Role of Spartina alterniflora on sediment dynamics of coastal salt marshes-case study from central Jiangsu and middle Fujian coasts |
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| Authors: | Aijun WANG Yaping WANG Jian CHEN |
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| Institution: | (1) Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China;(2) Open Lab of Ocean and Coast Environmental Geology, Third Institute of Oceanography, SOA, Xiamen, 361005, China |
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| Abstract: | Coastal salt marshes represent an important coastal wetland system. In order to protect coastlines from erosion and rapid
increase in accumulation rate, Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) was introduced into the Chinese coast. Two study areas (Wanggang and Quanzhou Bay) were selected that represent the plain
type and embayment type of the coastal salt marshes. In situ measurements show that the tidal current velocities are stronger
on the intertidal mudflat without S. alterniflora than that with S. alterniflora, and the velocity above the canopy surface is larger than that in the salt marsh canopy. The existence of S. alterniflora also influences the velocity structure above the bare flat during ebb tide. With the decrease in current flow velocity when
seawater enters into the S. alterniflora marsh, suspended sediments are largely entrapped on the marsh surface, leading to increase in sedimentation rates and change
in physical evolution processes of the coastal salt marshes. The highly developed root systemof S. alterniflora induces sediment mixing and exchange between subsurface sediment strata and affects the vertical sediment distribution remarkably.
The sedimentation rate of S. alterniflora marsh at the Wanggang area is much higher than the relative sea level rise rate, where rapid progradation of theWanggang
saltmarshes that is protecting the coast from sea erosion is observed. |
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| Keywords: | Spartina alterniflora coastal salt marshes sediment dynamics current flow velocity sedimentation rate |
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