Salt Marsh Dieback: An overview of recent events in the US

Abstract This paper provides an overview of the marsh dieback events that have been observed along the east and gulf coasts of the U.S. over the past decade. It is likely that some of the recently reported changes in marsh vegetation were affected by physical or biotic disturbances that are known to generate bare areas, such as overgrazing or wrack smothering. Other areas may be experiencing a state change such as that caused by long-term changes in sea level. However, sites in many areas are not readily explained by these causes and are considered to have experienced “sudden dieback.” In such cases, there are observations that the above-ground plant material thinned or browned or, in some cases, failed to re-emerge in the spring; the dieback occurred over a period of months and usually affected multiple sites within the area; and there is evidence that these events are transient (through successful transplants or natural regrowth/recovery), although some areas take years to recover. We explored the potential linkage of dieback with drought (as characterized by the Palmer Severity Drought Index), and found that there is evidence for an association in the southeast (GA and SC) and the Gulf (LA), but not in the mid-Atlantic (DE, VA) or northeast (ME, RI, CT). We also review the evidence for potential causes of sudden dieback, including changes in soil chemistry, fungal pathogens, top–down consumer controls, and multiple stressors. There is currently no single explanation that can be applied to recent dieback. We highlight the need for the development of improved diagnostics that will allow us to better classify dieback areas and provide evidence for (or against) potential causes.