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2014 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Salt Marshes and Biodiversity

Authors : A. Teixeira, B. Duarte, I. Caçador

Published in: Sabkha Ecosystems

Publisher: Springer Netherlands

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Abstract

Estuaries and coastal lagoons around the world are wetlands of great importance and they are regularly targeted as prime conservation sites. Many include wildlife refuges and have nature reserves that were set up in areas preserved from development in order to keep valuable species and habitats, while maintaining traditions and sustained use.

Tidal wetlands are often mentioned in the literature as natural habitats with high biological productivity. The net primary production in a salt marsh is often higher than in temperate or tropical forests and this productivity is directly linked to the important role halophytes play in estuaries, in terms of the value-added.

Salt marshes may be a sink of heavy metals. The ability to phytostabilize contaminants in the rhizo-sediment is an important aspect in the self-remediative processes and biogeochemistry of this ecosystem, and will help filtering natural and anthropogenic loads of nutrients and pollutants discharged into the wetland.

There is also a provision of rare and unique habitats, which support nursery grounds for commercial fish and wildlife, including vital feeding grounds for many migratory birds. Rediscovered as a new source of amenity and leisure activities for the population living in urban areas, salt marsh halophytes and estuaries have an important role in the preservation of biodiversity.

In this paper we discuss the support of the salt marsh ecosystem to the estuarine birds, and consequently its contribution for biodiversity.

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Title: Salt Marshes and Biodiversity
Authors: A. Teixeira
B. Duarte
I. Caçador
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Book: Sabkha Ecosystems
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7410-0

Electronic ISBN: 978-94-007-7411-7

Copyright Year: 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7411-7_20