Abigail Gormley

April 24, 2017

Final Research Paper

Climate Disruption in New Jersey

NJ is composed of many diverse land areas including the Pine Barrens, diverse

coastal communities, the Barnegat Bay, and farmland that have all been impacted in

different ways by climate disruption. If global climate disruption continues to rise in New

Jersey, these areas will become completely different places in one hundred years. Most

people are aware of the climate disruption in New Jersey on the shore and the beaches

and how it affects their vacations. While climate disruption will alter these regions, there

are other corners of New Jersey that are also going to be severely impacted. The New

Jersey Pinelands is one of the most unique ecosystems in the US. The Pine Barrens is

characterized by extremely acidic and sandy soils (Boyd, 6). There are more than 9,000

farms in New Jersey that grow cranberries, blueberries, corn, and other crops. New

Jersey is one of the top three states that produces cranberries and blueberries

(Frumhoff et al.1). The most popular aspect of New Jersey is the Jersey Shore, one

hundred and twenty seven miles of continuous beach down the coast, that have created

a favorite vacation spot in the US.(Frumhoff et al.2). New Jersey is home to some of the

best beaches and boardwalks in America. The coast is lined with summer homes that

are rented out each year to the thousands of tourists who vacation at the shore.
 Because New Jersey is such a diverse state, there are many different forms of

climate disruption and what exactly it is affecting, which includes sea level rise, farming

of the cranberry bogs, recreation throughout the state, and the forests. Sea level rise is

the most recognized form of climate disruption in New Jersey. This is because it is

affecting New Jersey’s biggest tourist attraction: NJ beaches. The shorelines are

changing rapidly. Whenever any kind of storm hits the coast, the beach is severely

damaged and eroded and communities become flooded out. The hotter days and less

precipitation mean more droughts when it comes to the blueberry and cranberry farms

throughout the state. This changing climate will also create potential habitats for new

pests and cause an increase in pesticides to battle these unknown nuisances. One of

these pests are the Southern Pine Beetle, that favor the warmer conditions. In northern

parts of New Jersey, the cities are expected to experience extreme heat which leads to

all different health problems. Overall, every aspect of New Jersey needs help fighting

climate disruption.

Sea level rise and the increased flooding throughout the coast of New Jersey is

continuously affecting the infrastructure of shore communities and eroding the beaches

at an accelerated rate. There are many different models of sea level rise, proposed by

all different researchers from different organizations. Regardless of all these models, it

is recognized that there is going to be a significant sea level rise(Sea Level Rise). Sixty

percent of New Jersey residents live on the coast(Frumhoff et al. 2). People moved to

the Jersey coast and built houses along the beautiful shoreline, thinking it will always be

exactly where it is now. They have failed to realize the shoreline is continuously

changing. The barrier islands became an extremely popular spot for luxury summer
homes for many wealthy families who failed to take climate change into account. As

these barrier islands have been developed, these developers have bulkheaded the

islands, manipulated jetties, and replenished the beach with imported sand to stabilize

the shoreline(NJ’s Changing Shoreline). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change recently released a statement that the Jersey shore sea level could rise sixteen

to thirty one inches by 2100(Leta Liou, 16). The sea level in Atlantic City is about one

and a half feet higher than it was one hundred years ago. (A Summary of Climate

Change). Sea level rise is happening faster in New Jersey than anywhere else in North

America(Burger et al. 513). Researchers have found evidence that the sea level rise is

accelerating in this region due to the faster melting of the ice sheets than what was

originally projected(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). New Jersey is considered a

hotspot for sea level rise, because the water is rising and the land is sinking. Rutgers’

researchers found that the Arctic ice sheet is acting as a balance with NJ. The weight of

the ice sheet is lifting NJ land up, but as the ice sheet is melting and losing weight New

Jersey has began to sink as the water has been rising( Climate Change and the Jersey

Shore). Groundwater is also being removed to become drinking water, causing the

sediments to shift, leading to another cause of the land sinking(Climate Change and the

Jersey Shore). According to the NJ flood mapper that was constructed by Rutgers’

researchers, all barrier islands on the southern coast of NJ and the marsh that lines the

mainland of NJ will be significantly covered in water if the sea level were to rise two feet.

This results in about one percent of New Jersey land underwater(Leta Liou, 16). If the

sea level were to rise three to four feet, about three percent of NJ land would be

underwater(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). There is an estimation of about fifty
thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand acres of New Jersey coast to be lost to

erosion and flooding(Cooper et al. 481). The rising sea level increases the chance of

saltwater intrusions into NJ aquifers as well. Cape May officials had to invest millions of

dollars into water treatment to take the salt out of their water supply(Climate Change

and the Jersey Shore). They also moved the wells that support their communities more

inland so that the wells are further away from the ocean and bays.

Climate change is warming the air temperatures as well as the ocean

temperatures. In New Jersey, the ocean is warming at a rate that is twice the global

average(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). The warmer ocean is potentially

making hurricanes and other tropical storms stronger, rather than increasing the amount

of storms. In the northeast US, the one hundred year flood has a forty five percent

greater chance of happening by 2100(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). Without

changing the rate at which the nation emits fossil fuels, the sea level rise is going to

greatly impact flooding. It was found that there are about seventy to one hundred

thousand people that experienced flooding during Hurricane Sandy that would not have

if the sea level did not rise as much as it did in the nineteenth century(Climate Change

and the Jersey Shore). Over the last few decades, NJ officials have tried building walls

to prevent beach erosion. However, they did not succeed. They also tried beach

replenishment, pumping sand onto the beach from offshore, but this is a very expensive

process(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). Since 1936, over 1.3 billion dollars

have been spent by the government to replenish the beaches with over one hundred

and fifty five million cubic yards of material(NJ’s Changing Shoreline). Not only is it

expensive, but it also does not work well because the beaches are extremely variable
and tend to move a lot. The sand that is pumped onto the beach does not last and is

easily eroded away as fast as it is pumped onto it(Climate Change and the Jersey

Shore). The increase in severe storms and flooding has also caused the new sand to

quickly erode away. This beach replenishment technique has been used quite often in

New Jersey but it is not a permanent solution(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). In

places where the beach has not been manipulated the shoreline has shown significant

changes. Littoral currents that move southward along the coast of New Jersey has

moved sand across the shoreline, narrowing some beaches while widening others,

especially in the Cape May region(NJ’s Changing Shoreline).

As the sea level has been rising, the low lying land areas of New Jersey are

becoming submerged and changing to tidal wetlands or open water(What Climate

Change Means, 1). There are two hundred and fourteen thousand acres of salt marsh in

New Jersey(Sea Level Rise). These marshes are so crucial to the ecosystem

surrounding them. They provide a critical feeding ground for many different

commercially important aquatic species(Sea Level Rise). The grasses of the marsh

contain food and nutrients that are essential to the aquatic food web. The marsh is also

responsible for filtering out pollutants in the water(Sea Level Rise). The coastal

wetlands are a valuable resource because they are the breeding grounds for our fish

and birds and other wildlife, protect and stabilize our shoreline(Climate Change and the

Jersey Shore).

During flooding events, marshes act as sponges and absorb the flood waters and

also help to slow down storm surges. They are resilient to storms and sea level rise

because they can easily elevate(Sea Level Rise). Marshes naturally elevate when
sediments are deposited, a process called accretion(Sea Level Rise). Scientists are

predicting that the marsh will not be able to elevate enough to keep up with the sea

level rise in the next century. Another obstacle to the accretion of the marsh are roads

and houses that sit directly behind the marsh. They block it from migrating upwards

when the water rises(Sea Level Rise). If they marsh can not elevate, it will drown and

become open water. According to the Floodmapper, if the coast experiences a one foot

sea level rise, nine thousand and three hundred acres of marsh will become open water

and over two thousand acres will be impeded from elevation. The marsh is extremely

flat in NJ, which also makes it more susceptible to sea level rise(Sea Level Rise). Other

than the freshwater wetlands in the Delaware Bay, almost all the wetlands from Cape

May to the Meadowlands will not be able to keep pace with the sea level rise. While

thousands of acres will migrate with the sea level rise, researchers are not sure if this

marsh will have the same ecological quality as the marsh that was already established

there(Sea Level Rise).

New Jersey is known for its’ delicious corn, blueberries, and cranberries. When

driving through any given backroad in southwest New Jersey you will pass by hundreds

of farms. But with the rising temperature of three degrees in the last century, hotter

temperatures leads to more droughts which will affect the farming in the state. There are

more than nine thousand farms in NJ that cover over eight hundred thousand acres of

land(Frumhoff et al. 4). The NJ farming industry produces over three hundred million

dollars worth of crops every year(Leta Liou, 24). The most prominent issue that will

continue to arise due to climate disruption in agriculture is pests. As the temperature

continues to rise, the survival rates of pests will increase due to the warm winters. This
will lead to farmers needing to use more pesticide to control the larger populations(Leta

Liou, 25). New Jersey is most famous for its’ cranberries and blueberries. Blueberries

flourish in the sandy, acidic soils of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. New Jersey ranks

second in blueberry production in the US, with over forty five million dollars in revenue

each year(Leta Liou, 25). Blueberries, as well as cranberries require the period of frost

and cold in the winter for better flowering during growing season. With the warming

temperatures, these crops will not experience the cold winters and frost they need to

flourish.

The southern range for blueberry growing is Maryland. As the climate continues

to warm, the southern range will move northward(Leta Liou, 26). If the temperatures

continue to rise, the New Jersey Pine Barrens will not be a suitable place for the

blueberries to grow. Drought is also a major factor due to the warming temperatures.

Summer temperatures are only going to increase, leading to an increase of the

evaporation of water from the soil(Leta Liou, 26). The less water in the soil means an

increased risk for drought. Also, as the temperatures continue to increase in the

summer, the amount of rainfall will not keep up. This can increase the prevalence of

short term droughts, droughts that only last one to three months(Frumhoff et al. 2). Corn

is another major crop in New Jersey. Higher carbon dioxide concentrations in the air will

cause faster growing corn and there will also be longer growing seasons(Leta Liou, 25).

Although this seems beneficial, longer growing seasons will allow for more weeds to

grow and other nuisance invasive species to make a habitat here. The increase of

weeds, pests, and invasive species results in an increase of control methods for these

problems. More pesticides will need to be used. Major flooding and other weather
events have also become a problem for New Jersey farming(A Summary of Climate

Change). The short term droughts are going to occur more frequently, followed by

extreme downpour events will make it more difficult for farmers to grow their crops. The

weather is unpredictable making it hard to grow anything in these conditions(A

Summary of Climate Change).

The Pine Barrens sandy acidic soil allows for rare and diverse plant species to

grow(Boyd, 6). New Jersey’s forests are composed of maple, beech, and birch trees,

which are expected to shift northward as NJ’s climate becomes more southern like and

will lean towards oak and hickory trees(Leta Liou, 32). Just as the southern range of the

blueberries is shifting northward, the same situation is happening to the unique tree

species of southern New Jersey(Leta Liou, 32). THis does not only affect the plant

species, if they continue to move northward the animals and insects that depend on

these species will also shift. From the 1950s to the 2000s, over one thousand and

seven hundred species of animals, plants, and insects have shifted more towards the

earth’s poles, at a rate of about four miles per decade(Leta Liou, 32). By 2100, suitable

habitats for these tree species are expected to move five hundred miles northward(A

Summary of Climate Change). Global climate change is going to continue to increase

over the next century unless something changes. If not, these species will continue to

shift poleward. Invasive species are moving towards New Jersey as native species

move out(A Summary of Climate Change).

In 2001 the NJ Parks and Forestry discovered an infestation of the Southern

Pine Beetle. This was the first infestation seen in over sixty years. The first sign of a

Pine Beetle outbreak are pitch tubes on the bark(New Jersey Fact Sheet, 1). These
tubes are caused by the beetles laying their eggs, the tree emits a natural resin called

pitch to fill the hole the beetle made to lay their eggs(New Jersey Fact Sheet, 1). The

needles of the trees also turn from green to brown in a short period of time. There can

be exit holes in the bottom of the tree from the beetles leaving the tree(New Jersey Fact

Sheet, 1). The Southern Pine Beetles use a chemical signal trail to attract other beetles

to the trees, quickly spreading the infestation. Once they attack the tree, the beetles lay

eggs inside of it, killing the tree within a few months(Leta Liou, 32). Between the

infestation in 2001 to 2003, over two hundred thousand acres of trees were

infected(New Jersey Fact Sheet, 1). The Southern Pine Beetles are expected to move

northward as the climate continues to warm, and cause a larger infestation throughout

the Pine Barrens(Leta Liou, 32). NJ forests have been affected in other ways by climate

change.. There are “ghost forests” in the Delaware Bay shore, forests in which the trees

have died along the edge of the Bay because of the saltwater intrusion caused by the

frequent flooding and sea level rise. The trees can not handle all the salt that they were

not previously exposed to and die off(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore).

New Jersey is known for it’s beautiful beaches and shore towns. As the shoreline

continues to change and storm surges increase, barrier islands will disappear and the

quality of the beaches will degrade. New Jersey, being a popular vacation spot across

the country, has a sixteen billion dollar tourism industry(Leta Liou, 15). One of the most

familiar tourist locations is the Wildwood boardwalk. Unfortunately, the boardwalk is at a

very low elevation and the rising sea will do major harm to the area. As stated above,

the NJ flood mapper shows that between 2100 to 2200 there is a ninety percent chance

that a five feet sea level rise will occur. With that five feet rise, the boardwalk as well as
the entire coast of New Jersey. The map shows Long Beach Island completely

underwater at that sea level rise. During Hurricane Sandy, Wildwood was flooded out,

and if a category two hurricane were to hit the Jersey coast, Wildwood boardwalk would

experience six to nine feet of water. The storm surge that the New Jersey coast has

been experiencing just from Nor’easters is eroding the beaches away. The sixteen

billion dollar tourism industry is going to directly affected by this, as the quality of the

beaches decreases, less tourists will come to the Jersey shore.

Climate disruption is going to impact every aspect of NJ. By starting now,

changes made will hopefully slow this impact and save the beautiful state of New

Jersey. Researchers have made excellent progress in creating different web mapping

tools so that state and local officials can see the effects of sea level rise on the

communities that reside there as well as the marsh and other ecosystems there. People

need to be aware of these issues and how it is going to affect their daily lives. Officials

need to begin now to create new regulations for infrastructure so that the communities

will be adequately prepared in the future. New regulations can also be put into place for

fishing and hunting, to incorporate the climate change with the population's

changing(Climate Change and the Jersey Shore). This is not an issue that only affects

certain people, it will affect everyone in NJ. This includes farmers and agricultural

workers, coastal communities, forests, marsh, and tourism throughout the state.

Reducing emissions today can help reduce the effects of climate change on New

Jersey, especially sea level rise. We are going to have to work together to change our

way of life on the coastline, this problem is not going to solve itself.
Citations

Boyd, Howard. A Field Guide to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Plexus, 1991.

Burger, J., O’Neill, K.M., Handel, S.N., Hensoldt, B., & Ford, G. 2017. The Shore is Wider Than
the Beach: Ecological Planning Solutions to Sea Level Rise for the Jersey Shore, USA.
Landscape and Urban Planning 57: 512-522

Cooper, M. J., P., Beevers, M. D., & Oppenheimer, M. 2008. The Potential Impacts of Sea Level
Rise on the Coastal Region of New Jersey, USA. Climatic Change 90(4): 475-492

Leta Liou, Suzanne. 2007. An Unfamiliar State: Local Impacts of Global Warming in New
Jersey: 1-40

New Jersey Audubon Society. New Jersey Fact Sheet: Southern Pine Beetle. 1-2

NJADAPT. Climate Change and the Jersey Shore: Impacts on Coastal Communities,
Ecosystems, and Economies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7YJgsliy1g

NJADAPT. New Jersey’s Changing Shoreline. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAsejxpl1XQ

NJADAPT. Sea Level Rise and the Salt Marshes of New Jersey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4d5jsVFDu8&feature=youtu.be

NJ Climate Adaptation Alliance. 2014. A Summary of Climate Change Impacts and

Preparedness Opportunities for the Agricultural Sector in New Jersey: 1-11

P.C. Frumhoff, J.J. McCarthy, J.M. Melillo, S.C. Moser, & D.J. Wuebbles. 2007. Confronting
Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast: 1-6

U.S. Global Change Research Program. 2016. What Climate Change Means for New Jersey:
1-2