It has been restricted principally to New 

 England to concentrate on a specific 

 habitat type. Other intertidal salt marsh 

 regional types are detailed in other 

 reports in this series. This profile 

 draws very heavily on the past 12 years of 

 research at Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh, 

 Falmouth, Massachusetts. Scientists at 

 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 

 the Boston University Marine Program, and 

 the Marine Biological Laboratory have been 

 studying Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh 

 extensively since 1970; studies of this 

 and other local marshes done prior to 1970 

 are also included in this Community 

 Profile. 



In this profile, the reader is led 

 through a general description of the 

 marsh, into a discussion of the organisms 

 that dwell there and their adaptations to 

 the environment. Special attention is 

 given to the marsh plants, particularly 

 Spartina alternif lora , since much of the 

 way the marsh looks and how it works 

 depend on this plant. The production of 

 both plants and animals is discussed, as 

 well as what controls production rates. 

 Nutrient cycling, decomposition processes, 



export from the marsh to coastal waters, 

 and marsh values are all considered. 



The author did not try to cover all 

 aspects of the ecology of salt marshes, 

 nor are those considered dealt with in 

 equal detail. There is no exhaustive 

 literature review and no detailed list of 

 marsh species. The interested reader can 

 get a good idea of the birds that make use 

 of the salt marsh by referring to the 

 appendix on birds in the New England tidal 

 flats community profile of this series 

 (Whitlatch 1982). Though one must use 

 appropriate reservations, it is safe to 

 say that most birds that use mudflats also 

 use the marsh open places. Those making 

 more specialized use of marshes, e.g., for 

 nesting, are mentioned in the text. 



Comments concerning or requests for 

 this publication should be addressed to: 



Information Transfer Specialist 

 National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 NASA-SI idell Computer Complex 

 1010 Gause Boulevard 

 SI idell, LA 70458. 



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