Salt Marshes
Function, Dynamics, and Stresses

A multidisciplinary review of salt marshes, describing how they function and respond to external pressures such as sea-level rise.

Duncan M. FitzGerald (Edited by), Zoe J. Hughes (Edited by)

9781107186286, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 April 2021

494 pages
25 x 17.5 x 2.8 cm, 1.16 kg

'The numerous contributing authors provide important insights that would be useful for decision-making needed by towns and cities facing changes in their shorelines … Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.' F. W. Yow, Choice

Salt marshes are highly dynamic and important ecosystems that dampen impacts of coastal storms and are an integral part of tidal wetland systems, which sequester half of all global marine carbon. They are now being threatened due to sea-level rise, decreased sediment influx, and human encroachment. This book provides a comprehensive review of the latest salt marsh science, investigating their functions and how they are responding to stresses through formation of salt pannes and pools, headward erosion of tidal creeks, marsh-edge erosion, ice-fracturing, and ice-rafted sedimentation. Written by experts in marsh ecology, coastal geomorphology, wetland biology, estuarine hydrodynamics, and coastal sedimentation, it provides a multidisciplinary summary of recent advancements in our knowledge of salt marshes. The future of wetlands and potential deterioration of salt marshes is also considered, providing a go-to reference for graduate students and researchers studying these coastal systems, as well as marsh managers and restoration scientists.

1. Introduction Duncan M. FitzGerald and Zoe J. Hughes
Part I: Marsh Function
2. Salt Marsh Distribution, Vegetation and Evolution Daniel F. Belknap and Joseph T. Kelley
3. Salt marsh Formation Antonio B. Rodriguez and Brent A. McKee
4. Salt Marsh Hydrodynamics Andrea D'Alpaos, Alvise Finotello, Guillaume C.H. Goodwin, Simon M. Mudd
5. Community Ecology of Salt Marshes Steven C. Pennings and Qiang He
6. The Role of Marshes in Coastal Nutrient Dynamics and Loss Anne E. Giblin, Robinson W. Fulweiler and Charles S. Hopkinson
6. The Role of Marshes in Coastal Nutrient Dynamics and Loss
Part II: Marsh Dynamics
7. Marsh Equilibrium Theory: Implications for Responses to Rising Sea Level James T Morris, Donald R. Cahoon, John C. Callaway, Christopher Craft, Scott C. Neubauer, and Nathaniel B. Weston
8. Saltmarsh Ecogeomorphic Processes and Dynamics Carol A. Wilson, Gerardo M. E. Perillo, and Zoe J. Hughes
9. Salt-Marsh Sediments As Recorders of Holocene Relative Sea-Level Change W. Roland Gehrels and Andrew C. Kemp
10. Storm Processes and Salt Marsh Dynamics Katherine A. Castagno, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Jonathan D. Woodruff
11. Understanding Marsh Dynamics: Modeling Approaches Sergio Fagherazzi, William Kearney, Giulio Mariotti, Nicoletta Leonardi and William Nardin
12. Understanding Marsh Dynamics: Laboratory Approaches Charlie E. L. Thompson, Sarah Farron, James Tempest, Iris Möller, Martin Solan, Jasmin Godbold
Part III: Marsh Response to Stress
13. Climatic Impacts on Salt Marsh Vegetation Katrina L. Poppe and John M. Rybczyk
14. Impacts of Exotic and Native Species Invading Tidal Marshes David M. Burdick, Gregg E. Moore and Katharyn E. Boyer
15. Marsh Edge Erosion Michele Bendoni, Ioannis Y Georgiou. and Alyssa B. Novak
16. Upland Migration of North American Salt Marshes Dante D. Torio and Gail L. Chmura
17. Restoration of Tidal Marshes John Day, David M. Burdick, Carles Ibáñez, William J. Mitsch, Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Sofia Rivaes
18. Impacts of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Zoe J. Hughes, Duncan M. FitzGerald, and Carol A. Wilson.

Subject Areas: Climate change [RNPG], Conservation of the environment [RNK], Environmental management [RNF], Deltas, estuaries, coastal regions [RGBP], Wetlands, swamps, fens [RGBF], Oceanography [seas RBKC], Geochemistry [RBGK], Geological surface processes [geomorphology RBGD], Soil science, sedimentology [RBGB], Ecological science, the Biosphere [PSAF]