CONTENTS 



Page 



CONVERSION FACTORS, U.S. CUSTOMARY TO METRIC CSI] 8 



GLOSSARY 9 



I INTRODUCTION H 



1. Natural Marsh H 



2. Types of Coastal Marshes 12 



a. East Coast Marshes 12 



b. West Coast 15 



c. Great Lakes 16 



3. Value 16 



a. Productivity 17 



CI) Primary Production (Energy) 17 



(2) Utilization 17 



(3) Marsh Animals 18 



b. Protection 19 



c. Nutrient Cycling 19 



d. Sediment Accumulation 23 



II SITE REQUIREMENTS 24 



1. Elevation 24 



2. Slope 24 



3. Exposure 25 



III MARSH SOILS 26 



1. Types 26 



2. Salinity 27 



3. Oxygen- Aeration 28 



IV MARSH PLANTS 29 



1. Kinds and Adaptations 29 



a. Atlantic Coast 30 



(1) Smooth Cordgrass 30 



(2) Saltmeadow Cordgrass 32 



(3) Black Needle Rush 34 



(4) Black-grass 34 



(5) Saltgrass 34 



(6) Big Cordgrass 37 



(7) Common Reed 37 



(8) Other Plants 37 



b. Peninsular Florida 37 



(1) Mangroves 38 



(2) Smooth Cordgrass 42 



(3) Saltmeadow Cordgrass 43 



(4) Black Needle Rush 43 



(5) Saltgrass 43 



(6) Big Cordgrass 43 



(7) Other Plants 43 



