the soil and groundwater which impacts vegetation maladjusted to high salinity . As these conditions intensify as a result of climate change , severe weather , and higher tidal amplitudes , both the natural and built environment within maritime forests are increasingly placed at risk ( Tully et . al , 2019 ).
Beyond simple salinization , there have been concerns expressed regarding the creation of ghost forests , and vertical inundation . Ghost forests have begun cropping up in regions along the Atlantic Ocean as a result of sea level rise ( Kirwan and Gedan , 2019 ). These are visual manifestations of increased sea level inundating a region and are marked by features such as dead trees and tree stumps surrounded by marshland ; however , it is not necessary to wait until such a time that ghost forests appear to begin to see the warning signs . This is a gradual process that can occur over long stretches of time . Studying areas with vegetative decline and disproportionately high groundwater salinity help to understand the link between salinization , germination , and vegetative health ( Kirwan and Gedan , 2019 ). Further areas of study related to ghost forests and vertical inundation would be to study the underbrush surrounding older trees in a region . Given that young trees will not be growing in the newly salinized environment , changes in the density and population of understory growth could be used to understand the movements of potential saltwater , leading to the formation of the ghost forests ( Kirwan and Gedan , 2019 ).
Structures such as pipes , roadways , cement structures , and other gray infrastructure used for the benefit of humans are also damaged by continual exposure to saltwater . Salt , dissolved in water , gets into the pores of a building material , and crystallizes . The crystallization process of the salt breaks or destabilizes the material surrounding it , which is sometimes referred to as “ fuzzy wood syndrome ” in the pilings of some residential structures . This weathering can also occur in concrete buildings because cements contain gypsum which is a water-soluble sulfate mineral ( Mtoni et . al , 2013 ). Weathering down of built infrastructures as a result of saltwater intrusion can cause general maintenance costs for features such as roadways , sidewalks , and other structures of the like to increase . This provides further justification on studying the potential for saline intrusion and finding natural solutions , like rain gardens and bioswales , to increase infiltration rates while also mitigating the flooding from extreme rainfall events .
GROUNDWATER TABLE STUDY
Understanding the groundwater dynamics and monitoring these fluctuations of conditions over time helps to inform land managers on best management practices for managing freshwater resources on barrier islands . Furthermore , these efforts also help to inform the siting of upland green-infrastructure projects ( e . g ., rain gardens and bioretention areas ) and other restoration projects that will help to improve the island ’ s resilience to flooding while also enhancing areas with a diminishing freshwater lens .
In 2020 , the Kiawah Conservancy and College of Charleston , with funding support from the Town of Kiawah Island , initiated a long-term effort to monitor groundwater resources on Kiawah Island . This project consulted with the S . C . Geological Survey , S . C . Department of Natural Resources , and Ashepoo Combahee Edisto Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve ( ACE Basin NERR ) to discuss siting of wells , methodology , and analysis . These efforts resulted in the establishment of 24 groundwater monitoring stations across Kiawah Island to collect data on groundwater level and salinity .
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