Objective To determine the ecological importance of salt marshes for coastal and estuarine ecosystems in view of the biogeochemical cycling of organic and inorganic matter, to assess their response to regional and global anthropogenic interferences, and to establish appropriate management methods and criteria.This project will conduct comparative investigations on sediment, nutrients and particulate organic matter exchanges between salt marshes and estuarine or coastal marine waters on different types of representative European salt marshes, considering both the structure and functioning of the component ecosystems. The diversity of studied salt marshes will consider latitude, type of setting and geological evolution of the marsh, e.g. geologically young extending, old stable, and eroding salt marshes, respectively.The following tasks will be addressed:- to determine the inter-annual variations of community dynamics and organic matter, silt and nutrient exchanges in salt marshes in France (Mont St. Michel Bay), UK (Old Hall, Tollesbury, Essex), Netherlands (Texel) and in Portugal (Mira estuary);- to determine the role of vegetation composition and structure in the processes of accretion and erosion and their consecutive effects;- to determine the direction and magnitude of existing dynamic processes within the salt marsh and to investigate how they will be affected by changes in environmental pressures;- to determine the influence of mowing or grazing on the vegetation composition and structure and their effects on accretion or erosion;- to simulate and predict (by ecological modelling) the effects of geomorphological and hydrological changes in estuarine and/or coastal ecosystems, e.g. regarding impacts of sea level rise, fluctuating high-tide levels and sediment transport on exchange processes, vegetation dynamics, and accretion or erosion of the different salt marsh types; particular emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of possible sea level rise impacts on the salt marsh's function as source or sink of sediments and pollutants;- to localize by specific markers (stable isotopes, molecular markers) sources and sinks of organic matter produced in salt marshes;- to determine the role of the soil compartment in terms of storage for organic matter and nutrients and as source of nutrients during specific events (high tides, heavy rain).- to develop a classification of major European salt marshes on the basis of their function in the coastal ecosystem, and to formulate management proposals for the maintenance or increase of salt marsh functions. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeologysedimentologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemscoastal ecosystems Programme(s) FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994 Topic(s) 0106 - Biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem dynamics Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Université de Rennes I EU contribution No data Address 27 rue du Thabor 35014 Rennes France See on map Total cost No data Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Droevendaalsesteenweg 3 a 6700 AA WAGENINGEN See on map Total cost No data Cranfield University United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Silsoe Campus Wharley End MK45 4DT Cranfield See on map Total cost No data NERC Institute of Terrestrial Ecology United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Monks Wood Experimental Station Abbots Ripton PE17 2LS Huntingdon See on map Total cost No data Universidade de Evora Portugal EU contribution No data Address 2,Largo dos Colegiais 7001 Evora See on map Total cost No data