Processes of small-scale tidal flat accretion and salt marsh changes on the plain coast of Jiangsu Province, China

Large-scaled reclamation modifies the coastal environment dramatically while accelerating the disappearance of salt marshes, which causes the degradation of the coastal ecosystem and the biodiversity function. In this study, we explored the changes of tidal flat and salt marsh coverage in a small-scale tidal flat with an area of ~160 000 m2 in the plain coast of Jiangsu Province, China. Human activities (e.g., the construction of dikes) are a crucial contributor that benefits for the tidal flat accretions and the following changes of salt marsh coverage. Located in the front of the man-made “concave coastline”, the study area is suitable for sediment accretion after the dike construction in the end of 2006. On the basis of the annual tidal surface elevation survey from 2007 to 2012, the sedimentation rates in the human influenced tidal flat varied from a few centimeters per year to 23 cm/a. The study area experienced a rapid accretion in the tidal flat and the expansion of the salt marsh, with the formation of a longshore bar, and a subsequent decline of the salt marsh. Breaking waves during the flooding tide brought much sediment from the adjacent tidal flat to the study area, which caused burial and degeneration of the salt marsh. The vertical grain size changes within a 66 cm long core in the study area also demonstrated the above changes in the tidal environment. This study indicates that the responses of small-scale tidal flat changes to reclamation are significant, and the rational reclamation would benefit for the new salt marsh formation in front of the dikes. Further research about the evolution of small scale tidal flat as well as the spatial planning of the polder dike should be strengthened for the purpose to maintain a healthier coastal environment.