, which provides an enormous amount of sand that forms bars that, over time,
weld to the eastern end.
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