{"id":5701,"date":"2019-10-21T14:48:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T12:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoshape.org\/en\/first-observations-on-the-pioneer-salt-marsh-near-delfzijl\/"},"modified":"2020-07-10T11:29:26","modified_gmt":"2020-07-10T09:29:26","slug":"first-observations-on-the-pioneer-salt-marsh-near-delfzijl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoshape.org\/en\/first-observations-on-the-pioneer-salt-marsh-near-delfzijl\/","title":{"rendered":"First observations on the pioneer salt marsh near Delfzijl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The team working on the salt marsh trial near Delfzijl (Marconi) completed the first monitoring campaign in September. EcoShape researcher Marinka van Puijenbroek reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marinka: ‘We measured sedimentation and erosion, vegetation cover and cover with green algae (diatoms and cyanobacteria). Vegetation and algae make the soil more stable, capture the sediment and, in that way, prevent erosion. We also measured elevation with a LIDAR drone.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"First
Photo of the pioneer salt marsh from the air <\/strong>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

‘There is now a lot of vegetation in the areas where clay has been mixed with the sand. In the sandiest areas with only 5% clay, hardly anything has grown, while many different plant species have already colonised the areas with a higher clay percentage.
\nIn May, we sowed salicornia procumbens (glasswort) in parts of the salt marsh and it has come up nicely everywhere, including areas with little clay (5%). So the contrast with the areas where seeds were not sown is very striking indeed.
\nThere was also a lot of algae cover. In the areas with a lot of clay, the algae provide more cover, capturing the soil and preventing erosion.’ <\/p>\n\n\n