The Physical States

It is clear that saltmarshes have a range of values that change with the physical or biological conditions that influence them. The two general approaches to managing and restoring saltmarsh depend on whether the aim is to create or restore saltmarsh habitat, or manage existing saltmarsh vegetation. This Chapter deals with the first of these, which involves the trends and trade-offs associated with the creation, maintenance or restoration of the habitat. The principal concerns here relate to economic and social values, including those associated with flood protection (Section 4.3) as well as nature conservation. These include ‘quantitative’ parameters such as location, area, width and height of the saltmarsh. The ‘qualitative’ issues associated with nature conservation, such as the presence of specialist or rare plant and animal communities or vegetation complexity, are covered in Chapter 7.