Figure 12. Elevations in tenths of feet of the high marsh surface relative to 

 mean high water (KHW) at Barnstable, Cape Cod (Redfield 1972). Older portions 

 of the marsh are higher. 



to be drained from its surface 

 (Table 3). As a result, there will be 

 progressively fewer and smaller 

 drainage creeks, pond holes, and 

 "rotten spots" (Figure 13). The 

 reduced am.ount of water reaching the 

 high marsh will also bring in less 

 sediment, so that the rate of vertical 

 accretion will decline relative to the 

 young portions of the marsh (Johnson 

 1S25; Redfield 1S72; Harrison and 

 Bloom 1977; Baumann 1980). 



The pannes and pond holes or 

 "rotten spots" shown in Figure 13 are 

 common features of the New England 

 marshes which have been studied in 

 detail (Miller and Egler 1950; Chapman 



17 



1960; Redfield 1972). Sometimes the 

 pannes or shallow depressions of the 

 marsh surface may be quite large and 

 represent areas within the marsh 

 which, for various reasons, did not 

 receive enough sediment to shoal 

 sufficiently for Spartina to grow. 

 Kany of the pannes contain round, 

 shallow holes or small pools ("primary 

 pannes"), with a depth somewhat 

 greater than the thickness of the 

 Spartina turf. They are filled by the 

 higher tides, though somie may even 

 have small drainage systems. The lack 

 of a peaty turf in more southern 

 marshes may explain the absence of 

 deeper pools in those areas (Redfield 

 1972). In other pannes the standing 



