Beneficial use of dredged sediment to enhance salt marsh development by applying a ‘Mud Motor’

Baptist, M.J.; Gerkema, Theo; Prooijen, Bram C. van; Maren, D.S. van; Regteren, M. van; Schulz, Kirstin; Colosimo, I.; Vroom, J.; Kessel, Thijs van; Grasmeijer, B.T.; Willemsen, Pim Wilhelmus Johannes Maria; Elschot, Kelly; Groot, A.V. de; Cleveringa, J.; Eekelen, E.M.M. van; Schuurman, F.; Lange, H.J. de; Puijenbroek, M.E.B. van

doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2018.11.019

Cited by 63 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Salt marshes are excellent examples of nature‐based coastal defense (Temmerman et al, ), and their development can be actively promoted (Baptist, Gerkema, et al, ). We showed that seed availability can form a threshold for pioneer vegetation establishment, even with a source population in proximity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The objective of this study is to examine whether seed availability can form a threshold for vegetation establishment in the transition zone even with a source population in proximity. These issues were addressed in a Wadden Sea salt marsh which has been naturally accreting and expanding the past three decades (Baptist, Vroom, et al, ). Three frequently occurring species with discriminant seed size and growing seasons were used to account for variable life histories.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Limited seed retention during winter inhibits vegetation establishment in spring, affecting lateral marsh expansion capacity

Regteren

Colosimo

Vries

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Coastal systems worldwide deliver vital ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection. Effectivity of these ecosystem services increases when vegetation is present. Understanding the mechanisms behind vegetation establishment in bio‐geomorphic systems is necessary to understand their ability to recover after erosive events and potential adaptations to climate change. In this study, we examined how seed availability affects vegetation establishment in the salt marsh–intertidal flat transition zone: the area with capacity for lateral marsh expansion. This requires vegetation establishment; therefore, seed availability is essential. In a 6‐month field experiment, we simulated a before and after winter seed dispersal at two locations, the salt‐marsh vegetation edge and the intertidal flat, and studied seed retention, the seed bank, and the seed viability of three pioneer marsh species: Salicornia procumbens, Aster tripolium, and Spartina anglica. During winter storm conditions, all supplied seeds eroded away with the sediment surface layer. After winter, supplied seeds from all three species were retained, mostly at the surface while 9% was bioturbated downwards. In the natural seed bank, A. tripolium and S. anglica were practically absent while S. procumbens occurred more frequently. The viability of S. procumbens seeds was highest at the surface, between 80% and 90%. The viability quickly decreased with depth, although viable S. procumbens seeds occurred up to 15 cm depth. Only when seeds were supplied after winter, many S. procumbens and some S. anglica individuals did establish successfully in the transition zone. Viable seed availability formed a vegetation establishment threshold, even with a local seed source. Our results suggest that, although boundary conditions such as elevation, inundation, and weather conditions were appropriate for vegetation establishment in spring, the soil surface in winter can be so dynamic that it limits lateral marsh expansion. These insights can be used for designing effective nature‐based coastal protection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limited seed retention during winter inhibits vegetation establishment in spring, affecting lateral marsh expansion capacity

Regteren

Colosimo

Vries

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The past two decades, the marsh has been expanding step-wise laterally onto the tidal flats as well as along the dike (Baptist et al 2019b). Stable periods alternated with periods of expansion, while the marsh steadily accreted vertically (Baptist et al 2019a). The experiment was executed in the south west area of the Westhoek marsh, where vegetation has developed in a narrow stretch along the dike but has not expanded seawards since 2015 (Baptist et al 2019b).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Environmental Variables Affect Germination and Mortality of an Annual Salt Marsh Pioneer: Salicornia procumbens

Regteren

Meesters

Baptist

et al. 2020

Estuaries and Coasts

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Salt marshes, providing numerous ecosystem services, are degrading worldwide. To effectively aid conservation and restoration efforts, increased knowledge on marsh expansion processes and the initial establishment of pioneer vegetation is essential. In this study, we disentangle environmental drivers that affect the lifecycle of the annual pioneer Salicornia procumbens at the salt marsh edge. We studied the effect of various environmental variables on the start of germination, germination success and mortality before seed-set in a field experiment in the Dutch Wadden Sea at Westhoek. Our results indicate that temperature and sedimentation inhibited the initiation of germination. Once germination occurred, higher precipitation rates increased germination success. In contrast, sedimentation rates above 0.5 mm day −1 halved germination success through burial of freshly sprouted seedlings. Unexpectedly, natural germination was low, indicating that seed availability may have been limited, despite a seed source nearby. Frequent inundation, extended periods without inundation (through desiccation of the soil) and a highly dynamic bed level increased mortality before seed-set. Consequently, bed-level dynamics (erosion, sedimentation and bed-level variation) impact seed production dually (decrease germination and increase mortality) and thus potentially reproduction success. A high seed reproduction is crucial for annuals, such as S. procumbens, to re-establish the following year. Next to advancing our general knowledge of natural salt marsh expansion, results in this study can also be used to assess the potential of a given site for salt marsh stimulation or restoration. Seed availability and local bedlevel dynamics are key in the successful establishment of a salt marsh pioneer: Salicornia procumbens.

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“…Human actions like damming rivers, dredging, or building coastal infrastructure can similarly result in a lower supply [21,38], and thereby necessitate more dike reinforcement. On the flipside, adding sediment through suppletions can also be a viable addition to flood adaptation strategies [40,41]. The suppleted sediment has to accumulate on the marsh for longer time-scales and not degrade other areas of the system [40,78].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the light of historic marsh losses, preserving or restoring marsh habitat for coastal protection has become increasingly important. Measures have been employed to restore marsh land like, e.g., de-poldering of agricultural land [39], applying sediment onto or near tidal flats [40,41], and promoting sedimentation with groynes or dams [42]. While these interventions aim to restore and/or preserve marsh habitat, these projects can also aid in flood protection.…”

Section: Marsh Development and Human Influencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Sensitivity of a Dike-Marsh System to Sea-Level Rise—A Model-Based Exploration

Marijnissen

Kok

Kroeze

et al. 2020

JMSE

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Integrating natural components in flood defence infrastructure can add resilience to sea-level rise. Natural foreshores can keep pace with sea-level rise by accumulating sediment and attenuate waves before reaching the adjacent flood defences. In this study we address how natural foreshores affect the future need for dike heightening. A simplified model of vertical marsh accretion was combined with a wave model and a probabilistic evaluation of dike failure by overtopping. The sensitivity of a marsh-dike system was evaluated in relation to a combination of processes: (1) sea-level rise, (2) changes in sediment concentration, (3) a retreat of the marsh edge, and (4) compaction of the marsh. Results indicate that foreshore processes considerably affect the need for dike heightening in the future. At a low sea-level rise rate, the marshes can accrete such that dike heightening is partially mitigated. But with sea-level rise accelerating, a threshold is reached where dike heightening needs to compensate for the loss of marshes, and for increasing water levels. The level of the threshold depends mostly on the delivery of sediment and degree of compaction on the marsh; with sufficient width of the marsh, lateral erosion only has a minor effect. The study shows how processes and practices that hamper or enhance marsh development today exacerbate or alleviate the challenge of flood protection posed by accelerated sea-level rise.

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Beneficial use of dredged sediment to enhance salt marsh development by applying a ‘Mud Motor’

Cited by 63 publications

References 35 publications

Limited seed retention during winter inhibits vegetation establishment in spring, affecting lateral marsh expansion capacity

Limited seed retention during winter inhibits vegetation establishment in spring, affecting lateral marsh expansion capacity

Multiple Environmental Variables Affect Germination and Mortality of an Annual Salt Marsh Pioneer: Salicornia procumbens

The Sensitivity of a Dike-Marsh System to Sea-Level Rise—A Model-Based Exploration

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