Predicting changes in molluscan spatial distributions in mangrove forests in response to sea level rise

Mollusks are an important component of the mangrove ecosystem, and the vertical distributions of molluscan species in this ecosystem are primarily dictated by tidal inundation. Thus, sea level rise (SLR) may have profound effects on mangrove mollusk communities. Here, we used dynamic empirical models, based on measurements of surface elevation change, sediment accretion, and molluscan zonation patterns, to predict changes in molluscan spatial distributions in response to different sea level rise rates in the mangrove forests of Zhenzhu Bay (Guangxi, China). The change in surface elevation was 4.76–9.61 mm year⁻¹ during the study period (2016–2020), and the magnitude of surface‐elevation change decreased exponentially as original surface elevation increased. Based on our model results, we predicted that mangrove mollusks might successfully adapt to a low rate of SLR (2.00–4.57 mm year⁻¹) by 2100, with mollusks moving seaward and those in the lower intertidal zones expanding into newly available zones. However, as SLR rate increased (4.57–8.14 mm year⁻¹), our models predicted that surface elevations would decrease beginning in the high intertidal zones and gradually spread to the low intertidal zones. Finally, at high rates of SLR (8.14–16.00 mm year⁻¹), surface elevations were predicted to decrease across the elevation gradient, with mollusks moving landward and species in higher intertidal zones blocked by landward barriers. Tidal inundation and the consequent increases in interspecific competition and predation pressure were predicted to threaten the survival of many molluscan groups in higher intertidal zones, especially arboreal and infaunal mollusks at the landward edge of the mangroves, resulting in a substantial reduction in the abundance of original species on the landward edge. Thus, future efforts to conserve mangrove floral and faunal diversity should prioritize species restricted to landward mangrove areas and protect potential species habitats.