Effects of sediment disturbance regimes on<i>Spartina</i>seedling establishment: Implications for salt marsh creation and restoration

Cao, Hong‐Lin; Zhu, Zhenchang; Balke, Thorsten; Zhang, Liquan; Bouma, Tjeerd J.

doi:10.1002/lno.10657

Cited by 98 publications

(172 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…This has important implications for marsh formation. These areas could potentially be a starting point where pioneer marsh species can find their window of opportunity (Cao et al, 2017;De Haas et al, 2018). This was recently also concluded in a numerical modelling study of estuaries with mud and vegetation (Lokhorst et al, 2018).…”

Section: Implications For Understanding Natural Systemsmentioning

confidence: 71%

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Effects of estuarine mudflat formation on tidal prism and large‐scale morphology in experiments

Braat

Leuven

Lokhorst

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Human interference in estuaries has led to increasing problems of mud, such as hyper‐turbidity with adverse ecological effects and siltation of navigation channels and harbours. To deal with this mud sustainably, it is important to understand its long‐term effects on the morphology and dynamics of estuaries. The aim of this study is to understand how mud affects the morphological evolution of estuaries. We focus on the effects of fluvial mud supply on the spatial distribution of mudflats and on how this influences estuary width, depth, surface area and dynamics over time. Three physical experiments with self‐forming channels and shoals were conducted in a new flume type suitable for tidal experiments: the Metronome. In two of the experiments, we added nutshell grains as mud simulant, which is transported in suspension. Time‐lapse images of every tidal cycle and digital elevation models for every 500 cycles were analysed for the three experiments. Mud settles in distinct locations, forming mudflats on bars and sides of the estuary, where the bed elevation is higher. Two important effects of mud were observed: the first is the slight cohesiveness of mud that causes stability on bars limiting vertical erosion, although the bank erosion rate by migrating channels is unaffected. Secondly, mud fills inactive areas and deposits at higher elevations up to the high‐water level and therefore decreases the tidal prism. These combined effects cause a decrease in dynamics in the estuary and lead to near‐equilibrium planforms that are smaller in volume and especially narrower upstream, with increased bar heights and no channel deepening. This trend is in contrast to channel deepening in rivers by muddier floodplain formation. These results imply large consequences for long‐term morphodynamics in estuaries that become muddier due to management practices, which deteriorate ecological quality of intertidal habitats but may create potential area for marshes. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Section: Implications For Understanding Natural Systemsmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…These areas could potentially be a starting point where pioneer marsh species can find their window of opportunity (Cao et al. ; De Haas et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of estuarine mudflat formation on tidal prism and large‐scale morphology in experiments

Braat

Leuven

Lokhorst

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…Notwithstanding longer‐term controls on decadal marsh edge position changes, daily bed level change, driven by the combination of a number of ecological and physical processes (Corenblit et al, ; Deegan et al, ; Friedrichs, ; Green & Coco, ; Mariotti & Fagherazzi, ), has been showed to determine the elevation in the tidal prism where seedlings of salt marsh pioneer species can establish seasonally (Bouma et al, ; Cao et al, ; Silinski et al, ). Moreover, bed level change at the tidal flat adjacent to a stable marsh platform has also been identified as a process driving cliff initiation (Bouma et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying Bed Level Change at the Transition of Tidal Flat and Salt Marsh: Can We Understand the Lateral Location of the Marsh Edge?

et al. 2018

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Bed level dynamics at the interface of the salt marsh and tidal flat have been highlighted as a key factor connecting the long‐term biogeomorphological development of the marsh to large‐scale physical forcing. Hence, we aim to obtain insight into the factors confining the location of the marsh edge (i.e., boundary between tidal flat and salt marsh). A unique data set was collected, containing measurements of daily bed level changes (i.e., integrative result of physical forcing and sediment properties) at six intertidal transects in the North Sea area. Moreover, various biophysical parameters were measured, such as sediment characteristics, waves, inundation time, and chlorophyll‐a levels. The data show that both bed level change and waves decreased from the lower intertidal flat toward the marsh edge and further diminished inside the marsh. However, no direct general relation was found between waves and bed level change. Bed level change inside the marsh was always small, regardless of wave energy. By combining the data sets, we demonstrate that the location of the lower marsh edge is restricted by two interacting factors: inundation time and bed level change. For vegetation establishment to withstand longer inundation stress, which slows down plant growth, more stable bed levels are required so that plants are not heavily disturbed. Conversely, to withstand more dynamic bed levels that disturbs plant growth, lower inundation stress is needed, so that plants grow fast enough to recover from the stress. The results suggest that bed level change is important in determining the position of the marsh edge.

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“…Moreover, ecosystem establishment depends on stable substrates (e.g. Brinkman et al ., ; Hu et al ., ; Cao et al ., ) or sufficient water clarity (e.g. Newell and Koch, ; van der Heide et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estuarine biofilm patterns: Modern analogues for Precambrian self‐organization

Vijsel

Belzen

Bouma

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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This field and laboratory study examines whether regularly patterned biofilms on present‐day intertidal flats are equivalent to microbially induced bedforms found in geological records dating back to the onset of life on Earth. Algal mats of filamentous Vaucheria species, functionally similar to microbial biofilms, cover the topographic highs of regularly spaced ridge–runnel bedforms. As regular patterning is typically associated with self‐organization processes, indicators of self‐organization are tested and found to support this hypothesis. The measurements suggest that biofilm‐induced sediment trapping and biostabilization enhance bedform relief, strength and multi‐year persistence. This demonstrates the importance of primitive organisms for sedimentary landscape development. Algal‐covered ridges consist of wavy‐crinkly laminated sedimentary deposits that resemble the layered structure of fossil stromatolites and microbially induced sedimentary structures. In addition to layering, both the morphological pattern and the suggested formation mechanism of the recent bedforms are strikingly similar to microbialite strata found in rock records from the Precambrian onwards. This implies that self‐organization was an important morphological process in times when biofilms were the predominant sessile ecosystem. These findings furthermore emphasize that self‐organization dynamics, such as critical transitions invoking ecosystem emergence or collapse, might have been captured in fossil microbialites, influencing their laminae. This notion may be important for paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on such strata. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Effects of sediment disturbance regimes onSpartinaseedling establishment: Implications for salt marsh creation and restoration

Cited by 98 publications

References 58 publications

Effects of estuarine mudflat formation on tidal prism and large‐scale morphology in experiments

Effects of estuarine mudflat formation on tidal prism and large‐scale morphology in experiments

Quantifying Bed Level Change at the Transition of Tidal Flat and Salt Marsh: Can We Understand the Lateral Location of the Marsh Edge?

Estuarine biofilm patterns: Modern analogues for Precambrian self‐organization

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