Patterns of Fish Use and Piscivore Abundance within a Reconnected Saltmarsh Impoundment in the Northern Indian River Lagoon, Florida

Nearly all saltmarshes in east-central, Florida were impounded for mosquito control during the 1960s. The majority of these marshes have since been reconnected to the estuary by culverts, providing an opportunity to effectively measure exchange of aquatic organisms. A multi-gear approach was used monthly to simultaneously estimate fish standing stock (cast net), fish exchange with the estuary (culvert traps), and piscivore abundance (gill nets and bird counts) to document patterns of fish use in a reconnected saltmarsh impoundment. Changes in saltmarsh fish abundance, and exchange of fish with the estuary reflected the seasonal pattern of marsh flooding in the northern Indian River Lagoon system. During a 6-month period of marsh flooding, resident fish had continuous access to the marsh surface. Large piscivorous fish regularly entered the impoundment via creeks and ditches to prey upon small resident fish, and piscivorous birds aggregated following major fish movements to the marsh surface or to deep habitats. As water levels receded in winter, saltmarsh fish concentrated into deep habitats and emigration to the estuary ensued (200% greater biomass left the impoundment than entered). Fish abundance and community structure along the estuary shoreline (although fringed with marsh vegetation) were not analogous to marsh creeks and ditches. Perimeter ditches provided deep-water habitat for large estuarine predators, and shallow creeks served as an alternative habitat for resident fish when the marsh surface was dry. Use of the impoundment as nursery by transients was limited to Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, but large juvenile and adult piscivorous fish used the impoundment for feeding. In conclusion, the saltmarsh impoundment was a feeding site for piscivorous fish and birds, and functioned as a net exporter of forage fish to adjacent estuarine waters.     

Consolidation and volumetric soil-water content of salt marsh soils following habitat modification for mosquito control

The runnelling form of habitat modification for mosquito control in saltmarsh increases tidal frequency, and may affect soil properties such as volumetric soil-water content and consolidation. The effects of habitat modification on soil properties are in turn likely to affect ecological processes. Runnels constructed mechanically to a depth of no more than 0.3 m with smooth, spoon shaped edges linked isolated mosquito-breeding pools in the high marsh to the tidal source at the saltmarsh/mangrove interface. The physical design of runnels may result in a significant increase in the frequency of flooding tidal events that flush isolated mosquito-breeding pools. Impacts of the runnelling technique were determined at three marshes using two sampling protocols: (a) comparisons between modified and unmodified shores and (b) comparisons with lateral distance from a runnel. At one marsh, volumetric water content was significantly higher at runnelled than at unrunnelled sites after tides that only partly inundated the marsh, but this pattern was not found at the other marshes. Soil consolidation was greater further from the shore, but was not different between runnelled and unrunnelled shores. Measurements at different lateral distances from runnels demonstrated higher water content levels and lower consolidation up to 5 m from runnels and no effect further away. The varied responses to runnelling at different marshes may reflect specific site characteristics such as slope and hydraulic tidal forces. Remedial strategies for similar mosquito control techniques, based on habitat modification, should include dynamic classifications of saltmarshes.     

崇明东滩盐沼植被扩散格局及其形成机制

长江河口盐沼植被的形成和演化是生物与其生长环境相互作用的结果。以崇明东滩盐沼植被典型扩散前沿为研究对象,2011至2012年期间调查了盐沼植被扩散前沿实生苗扩散、定居以及形成的扩散格局,同时测定了盐沼植被扩散前沿的潮滩冲淤动态和水文动力条件。研究结果表明,崇明东滩盐沼植被在扩散前沿形成了互花米草-光滩(Spartina alterniflora-Mudflat,SM)和互花米草-海三棱藨草-光滩(Spartina alterniflora-Scirpus mariqueter-Mudflat,SSM)两种典型的扩散格局。冲淤动态和水文动力条件是影响盐沼植被扩散格局的重要因子,尤其是在4—6月盐沼植物实生苗传播和定居的关键阶段。在此基础上,分析了东滩盐沼植被扩散前沿的生物-物理相互作用以及盐沼植被扩散格局的形成机制。研究结果不仅有助于理解长江河口地区盐沼植被扩散的生物物理过程,并对全球气候变化和海平面上升条件下滨海生态系统动态预测与湿地保护与管理具有重要的意义。     

Mosquito distribution in a saltmarsh: determinants of eggs in a variable environment

Two saltmarsh mosquitoes dominate the transmission of Ross River virus (RRV, Togoviridae: Alphavirus), one of Australia's most prominent mosquito‐borne diseases. Ecologically, saltmarshes vary in their structure, including habitat types, hydrological regimes, and diversity of aquatic fauna, all of which drive mosquito oviposition behavior. Understanding the distribution of vector mosquitoes within saltmarshes can inform early warning systems, surveillance, and management of vector populations. The aim of this study was to identify the distribution of Ae. camptorhynchus, a known vector for RRV, across a saltmarsh and investigate the influence that other invertebrate assemblage might have on Ae. camptorhynchus egg dispersal. We demonstrate that vegetation is a strong indicator for Ae. camptorhynchus egg distribution, and this was not correlated with elevation or other invertebrates located at this saltmarsh. Also, habitats within this marsh are less frequently inundated, resulting in dryer conditions. We conclude that this information can be applied in vector surveillance and monitoring of temperate saltmarsh environments and also provides a baseline for future investigations into understanding mosquito vector habitat requirements.     

Quantifying the habitat structure and spatial pattern of New Jersey (U.S.A.) salt marshes under different management regimes

Mosquito control measures have resulted in majorstructural alterations of many coastal marshes, withrelatively unknown consequences to larger ecosystemfunctioning. Parallel grid ditching and open marshwater management (OMWM) techniques are purposefullydesigned to alter the hydrological regime and therelative availability and/or characteristics ofstanding water on the marsh surface. With the growingrecognition of the important influence that habitatstructure and the configuration of the marsh-edgeboundary has on nekton utilization of salt marshsystems, the impact of mosquito control managementtechniques on the availability and quality of saltmarsh habitat deserves increased scrutiny. Usingdigital image processing techniques, we completed adetailed mapping effort for a 1800 ha study area inTuckerton, New Jersey to provide a picture ofsubtidal and intertidal habitat availability. Spatialanalysis techniques were used to quantify the relativeamount of habitat types and spatial pattern of theland-water interface under different managementregimes: parallel grid-ditched, OMWM and an unalteredreference. The parallel grid-ditched site had a muchlower incidence of marsh ponds which serve asimportant low tide and over-wintering refuge forcertain species of fish. In comparison, the OMWM sitehad a much greater amount of ponded water habitats.The grid-ditched site had a higher density of marshsurface-to-tidal water interface resulting in a lowermedian distance between the marsh interior and theadjacent tidal channel network. This study serves tobenchmark the habitat structure and spatial pattern ofa highly functioning natural marsh for use as areference site in regional wetland creation orrestoration efforts.     

Spatial and temporal habitat use patterns for salt marsh nekton: implications for ecological functions

We synthesized information on temporal and spatial patterns of salt marsh habitat use by nekton in order to infer the importance of five main types of marsh function: reproduction, foraging, refuge from predation, refuge from stressful environmental conditions and environmental enhancement of physiology. We then extended the concept that intertidal gradients regulate habitat use patterns of nekton to a more universal concept that applies to all salt marsh habitats. We contend that all marsh habitats are linked to each other and to adjacent estuarine habitats along a depth gradient that mediates gradients in abiotic and biotic conditions. Tidal, diel and seasonal shifts in the magnitude and direction of these gradients result in gradients in tidal, diel and seasonal variation in biotic and abiotic conditions within the salt marsh. Collectively these gradients form the `marsh gradient'. We propose that patterns of marsh use and ecological function for nekton result primarily from physiological and behavioral responses to this marsh gradient. A comparison of habitat use patterns in the context of the marsh gradient is an important – and underutilized – method to study marsh function and essential fish habitat. We note that our limited insight into the function of the marsh habitat results from a significant lack of information on the occurrence and causes of tidal, diel and ontogenetic marsh use patterns by nekton; this is particularly relevant with respect to data on the variation in environmental conditions along marsh gradients over tidal, diel and seasonal cycles and on how environmental variation on these scales influences nekton behavior, growth and survival.     

The saltmarshes of Coll and Tiree

Summary

A survey was made of the saltmarshes of the Inner Hebridean islands of Coll and Tiree. Seventeen plant communities are described and classified using the National Vegetation Classification (NVC). The saltmarshes are compared with those described from elsewhere in the region, and from other parts of Britain, and their species composition and range of communities place them firmly within the Type C — ‘western Scottish’ — marsh type described by Adam (1978). The islands support several saltmarsh communities and species of considerable phytogeographical and nature conservation importance.     

Modification of saltmarsh for mosquito control in Australia alters habitat use by nekton

The most common modification of saltmarsh habitat for mosquito control in Australia is runnelling, a system of shallow channels increasing seawater exchange in pools high on the marsh. Local effects within the immediate vicinity of runnels were examined by testing the hypothesis that fish assemblages immediately alongside runnels differ from those further away. Nekton assemblages were sampled using pop nets in winter (May) and summer (December) on a saltmarsh in southeast Queensland, alongside runnels and further (30 m) away, at two distances from a mangrove-lined intertidal creek. Nekton assemblages were dominated numerically (50–80%) by one or two species of small fish (Ambassis marianus, Mugilogobius stigmaticus), and a commercially important prawn, Fenneropenaeus merguiensis. In winter, nekton assemblages alongside runnels were significantly different from those further away. Species richness, total nekton densities and densities of several individual species were higher away from runnels, but only at sites far from the creek. No differences in species richness or densities were found in summer. During both periods, nekton assemblages differed strongly with distance from the creek, with more species and higher densities of most species near the creek. For most species, the overall effect of runnelling appears to be a reduction in abundances in the immediate vicinity of runnels, at some times of year. This is probably related to lower prey availability near runnels. Given the extent of runnelling in some parts of Australia, even this local reduction in densities extending no more than 30 m from runnels means that nekton may be adversely affected over a large total area. The apparent influence of runnels on nekton densities highlights the potential effects of saltmarsh modification on non-target animals that should be considered as this management technique becomes more prevalent.     

A seascape genetic analysis reveals strong biogeographical structuring driven by contrasting processes in the polyploid saltmarsh species Puccinellia maritima and Triglochin maritima

Little is known about the processes shaping population structure in saltmarshes. It is expected that the sea should act as a powerful agent of dispersal. Yet, in contrast, import of external propagules into a saltmarsh is thought to be small. To determine the level of connectivity between saltmarsh ecosystems at a macro‐geographical scale, we characterized and compared the population structure of two polyploid saltmarsh species, Puccinellia maritima and Triglochin maritima based on a seascape genetics approach. A discriminant analysis of principal components highlighted a genetic structure for both species arranged according to a regional pattern. Subsequent analysis based on isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐resistance frameworks indicated a strong role of coastal sediment transport processes in delimiting regional structure in P. maritima, while additional overland propagule dispersal was indicated for T. maritima. The identification and comparison of regional genetic structure and likely determining factors presented here allows us to understand the biogeographical units along the UK coast, between which barriers to connectivity occur not only at the species level but at the ecosystem scale. This information is valuable in plant conservation and community ecology and in the management and restoration of saltmarsh ecosystems.     

Distribution of saltmarsh plant communities associated with environmental factors along a latitudinal gradient on the south‐west Atlantic coast

Aim To produce an inventory of south‐west Atlantic saltmarshes (from latitude 31°48′ S to 43°20′ S) using remotely sensed images and field sampling; to quantify their total area; to describe the biogeographical variation of the main habitats characterized by dominant vascular plants, in relation to major environmental factors; to test the hypothesis of predominance of the reversal pattern in plant distribution (sedges and grasses dominate the lower, regularly inundated zones, while the upper zones are occupied by more halophytic species) previously described; and to compare these south‐west Atlantic saltmarshes with others world‐wide. Location South‐western Atlantic saltmarshes Methods Field samples of dominant emergent plant species positioned by the global positioning system (GPS) were obtained from most coastal saltmarshes (14) between southern Brazil and northern Patagonia, Argentina. Landsat satellite images were obtained and coastal saltmarsh habitats were quantified by supervised classification, utilizing points gathered in the field. Results Three main plant species dominated the low and middle intertidal saltmarsh, Spartina alterniflora Loesel., Spartina densiflora Brong. and Sarcocornia perennis (P. Mill.) A.J. Scott. The total area of the studied coastal saltmarshes was 2133 km², comprising 380 km² of Sp. alterniflora marsh, 366 km² of Sp. densiflora marsh, 746 km² of Sar. perennis marsh and 641 km² of brackish marsh (dominated by Juncus acutus L., Juncus kraussii Hochst., Scirpus maritimus L., Scirpus americanus Pers. and Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin.). Cluster analysis showed three habitat types: saltmarshes dominated by (1) Sp. densiflora and brackish species,(2) Sp. alterniflora and Sar. perennis and (3) Sp.densiflora only. The analysis of abiotic variables showed significant differences between groups of habitats and coordinated gradients of the abiotic variables. The south‐west Atlantic coast showed decreasing mean annual rainfall (1200 to 196 mm) and increasing mean tidal amplitude (< 0.5 to > 2.5 m) from latitude 31° to 43°. Main conclusions South‐west Atlantic saltmarshes are globally important by virtue of their total extent. Remote sensing showed that the reversal pattern in plant distribution is not widespread. Indeed, south‐west Atlantic saltmarshes are better characterized by the presence of the halophytic genera Spartina and Sarcocornia. Our results support the interpretation that south‐west Atlantic saltmarshes constitute a class of temperate type (sensu Adam, 1990 ) with transitional characteristics between Australasian–South African saltmarshes and west Atlantic saltmarshes.     

长江口滨海湿地潮间带生态系统的多稳态特征

多稳态现象普遍存在于多种生态系统中,它与生态系统的健康和可持续发展密切相关,已成为生态学研究的热点与难点,但是目前有关滨海湿地生态系统多稳态的形成机制还缺乏深入研究.本文以崇明东滩鸟类自然保护区的潮间带生态系统为研究对象,通过以下内容,开展滨海湿地多稳态研究: 1)通过验证多稳态的判定依据“双峰”和“阈值”特征,证实长江口潮间带生态系统存在多稳态,并确定其稳态类型;2)通过监测潮间带生态系统水动力过程、沉积动力过程以及盐沼植物生长和扩散情况,分析盐沼植被与沉积地貌之间的正反馈作用,进而探讨潮间带生态系统多稳态的形成机制.结果表明: 1)潮间带生态系统的归一化植被指数(NDVI)频度分布存在明显的双峰特征,且盐沼植物成活存在生物量阈值效应,均证实潮间带生态系统存在多稳态,“盐沼”和“光滩”是潮间带生态系统的两种相对稳定状态;2)崇明东滩盐沼前沿的沉积地貌表现出泥沙快速淤积的趋势,显著促进了盐沼植物的生长,盐沼植物与泥沙淤积之间的这种正反馈作用是潮间带生态系统形成多稳态的主要原因;3)盐沼植被扩散格局监测结果在景观尺度上也表明,泥沙淤积作用促进了潮间带生态系统“盐沼”和“光滩”多稳态的形成.本研究既丰富了滨海湿地稳态转换的机理研究,也为我国开展海岸带保护、修复和管理提供了科学依据,具有重要的理论和实践意义.     

Composition and abundance of resident marsh-surface nekton: comparison between tidal freshwater and salt marshes in Virginia,USA

Previous research on intertidal nekton communities has identifiedimportant determinants of community structure and distribution; however, fewstudies have compared nekton utilization of disparate marsh habitats. Inthis study, abundance and distribution patterns of resident nekton werecompared between tidal freshwater marsh and salt marsh surfaces varying inflooding depth and duration. Nekton were collected in pit traps installedalong elevational transects at four marshes in coastal Virginia (twofreshwater, two saline) from April through November 1992–1993. Thedominant fish collected at all sites was the mummichog Fundulusheteroclitus. The daggerblade grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio was thedominant nekton species collected at salt marsh sites, and was seasonallyabundant on tidal freshwater marshes. A positive correlation betweenflooding depth and nekton abundance was observed on salt marshes; anopposite pattern was observed on tidal freshwater marshes. Tidal floodingregime influences the abundance of resident nekton, however, the effect maybe confounded by other environmental variables, including variation insurface topography and seasonal presence or absence of submerged aquaticvegetation (SAV) in adjacent subtidal areas. In mid-Atlantic tidalfreshwater wetlands, SAV provides a predation refuge and forage site forearly life stages of marsh-dependent nekton, and several species utilizethis environment extensively. Salt marshes in this region generally lackdense SAV in adjacent subtidal creeks. Consequently, between-sitedifferences in species and size-specific marsh surface utilization byresident nekton were observed. Larvae and juveniles represented 79%and 59% of total fish collected at tidal freshwater and salt marshsites, respectively. The resident nekton communities of tidal freshwater andsalt marsh surfaces are characterized by a few ubiquitous species with broadenvironmental tolerances. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fish use of an inundated saltmarsh flat in a temperate Australian estuary

Abstract Fish associated with Australian saltmarshes have previously been sampled from within creeks or semi-permanent pools on the marsh; this is the first record of fish use of marsh flats inundated on high tides but emergent on low tides. Buoyant pop nets (9 m², 1 mm mesh) were used to collect fish from two areas of the marsh flat on Torrens Island in the Barker Inlet-Port River estuary. South Australia. Fyke nets of the same mesh size were used to collect fish from small creeks draining the marsh flat. Fish were caught in only four of 48 pop net releases, for a total of 19 fish of two species (families Gobiidae and Atherinidae). A total of 1109 fish from six species were caught in creeks draining the same areas, and the two species caught on the flats were the most common species in the creeks. Economically important species were poorly represented, with just four specimens of the mugilid Aldrichetta forsteri (Valenciennes).     

Fish Assemblages in Three Tidal Saltmarsh and Mangrove Flats in Temperate NSW, Australia: A Comparison Based on Species Diversity and Abundance

Fish assemblages in three geographically distinct saltmarsh meadows and mangrove forests in the Sydney region were examined using fyke nets over three common sampling periods. The saltmarshes at Towra Point and Allens Creek, though of contrasting geomorphic setting, showed similar fish assemblages during spring tides, with relatively high diversity and abundance. The saltmarsh at Bicentennial Park, reclaimed from dredge spoil in the early 1960’s, showed significantly lower diversity and abundance. Fish assemblages in the three mangrove settings were each distinct, though with no significant differences in diversity and abundance between sites. The result raises questions about the efficacy of created saltmarsh as a compensatory habitat for fish.     

Feeding by fish visiting inundated subtropical saltmarsh

Australian saltmarshes are inundated less frequently and for shorter periods than most northern hemisphere marshes, and when inundated provide transient fish a diverse prey assemblage. We determined the extent of feeding on saltmarsh by examining stomach contents of a common marsh transient, glassfish (Ambassis jacksoniensis), in the Coombabah estuary in subtropical Queensland. We tested the hypotheses that fish caught after visiting the marsh (after (M)) would have similar quantities of food (stomach fullness index, SFI) but different prey composition (abundance, weight) both to fish collected before (Before) saltmarsh inundation and to fish that had not visited the marsh but were caught after marsh inundation (After (NM)). Sampling was done on multiple nights over 3 months in winter, when the marsh is inundated on spring tides at night only. SFI values of After (M) fish were significantly higher (SFI ≈ 12%) than those of Before and After (NM) fish (SFI ≈ 0-1%). After (M) fish also had very different prey composition, eating more crab zoea (> 100 zoea fish^− 1) than Before fish (10) and After (NM) fish (0). After (M) fish showed a consistent pattern in zoea abundances among sampling nights, in all months, with lower zoea abundances on the first night that the marsh was inundated than on subsequent nights. This is attributed to the synchronized spawning of crabs resident on the marsh, releasing their zoea on the ebb of the second inundating tide of the month. Fish stomach contents did not differ before and after smaller high tides not inundating the marsh (SFI ≈ 0-1%). Experimental evidence showed that glassfish evacuate their stomach contents in about an hour under starvation conditions, further strengthening our contention that the stomach contents of After (M) fish represent prey ingested on the marsh. The demonstration of intensive feeding by fish visiting this marsh points to a potentially important role of saltmarsh in the trophodynamics of subtropical Australian estuaries.     

Evaluation of Long‐Term Response of Intertidal Creek Nekton to Phragmites australis (Common Reed) Removal in Oligohaline Delaware Bay Salt Marshes

In the oligohaline Alloway Creek watershed of the upper Delaware Bay, invasive Phragmites australis (Common reed; hereafter Phragmites) has been removed in an attempt to restore tidal marshes to pre‐invasion form and function. In order to determine the effects of Phragmites on nekton use of intertidal creeks and to evaluate the success of this restoration, intertidal creek nekton assemblages were sampled with weirs from May to November for 7 years (1999‐2005) in three marsh types: natural Spartina alterniflora (Smooth cordgrass; hereafter Spartina), sites treated for Phragmites removal (hereafter referred to as Treated), and invasive Phragmites marshes. Replicate intertidal creek collections in all three marsh types consisted primarily of resident nekton and were dominated by a relatively low number of ubiquitous intertidal species. The Treated marsh nekton assemblage was distinguished by greater abundances of most nekton, especially Fundulus heteroclitus (Mummichog). Phragmites had little impact on nekton use of intertidal creeks over this period as evidenced by similar nekton assemblages in the Spartina and Phragmites marshes for most years. Long‐term assemblage‐level analyses and nekton abundances indicated that the Treated marsh provided enhanced conditions for intertidal creek nekton. The response of intertidal creek nekton suggests that the stage of the restoration may influence the results of comparisons between the marsh types and should be considered when evaluating marsh restorations.     

A Study on Polymorphism in Aster tripolium L. (Sea Aster)

Abstract: Genotypic and environmental variation in Aster tripolium L. was studied in common garden experiments and in transplantation experiments in different saltmarsh sites along the estuarine gradient of the Westerschelde and along the elevation gradient of individual saltmarshes. Analysis of the variation in a number of morphologic characters of the inflorescences indicated that this variation is both environmentally as well as genetically controlled. Morphologic differences between an Aster tripolium population of a brackish marsh and a number of populations of a saline marsh were unchanged whether the plants were growing in their original habitat or in a transplant habitat. The population from the brackish marsh had smaller inflorescences with ray florets and a predominantly biennial life cycle, in contrast with the populations of the saline marsh, which had larger inflorescences usually without or with a few ray florets and showed a tendency to a perennial life cycle. We concluded that the variation between the populations of the saline and the brackish marsh is mainly genetically controlled, while the variation within the saline marsh is mainly environmentally controlled.     

Removing the sands (sins?) of our past: dredge spoil removal and saltmarsh restoration along the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (USA)

Estuarine saltmarshes are widely recognized as highly productive and biologically diverse systems. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a 250?km long ??Estuary of National Significance?? along Florida??s east coast and is known as one of North America??s most diverse estuaries. Like most North American estuaries, the IRL is facing a number of problems, among them loss of emergent wetlands. Between 75 and 90% of the original mangrove and saltmarsh acreage historically bordering the IRL has been lost or impacted, either through direct filling for development or impoundment for mosquito control. This loss has affected IRL water quality and fisheries, since these habitats are now removed from the estuarine system. Active programs are now underway to restore mosquito impoundments by reconnection with culverts or removal of dikes, but restoration of dredge spoil is more problematic, as many of these sites have been developed. However, where undeveloped spoil is found on public lands, restoration is a possibility. One such site, Pine Island Conservation Area (PICA), jointly owned by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program and the St. Johns River Water Management District, contained 25.4?ha of dredge spoil, originating from 1969, when the property was owned by a development company. Following public acquisition in 1996, plans were developed to remove the spoil and restore the site to historic saltmarsh elevation. Between 2003 and 2006 all of the material was removed and the restoration of normal hydrology has resulted in ??volunteer?? recruitment by appropriate marsh vegetation, without a need for any plantings.     

Macro‐Tidal Salt Marsh Ecosystem Response to Culvert Expansion

The purpose of this paper was to examine the vegetative, sedimentary, nekton and hydrologic conditions pre‐restoration and the initial 2 years post‐restoration at a partially restricted macro‐tidal salt marsh site. Replacement of the culvert increased tidal flow by 88%. This was instrumental in altering the geomorphology of the site, facilitating the creation of new salt marsh pannes, expansion of existing pannes in the mid and high marsh zones, and expansion of the tidal creek network by incorporating relict agricultural ditches. In addition, the increase in area flooded resulted in a significant increase in nekton use, fulfilling the mandate of a federal habitat compensation program to increase and improve the overall availability and accessibility of fish habitat. The restoration of a more natural hydrological regime also resulted in the die‐off of freshwater and terrestrial vegetation along the upland edge of the marsh. Two years post‐restoration, Salicornia europea (glasswort) and Atriplex glabriuscula (marsh orache), were observed growing in these die‐back areas. Similar changes in the vegetation community structure were not observed at the reference site; however, the latter did contain higher species richness. This study represents the first comprehensive, quantitative analysis of ecological response to culvert replacement in a hypertidal ecosystem. These data will contribute to the development of long‐term data sets of pre‐ and post‐restoration, and reference marsh conditions to determine if a marsh is proceeding as expected, and to help with models that are aimed at predicting the response of marshes to tidal restoration at the upper end of the tidal spectrum.     

Nest trampling and ground nesting birds: Quantifying temporal and spatial overlap between cattle activity and breeding redshank

Conservation grazing for breeding birds needs to balance the positive effects on vegetation structure and negative effects of nest trampling. In the UK, populations of Common redshank Tringa totanus breeding on saltmarshes declined by >50% between 1985 and 2011. These declines have been linked to changes in grazing management. The highest breeding densities of redshank on saltmarshes are found in lightly grazed areas. Conservation initiatives have encouraged low‐intensity grazing at <1 cattle/ha, but even these levels of grazing can result in high levels of nest trampling. If livestock distribution is not spatially or temporally homogenous but concentrated where and when redshank breed, rates of nest trampling may be much higher than expected based on livestock density alone. By GPS tracking cattle on saltmarshes and monitoring trampling of dummy nests, this study quantified (i) the spatial and temporal distribution of cattle in relation to the distribution of redshank nesting habitats and (ii) trampling rates of dummy nests. The distribution of livestock was highly variable depending on both time in the season and the saltmarsh under study, with cattle using between 3% and 42% of the saltmarsh extent and spending most their time on higher elevation habitat within 500 m of the sea wall, but moving further onto the saltmarsh as the season progressed. Breeding redshank also nest on these higher elevation zones, and this breeding coincides with the early period of grazing. Probability of nest trampling was correlated to livestock density and was up to six times higher in the areas where redshank breed. This overlap in both space and time of the habitat use of cattle and redshank means that the trampling probability of a nest can be much higher than would be expected based on standard measures of cattle density. Synthesis and applications: Because saltmarsh grazing is required to maintain a favorable vegetation structure for redshank breeding, grazing management should aim to keep livestock away from redshank nesting habitat between mid‐April and mid‐July when nests are active, through delaying the onset of grazing or introducing a rotational grazing system.