Abstract
Groundwater flow is an important factor in governing botanical zonation in the salt marsh at North Inlet, SC. Areas of the marsh adjacent to upland forest are characterized by upward flow of fresh groundwater. This inhibits the infiltration and evapoconcentration of saline tidal water and the development of a habitat for hypersaline-tolerant fugitive species such as Salicornia europaea. Areas of high marsh that are not adjacent to extensive upland forest are characterized by downward gradients in hydraulic head. This allows the infiltration and evapoconcentration of tidal water and the development of hypersaline conditions that are suitable for salt-tolerant fugitives.
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Thibodeau, P.M., Gardner, L.R. & Reeves, H.W. The role of groundwater flow in controlling the spatial distribution of soil salinity and rooted macrophytes in a southeastern salt marsh, USA. Mangroves and Salt Marshes 2, 1–13 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009910712539
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009910712539