A Synthesis of Research and Practice on Restoring Tides to Salt Marshes

摘要: The structure and ecological function of salt marshes are defined by many interacting factors, including salinity, substrate, nutrient oxygen availability, sediment supply, climate, but hydrology (the frequency duration tidal flooding) is a dominating factor (e.g., Chapman 1960; Ranwell 1972; Daiber 1986). When flow restricted there can be dramatic changes to physical biological processes that affect vegetation patterns, fish avian communities, biogeochemical cycling, among others. Throughout the developed coastal zone, roads railroads cross often have inadequately sized bridges culverts restrict tides (fig. 1.1). Tide gates also common feature, eliminating or dramatically restricting flood from entering allowing for some drainage on ebb tide. Other tide-restricting practices been ongoing centuries include impoundments wildlife management purposes (Montague et al. 1987) diking draining facilitate grazing agriculture (Daiber 1986; Doody 2008). Diking particularly extensive in Atlantic Canada (Ganong 1903), Europe (Davy 2009), United States Delaware Bay, Sebold 1992; San Francisco Nichols