Interactive effects of vegetation and sediment properties on erosion of salt marshes in the Northern Adriatic Sea

• Published in: Marine environmental research Vol. 131; pp. 32 - 42
• Main Authors: Lo, V.B., Bouma, T.J., van Belzen, J., Van Colen, C., Airoldi, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2017; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Aquatic Organisms; Aquatic plants; Coastal defence; Coastal ecosystem services; Coastal protection; Coastal zone management; Ecosystem services; Effects; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental protection; Erosion; Erosion control; Erosion resistance; Eutrophication; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Geological Phenomena; Mineral nutrients; Nutrient concentrations; Nutrient status; Nutrients; Oceans; Oceans and Seas; Photogrammetry; Plants; Ratios; Salt marshes; Saltmarsh; Saltmarshes; Sandy soils; Sediment; Sediments; Silt; Silty soils; Soil; Soil erosion; Soil properties; Spartina; Spartina spp; Vegetation; Wave mesocosm; Wetlands; Adriatic Sea; Coastal protection; Wave mesocosm; Coastal defence; Spartina spp; Erosion; Saltmarsh; Eutrophication; Coastal ecosystem services
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.09.006

We investigated how lateral erosion control, measured by novel photogrammetry techniques, is modified by the presence of Spartina spp. vegetation, sediment grain size, and the nutrient status of salt marshes across 230 km of the Italian Northern Adriatic coastline. Spartina spp. vegetation reduced erosion across our study sites. The effect was more pronounced in sandy soils, where erosion was reduced by 80% compared to 17% in silty soils. Erosion resistance was also enhanced by Spartina spp. root biomass. In the absence of vegetation, erosion resistance was enhanced by silt content, with mean erosion 72% lower in silty vs. sandy soils. We found no relevant relationships with nutrient status, likely due to overall high nutrient concentrations and low C:N ratios across all sites. Our results contribute to quantifying coastal protection ecosystem services provided by salt marshes in both sandy and silty sediments. •Spartina spp. significantly reduced lateral erosion.•The effect is more pronounced in sandy sediments.•The effect is positively related to below-ground biomass.•In the absence of vegetation, erosion resistance is enhanced by silt content.