A comparison of 28 natural and dredged material salt marshes in Texas with an emphasis on geomorphological variables

Published source details Shafer D.J. & Streever W.J. (2000) A comparison of 28 natural and dredged material salt marshes in Texas with an emphasis on geomorphological variables. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 8, 353-366.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Deposit soil/sediment and introduce vegetation: brackish/salt marshes Action Link

Deposit soil/sediment and introduce vegetation: brackish/salt marshes

A replicated, paired, site comparison study in 1995–1998 of 20 coastal salt marshes in Texas, USA (Shafer & Streever 2000) found that marshes created by depositing sediment and planting smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora had similar vegetation coverage to natural marshes after 2–23 years, and also had similar amounts of edge habitat. Created and natural marshes had statistically similar coverage of marsh vegetation (measured as the ratio of open water to vegetation; created: 0–0.7 for 9 of 10 marshes, 3.5 in the other; natural: 0–0.3). Created and natural marshes also had a statistically similar proportion of edge habitat (i.e. where marsh vegetation meets open water, measured as an edge-to-area ratio; created: 123–1,805 m/ha; natural: 239–1,134 m/ha). Methods: Vegetation patches were mapped on 10 pairs of salt marshes, using aerial photographs taken in 1995 or 1998. Each pair contained a created marsh (formed by depositing dredged sediment then planting smooth cordgrass) and a nearby natural marsh (with vegetation composition and exposure as similar as possible to the created marsh). Created marshes were 2–23 years old when photographed. Some sites from this study were also included in (3) and (5).

(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)