Abstract
In 1931 a red-colored, sandy marker horizon was placed on the emergingSkallingen salt marsh. Sedimentation on top of the marker horizon sincethen shows two opposing tendencies. Coincident with salt marshdevelopment the sediments display up to 1964 a fining upward sequencewith an increasing content of organic matter. Since 1964 a nearby creekhas meandered towards the sampling plot. Consequently, the sedimentsbecome coarser with a decreasing organic matter content. Themorphological induced changes in sedimentary conditions strongly influencemetal content in the sediments and thereby hide anthropogenic inducedconcentration variations. Thus, an apparently diminishing Zn content (perkg dry weight) since 1964 could indicate lesser load to the area. However,corrected for grain size effects there is an increasing content of Zn. Othermetal concentrations (e.g. Cu) show a diminishing trend when corrected forgrain size effects and therefore indicate a reduced anthropogenic inducedload of these metals to the salt marsh.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aagaard, T., Nielsen, N. and Nielsen, J. 1995. Skallingen – Origin and Evolution of a Barrier Spit. Meddelelser fra Skalling – Laboratoriet. Bind XXXV. 85 pp.
Ackermann, F. 1980. A procedure for correcting the grain size effect in heavy metal analyses of estuarine and coastal sediments. Env. Tech. Lett. 1: 518–527.
Allen, J.R.L. 1990. Salt-marsh growth and stratification: a numerical model with special reference to the Severn Estuary, southwest Britain. Marine Geol. 95: 77–96.
Ball, D.F. 1964. Loss-on-ignition as an estimate of organic matter and organic carbon in non-calcareous soils. J. Soil Sci. 15: 84–89
Bartholdy, J. and Anthony, D. 1998. Tidal dynamics and seasonal dependent import and export of fine-grained sediment through a backbarrier tidal channel of the Danish Wadden Sea. In: Tidal Sedimentology, Modern and Ancient. SEPM Sp. Publ. 61: 43–52.
Bartholdy, J. and Madsen, P.F. 1985. Accumulation of fine grained material in a Danish tidal area. Marine Geol. 67: 121–137.
Boorman, L.A. 1999. Salt marshes – present functioning and future changes. Mang. Salt Marsh. 3: 227–241.
Bricker, S.B. 1993. The history of Cu, Pb, and Zn inputs to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island as recorded by salt-marsh sediments. Estuaries 16: 589–607.
Cacador, I., Vale, C. and Catarino, F. 1996. Accumulation of Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni in sediments between roots of the Tagus estuary salt marshes, Portugal. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 42: 393–403.
Christiansen, C., Bartholdy, J., Hansen, T., Lillie, S., Nielsen, J., Nielsen, N. and Pejrup, M. 2001. Salt marsh accretion during sea-level rise and an outlook on the future. In: Jørgensen, A.M., Fenger, J., Halsnæs, K. and Fenhann, J. (eds.), Danish Studies related to Climate Change. (In press)
Daoust, R.J., Moore, T.R., Chmura, G.L. and Magenheimer, J.F. 1996. Chemical evidence of environmental changes and anthropogenic influences in a Bay of Fundy saltmarsh. J. Coast. Res. 12: 520–533
Fletcher, C.A., Bubb, J.M. and Lester, J.N. 1994. Magnitude and distribution of contaminants in salt marsh sediments of the Essex coast, UK. II. Selected metals and metalloids. Sci. Total Env. 155: 47–59.
French, J.R. and Spencer, T. 1993. Dynamics of sedimentation in a tide-dominated backbarrier salt marsh, Norfolk, UK. Marine Geol. 110: 315–331.
French, P.W. 1996. Long-term temporal variability of copper, lead, and zinc in salt marsh sediments of the Severn Estuary, UK.Mang. Salt Marsh. 1: 59–68.
Horowitz, A.J. 1985. A Primer on Trace Metal-Sediment Chemistry. U.S. Geol. Survey Water Supp. Paper. 2277 pp.
Huiskes, A.H.L. and Rozema, J. 1988. The impact of anthropogenicactivities on the coastal wetlands of the North Sea. In: Salomons, W., Bayne, B.L., Duursma, E.K. and Förstner, U. (eds.), Pollutionin the North Sea: An assesment, pp. 455–473. Springer Verlag.
Jakobsen, B. 1961. Vadehavets sedimentomsætning belyst vedkvantitative målinger. Geografisk Tidsskrift 60: 87–103.
Kastler, J.A. and Wiberg, P.L. 1996. Sedimentation and boundary changes of Virginia salt marshes. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 42: 683–700.
Kunzendorf, H. 1979. Practical Experiences with Automated Radioisotope Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescens Analysis of Exploration Geochemistry Samples. Risø-R-407. 24 pp.
Kunzendorf, H., Emeis, K.-C. and Christiansen, C. 1998. Sedimentation in the central Baltic Sea as viewed by non-destructive Pb-210 dating. Danish J. Geog. 98: 1–9.
Madsen, P.F. 1981. Accumulation rates of heavy metals determined by 210 Pb dating: Experience from a marsh area in Ho Bay. Rapp.p.-v. Réun. Cons. Explor. Mer 181: 59–63.
McCaffrey, R.J. and Thomson, J. 1980. A record of the accumulation of sediment and trace metals in a Connecticut salt marsh. In: Saltzman, B. (ed.), Advances in Geophysics, Estuarine Physics and Chemistry: Studies in Long Island Sound, Vol. 22, pp. 165–235. Academic Press.
Milan, C.S., Swenson, E.M., Turner, R.E. and Lee, J.M. 1995.Assessment of the 137 Cs method for estimating sediment accumulation rates: Louisiana saltmarshes. J. Coast. Res. 11: 296–307.
Nielsen, N. 1935. Eine Methode zur exakten Sedimentationsmessung. Meddelelser fra Skalling Laboratoriet. 1. 97 pp.
Orson, R., Panageotou, W. and Leatherman, S.P. 1985. Response of tidal salt marshes of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts to rising sea level. J. Coast. Res. 1: 29–37.
Ribe Amtskommune. 1986. Tungmetaller i Grådyb+s tidevandsområde.Rapport fra Isotopcentalen, Ribe Amtsråd. 27 pp. (in Danish).
Robbins, J.A. 1978. Geochemical and geophysical applications of radioactive lead. In: Nriagu, J.O. (ed.), The Biogeochemistry of Lead in the Environment, pp. 285–393. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Roman, C.T., Peck, J.A., Allen, J.R., King, J.W. and Appleby, P.G.1997. Accretion of a New England (U.S.A.) salt marsh in response to inlet migration, storms, and sea-level rise. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 45: 717–727.
Siegel, F.R., Gupta, N., Shergill, B., Stanley, D.J. and Gerber, C.1995. Geochemistry of Holocene sediments from the Nile Delta.J. Coast. Res. 11: 415–431.
Stevenson, J.C., Ward, L.G. and Kearney, M.S. 1986. Vertical accretion in marshes with varying rates of sea level rise. In: Wolfe, D.A. (ed.), Estuarine variability, pp. 241–260. Academic Press, Orlando.
Stoodley, J. 1998. A monolith sampler for saltmarsh sediments. J.Sediment. Petrol. 68: 1046–1047.
Stumpf, R.P. 1983: The processes of sedimentation on the surface of a salt marsh. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 17: 495–508.
Valette-Silver, N.J. 1993. The use of sediment cores to reconstruct historical trends in contamination of estuarine and coastal sediments. Estuaries 16: 577–588.
Varekamp, J.C., Thomas, E. and Van de Plassche, O. 1992. Relative sea-level rise and climate change over the last 1500 years. Terra Nova. Gl. Change Sp. Iss. 4: 293–304.
Waddel, D.C. and Krauss, M.L. 1990. Effects of CuCl2 on the germination response of two populations of salt marsh cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. Bull. Env. Cont. Toxic. 44: 764–769.
Zwolsman, J.J.G., Berger, G.W. and Van Eck, G.T.M. 1993. Sediment.accumulation rates, historical input, postdepositional mobility and retention of major elements and trace metals in salt marsh sediments of the Scheldt estuary, SW Netherlands. Marine Chem. 44: 73–94.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Christiansen, C., Bartholdy, J. & Kunzendorf, H. Effects of morphological changes on metal accumulation in a salt marsh sediment of the Skallingen peninsula, Denmark. Wetlands Ecology and Management 10, 11–23 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014393201487
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014393201487