Tidal Creek Morphology and Sediment Type Influence Spatial Trends in Salt Marsh Vegetation

Zonal patterns of salt marsh plants and physical conditions have been addressed primarily across the elevation gradient from inland to coastline rather than across tidal creeks in relation to their hydro-geomorphic processes such as bar formation and bank erosion. We found at a Danish marsh that by shaping major geomorphic features and providing sediments to the adjacent sites, fluvial-geomorphic processes of tidal creeks exert fundamental controls on the cross-channel distribution of abiotic and biotic factors. These results point to a need for biogeomorphic and landscape ecological perspectives to fully understand the underlying structure and geographic variability in salt marshes.