Abstract
Salt marshes form an important component of the coastal landscape of the Canadian Maritimes. The characteristics of salt marshes are determined by a wide range of physical and biological controls. The coastal zone of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) exhibits a diverse geologic and sea level history, sediment supply, tidal amplitude (micro- to macrotidal), and varying exposure to wave energy. These factors contribute to the development of three distinct biophysical regions of salt marsh: Bay of Fundy, Atlantic Coastal, and Gulf of St. Lawrence/Northumberland Strait (fig. 13.1; Hatcher and Patriquin 1981; Roberts and Robertson 1986; Wells and Hirvonen 1988). Most recent estimates indicate that there are approximately 287 square kilometers of salt marsh in the Maritimes (table 13.1; Hanson and Calkins 1996; Mendelsohn and McKee 2000). The majority of this (54 percent) occurs along the coast of Nova Scotia.
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Bowron, T.M., Neatt, N., van Proosdij, D., Lundholm, J. (2012). Salt Marsh Tidal Restoration in Canada’s Maritime Provinces. In: Roman, C.T., Burdick, D.M. (eds) Tidal Marsh Restoration. The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration. Island Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-229-7_13
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