Development of a New England Salt Marsh

Abstract

The salt marsh at Barnstable, Massachusetts, occupies an embayment into which it has spread during the past 4,000 years. It exhibits all stages of development from the seeding of bare sand flats through the development of intertidal marsh to the formation of mature high marsh underlain by peat deposits more than 20 ft deep. Observations and measurements of the stages of its formation are presented. The geomorphology of the marsh is considered in relation to the factors which have influenced its development, i.e., the ability of halophytes to grow at limited tide levels, the tidal regime, the processes of sedimentation, and the contemporary rise in sea level. The rates at which the early stage of development takes place have been determined by observations during a period of 12 years and the time sequence of later stages by radiocarbon analyses.

Quantifying the Contribution of Sediment Compaction to late Holocene Salt-Marsh Sea-Level Reconstructions, North Carolina, USA

“…They are also different in comparison to New England salt marshes that have a cooler prevailing climate, different coastal geomorphology and Quaternary geological history, but are dominated by many of the same (C 3 ) plant species (Redfield, 1972). In regions south of North Carolina (such as northern Florida), tidal marshes may also be dominated by Cladium jamaicense and experience sub-tropical climates (Stuckey and Gould, 2000).…”

The significance and vulnerability of Australian saltmarshes: implications for management in a changing climate

“…While wetland hydrology and soil characteristics influence saltmarsh elevations, accretion of mineralogic and organic material is the dominant process of saltmarsh building in Australia Rogers et al 2006), which contrasts with peat-dominated settings in the northern hemisphere (McKee 2011;McKee et al 2007;Nyman et al 2006;Redfield 1972). Analysis of the SET record from southeastern Australia between 2000 and 2010 (Rogers and Saintilan 2011) indicates that saltmarshes (and mangroves) exhibiting a greater relative elevation gain also exhibited a greater contribution of accretion to elevation gain ( Figure 1); hence sediment supply and accretion may be essential for the long-term maintenance of saltmarsh in southeastern Australia.…”

Biological Erosion of Marine Habitats and Structures by Burrowing Crustaceans

“…As the infested banks become more perforated by additional recruitment of isopods and as the interior of the preexisting burrows are continuously washed away, the marsh bank is weakened and experiences more lateral erosion and undercutting. Eventually, the bank collapses when the undercut portion succumbs to gravity (Redfield 1972, Gabet 1998 leading to the characteristic slumped and calved sections of marsh present in many sites infested by S. quoianum (Carlton 1979, Talley et al 2001.…”

“…Abiotic processes are typically regarded as primary drivers of erosion in many systems (Grant 1983, Butler 1995, Widdows and Brinsely 2002. Rainfall (Pilditch et al 2008), sediment characteristics (water, organic and sand content; Meadows andTait 1989, Feagin et al 2009), water velocity (Sgro et al 2005), and size and direction of tidal prism (Redfield 1972), all strongly influence the rate of erosion. Biotic agents, however, can also substantially influence erosion rates, particularly burrowers/bioturbators, consumers, or biostabilizers (Belanger and Bedard 1994, Butler 1995, Widdows et al 2000, Paramor and Hughes 2004, Jefferies et al 2006, Escapa et al 2007).…”