Impact of Sediment Supply on Spartina Salt Marshes*1

During the past century, natural and human modifications of environmental systems have greatly accelerated coastal salt marsh deterioration and shoreline retreat in many regions worldwide. Field investigation, profile analysis, geographical information analysis, and remote sensing were employed in combination to study the effect of sediment on Spartina alterniflora salt marshes of the coast in Jiangsu Province, East China. The results indicated that the propagation of Spartina alterniflora salt marshes was closely related to regional sediment conditions, especially the supply of fine-grained materials. Additionally, because of the dense and high grass in Spartina alterniflora salt marshes, wave energy and tidal currents were baffled and weaker than those of the adjacent, unvegetated mud flats. Fine sediment was hardly resuspended under the low energy conditions in the Spartina alterniflora salt marshes.