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Hydrology of Coastal Wetlands

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The Wetland Book

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Abstract

Hydrology – the frequency, duration, and timing of inundation and/or soil saturation - is the lifeblood of wetlands. The presence of water strongly influences the physical and chemical environment, biota, productivity, and connectivity between wetlands and waterbodies and among habitats within wetland complexes. Wetlands occurring along the shorelines of the world’s oceans, estuaries, and tidal rivers are called coastal wetlands or tidal wetlands. Their hydrology is largely influenced by the tides and factors that affect the tides such as the position of the moon and sun relative to the Earth’s surface, local weather conditions, and river discharge. Consequently, site wetness is dynamic, changing daily. For example, some portions of coastal wetlands are inundated nearly every day by the tides, while other portions are infrequently flooded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Wetlands & Environmental Education & Research, Inc. (IWEER), Leverett, Massachusetts, 01054, USA

    Ralph W. Tiner

Authors
  1. Ralph W. Tiner
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Correspondence to Ralph W. Tiner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Ecology and Biodiversity, Charles Sturt University Inst. for Land, Water and Society, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

    C. Max Finlayson

  2. Great Somerford, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

    Mark Everard

  3. Chair of Aquatic Ecosystems, UNESCO-IHE Chair of Aquatic Ecosystems, Delft, The Netherlands

    Kenneth Irvine

  4. RM Wetland & Environment Ltd. , Littleworth, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

    Robert J. McInnes

  5. USGS National Wetlands Research Center , Lafayette, Louisiana, USA

    Beth A. Middleton

  6. Dept. of Water Science and Engineering, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education Dept. of Water Science and Engineering, Delft, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands

    Anne A. van Dam

  7. Charles Sturt University , Albury, New South Wales, Australia

    Nick C. Davidson

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Tiner, R.W. (2016). Hydrology of Coastal Wetlands. In: Finlayson, C., et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6172-8_63-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6172-8_63-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6172-8

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