Salt Marshes The salt marshes together with the area of sedimentation are the joint between the mud flats and the mainland. All these areas are characterized by the fact that they are no longer flooded on a daily basis. This fact is the reason that in these areas there is more sedimentation than erosion. And this again is the reason that plants start to settle here. The area of sedimentation is the transition zone between the mud flats and the salt marshes. This zone reaches up to 35cm below the middle high tide line (MThw). The springer (Salicornia europaea) and the silt-grass (Spartina townsendii) are the characteristic plants of this area. The salt marshes themselves start at the middle high tide line and are divided into a lower part, a middle part, an upper part and a highest part. Typical plants of the lower part are the pucinellia (Pucinellia maritima and Pucinellia distans), the shore-lilac (Limonium vulgare), the shore-aster (Aster tripolium), the shore-mugwort (Artemisia maritima) and the shore-suaeda (Suaeda maritima). Otherwise the cochlearia (Cochlearia danica and Cochlearia anglica), shore-plantain (Plantago maritima), shore-carnation (Armeria maritima), spear-leaved atriplex (Atriplex prostrata), salt-spergularia (Spergularia marina and Spergularia media) and the sea-arrow grass (Triglochin maritima) are the main plants of the middle and upper parts of the salt marshes. The highest part of the salt marshes is usually a part of the dike. Like all the other plants the plants of the salt marshes need nutrients for their growth. But what is their solution to the very high concentration of salt in the soil? It's very simple indeed. All the plants of the salt marshes have developed special mechanisms to destroy the harmful influence of the salt. Plants like the shore-aster, the silt-grass and the shore-lilac posses a special gland through which the taken in salt is excreted back to the water. Other plants have store-systems where they collect the salt until they can dilute it with water. In addition to that these plants have little shacks instead of leaves in order to reduce the evaporation of the water they need for the dilution. The salt marshes play an important role as a food and hatching area for many birds. But they are also the home of 1500-2000 different kinds of insects. Unfortunately the salt marshes are the part of the Wadden Sea which is in greatest danger. Coastal protection (e.g. dike building), agriculture and tourism threaten constantly the existence of this unique partial habitat.

1.Salt Marsh 2.Area of Sedimentation 3.Lower Dike 4.Middle " 5.Upper " 6.Highest 7.Dike 8.Middle High Tide Line (MThw) 9.Mud Flats 10.Tideway 11.Altitude Above the Sea Level in cm 12.Numbers of flooding per year