Abstract
Salt marshes are a characteristic feature of estuaries and coastal seas. They are found in the upper coastal intertidal zones between land and water, which are regularly flooded by tides and surges. They are covered with salt-tolerant vegetation types, such as herbs and grasses. Sheltering from continuous intense hydrodynamic forcing by waves and currents and sufficient supply of (fine) sediment are the two main requirements for salt marsh development. The presence of vegetation accelerates the sediment settlement by reducing the wave forces on the bed material. Addition-ally, the roots of the plants stabilize the accumulated sediments and amplify the process of subsoil drainage, consoli-dation and compaction. Salt marshes and the intertidal flats in front form a coherent system with many mutual dependencies.
Coastal flood risk reduction by creating and restoring ecosystems is increasingly seen as a promising supplement to conventional coastal engineering methods. Salt marshes, mangrove forests and reed fields can act as a vegetated foreshore in front of a coastal dike. In such a combined dike-foreshore system, the foreshore plays a role in attenuating storm waves, whereas the dike retains the surge and the remaining wave energy. The current study focuses on the process of wave attenuation by vegetation and, vice versa, the process of breakage of vegetation due to wave action.
Coastal flood risk reduction by creating and restoring ecosystems is increasingly seen as a promising supplement to conventional coastal engineering methods. Salt marshes, mangrove forests and reed fields can act as a vegetated foreshore in front of a coastal dike. In such a combined dike-foreshore system, the foreshore plays a role in attenuating storm waves, whereas the dike retains the surge and the remaining wave energy. The current study focuses on the process of wave attenuation by vegetation and, vice versa, the process of breakage of vegetation due to wave action.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Event | 18th Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas Conference, 2016 - Scheveningen, The Haque, Netherlands Duration: 9 Oct 2016 → 14 Oct 2016 Conference number: 18 http://www.pecs-conferences.org/# |
Conference
Conference | 18th Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas Conference, 2016 |
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Abbreviated title | PECS 2016 |
Country/Territory | Netherlands |
City | The Haque |
Period | 9/10/16 → 14/10/16 |
Internet address |
Keywords
- salt marsh
- vegetation
- wave attenuation
- estuaries