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understanding benthic, pelagic and air-borne ecosystem interactions in shallow coastal seas

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Wave attenuation by two contrasting ecosystem engineering salt marsh macrophytes in the intertidal pioneer zone
Ysebaert, T.; Yang, S.; Zhang, L.; He, Q.; Bouma, T.J.; Herman, P.M.J. (2011). Wave attenuation by two contrasting ecosystem engineering salt marsh macrophytes in the intertidal pioneer zone. Wetlands 31(6): 1043-1054. dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0240-1
In: Wetlands. Official Scholarly Journal of the Society of Wetland Scientists. Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS)/Springer: Wilmington. ISSN 0277-5212; e-ISSN 1943-6246
Peer reviewed article  

Beschikbaar in  Auteurs 

Trefwoorden
    Scirpus mariqueter; Spartina alterniflora Loisel. [WoRMS]
    Marien/Kust
Author keywords
    Coastal protection; Scirpus mariqueter ; Spartina alterniflora ; Tidal wetlands; Yangtze estuary

Project Top | Auteurs 
  • Innovative coastal technologies for safer European coasts in a changing climate

Auteurs  Top 
  • Ysebaert, T.
  • Yang, S.
  • Zhang, L.
  • He, Q.
  • Bouma, T.J.
  • Herman, P.M.J.

Abstract
    Tidal wetlands play an important role in dissipating hydrodynamic energy. Wave attenuation in vegetation depends on plant characteristics, as well as on hydrodynamic conditions. In the pioneer zone of salt marshes, species co-occur that differ widely in their growth strategies, and it is anticipated that these species act differently on incoming waves. In this field study we investigated, under different hydrodynamic forcing and tidal inundation levels, the wave attenuating capacity of two contrasting pioneer salt marsh species that co-occur in the Yangtze estuary, China. Our study shows that vegetation can reduce wave heights up to 80% over a relatively short distance (<50 m). Our results further indicate that Spartina alterniflora is able to reduce hydrodynamic energy from waves to a larger extent than Scirpus mariqueter, and therefore has a larger ecosystem engineering capacity (2.5× higher on average). A higher standing biomass of S. alterniflora explained its higher wave attenuation at low water depths. Being much taller compared to S. mariqueter, S. alterniflora also attenuated waves more with increasing water depth. We conclude that knowledge about the engineering properties of salt marsh species is important to better understand wave attenuation by tidal wetlands and their possible role in coastal protection.

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Westbanks is a project Supported by the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO): SSD Science for sustainable Development
General coordination: Magda Vincx & Jan Vanaverbeke
Hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ