Ecosystems Webinar Q&A, Part 2

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Remaining Questions and Answers 
Tine Rossing  
Ruth Waldick 
 
Question Answer 
Does increased winter rain 
contribute to aquifer recharge and 
potentially offset groundwater 
impacts from summer drought? 
That depends on the ability of the soils to absorb precipitation. In the case of extremely heavy rainfall 
events, unless the soils have already had time to absorb moisture, they are unable to take in water 
quickly enough, and most such rainfall will be lost as surface flow unless there are wetlands, vegetation 
etc to slow the flow (and allow the time needed to penetrate into the soil). However, if soils are dry (due 
to drought or the absence of vegetation during summer months etc), they become compacted, which 
makes it more difficult for water to percolate into them. These soils are highly prone to erosion. 
I understand that the direct 
management technique manages 
toward a specific future state, 
stewarding change toward a 
desireable outcome. Do you know 
of any examples of direct 
management of tidal wetlands to 
maintain biodiversity in the face of 
cllimate change? 
I am also interested in this question, as protecting and restoring marine ecosystems can have many 
benefits to biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and reducing the intensity of storm surge. But this is not 
my area of expertise. There are a number of interesting initiatives working on marine restoration. For 
example, https://clamgarden.com/; https://seaforest.ca/our-story/ 
https://stewardshipcentrebc.ca/green-shores-home/gs-about/; 
https://www.cascadiaseaweed.com/about. Also, not in our region, but interesting: Greenwave offshore - 
https://www.greenwave.org/our-model) 
I have worked mostly overseas are are more familar with mangrove restoration and how you can use 
such a measure to buffer storm surges and coastal erosion, while providing habitats for fish and other 
marine life. However, I found this article that may be of interest to you. 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259200817_Tidal_wetland_stability_in_the_face_of_human_
impacts_and_sea-level_rise I also suggest you take a closer look at these resources related to the RAD 
Framework that I was referring to in my presentation. In this Powerpoint presentation here you can see a 
tangible example of how the three different management approaches - Resist, Accept and Direct - have 
been applied to three different coastal National Wildlife Refuges in the US in response to sea-level rise. 
So this example may be of particular relevance to you. 
https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Morton_JM_2019h.pdf 
Do you agree that the most 
important aspect of climate change 
adaption is to provide additional 
water storage both at a community 
level and at individual residences? 
I do agree that promoting better water conservation through actions such as water harvesting and better 
storage should be a strong priority for our island communities. However, I think we need to refrain from 
trying to identify ONE adaptation 

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