Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Geomorphic Impact Of Mangrove Encroachment In An Australian Salt Marsh, Daniel J. Coleman, Kerrylee Rogers, D. Reide Corbett, Christopher J. Owers, Matthew L. Kirwan

VIMS Articles

Mangroves are encroaching into salt marshes throughout the world as a result of environmental change. Previous studies suggest mangroves trap sediment more efficiently than adjacent salt marshes, providing mangroves greater capacity to adapt to sea level rise; this may occur by displacing salt marshes. However, sediment transport in adjacent marsh-mangrove systems and its role in mangrove encroachment upon salt marsh remain poorly understood. Here we directly test the hypothesis that mangroves reduce the ability of adjacent marsh to adjust to sea level rise by measuring sediment transport across salt marsh platforms, with and without 6 m of fringing mangroves at …