Gulf Coast Chenier Plain Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh

Download PDF
Nature Serve ID: CES203.468

Geology

Recent alluvial deposits.

Landform

Coastlines, bay margins, bay inlets, along dredged canals, creeks, and river inlets where tidal influence is adequate to maintain high salinities.

Soils

Fine textured soils, sometimes with high organic content at the surface. Ecoclasses (from Ecological Site Descriptions) include Brackish and Saltmarsh types.

Parent Description

This typically herbaceous dominated system has a composition that varies depending on the salinity of the environment and the depth of frequent tidal flooding. Marshes that are frequently flooded by tides (low marshes) tend to be strongly dominated by Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass). Occasionally these sites may have significant cover of Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), though freezes tend to reduce the cover of mangrove. Some patches of Juncus roemerianus (blackrush) may be interspersed. Higher marshes of saline to brackish sites tend to be somewhat more diverse, with Spartina patens (marshhay cordgrass) a common dominant. Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) may be present, but is typically not strongly dominant. Other species that may be present, or sometimes dominant include Spartina spartinae (Gulf cordgrass), Distichlis spicata (saltgrass), Batis maritima (saltwort), Salicornia spp. (glasswort), Schoenoplectus robustus (sturdy bulrush), Schoenoplectus americanus (three- square bulrush), Paspalum vaginatum (seashore paspalum), Sporobolus virginicus (seashore dropseed), and Borrichia frutescens (sea ox-eye daisy). Iva frutescens (bigleaf sumpweed) and Baccharis halimifolia (baccharis) are commonly encountered woody species.

Ecological Mapping Systems

Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish Low Tidal Marsh

Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish Low Shrub Tidal Wetland

Mapping System ID: 5706

Low, regularly flooded tidal marsh with significant cover of woody species such as Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), Iva frutescens (bigleaf sumpweed), or Baccharis halimifolia (baccharis).

Distribution Map

Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish Low Shrub Tidal Wetland

Public Land Occurrence

  • None.

Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish High Tidal Marsh

Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish High Tidal Shrub Wetland

Mapping System ID: 5716

Shrub dominated sites with irregular tidal inundation. Species such as Iva frutescens (bigleaf sumpweed) or Baccharis halimifolia (baccharis) are often common. Some sites dominated by Arundo donax (giant reed) may also be mapped as this type.

Distribution Map

Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish High Tidal Shrub Wetland

Photos

Example Chenier Plain: Salt and Brackish High Tidal Shrub Wetland.jpg