Global ecosystem typology

Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.

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MFT1.3 Coastal saltmarshes and reedbeds

Biome: MFT1. Brackish tidal biome

Contributors:
(texts)

Coastal salt marshes and reedbeds are mosaics of salt-tolerant grasses and low, typically succulent shrubs. structured by strong gradients of salinity and tidal influence. Salts may approach hypersaline levels near the limit of high spring tides, especially in the tropics. As well as larger plants, algal mats and phytoplankton contribute to productivity, while freshwater run-off and tides bring organic material and nutrients. Bacteria and fungi decompose biomass in oxygen-poor subsoils, and support a range of crustaceans, worms, snails and small fish. Shorebirds breed and forage in saltmarshes, with migratory species dispersing plants and animals.

Key Features

Variable salinity tidal system dominated by salt-tolerant plants, with invertebrates, small/juvenile fish and birds..

Overview of distribution

Mostly low energy coasts from tropical to arctic and subantarctic latitudes.

Profile versions

  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): DA Keith; MJ Bishop
  • v2.0 (2020-05-29): DA Keith; AH Altieri; J Loidi; MJ Bishop
  • v2.01 ():
  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): DA Keith; AH Altieri; J Loidi; MJ Bishop Full profile available at official site

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Adam P (1990) Saltmarsh ecology Cambridge University Press, Cambridge DOI:10.1017/CBO9780511565328

  • Jefferies RL, Jano AP and Abraham KF (2006) A biotic agent promotes large-scale catastrophic change in the coastal marshes of Hudson Bay Journal of Ecology 94, 234–242 DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01086.x

  • Bertness MD, Shumway SW (1993) Competition and facilitation in marsh plants American Naturalist 142, 718-724 DOI:10.1086/285567

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of MFT1.3 Coastal saltmarshes and reedbeds. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

There are 2 alternative versions of the indicative map for this functional group, please compare description and sources below.

MFT1.3.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

  • GlobalSaltmarshes2017

Map references

  • McOwen CJ, Weatherdon LV, van Bochove JW, Sullivan E, Blyth S, Zockler C, Stanwell-Smith D, Kingston N, Martin CS, Spalding M, Fletcher S (2017) A global map of saltmarshes Biodiversity Data Journal 5: e11764 DOI:10.3897/BDJ.5.e11764

MFT1.3.web.orig_v2.0

The indicative map for for coastal saltmarshes and reedbeds (MFT1.3) was developed by resampling known distribution records summarised by McOwen et al. (2017). We used a buffer of 1km around the distribution data and a 30 arc second grid, thus large aggregations (> 1km2) are depicted as major occurrences, and the buffer areas with small occurrences are shown as minor occurrences. The original data is available at [UNEP-WCMC](http://data.unep-wcmc.org/datasets/43). Open image full size.

Datasets

  • GlobalSaltmarshes2017

Map references

  • McOwen CJ, Weatherdon LV, van Bochove JW, Sullivan E, Blyth S, Zockler C, Stanwell-Smith D, Kingston N, Martin CS, Spalding M, Fletcher S (2017) A global map of saltmarshes Biodiversity Data Journal 5: e11764 DOI:10.3897/BDJ.5.e11764

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