Saltmarsh
Our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Emily, recently attended an online talk by Josh Styles, the founder of the North West Rare Plant Initiative about Saltmarsh, how it establishes in an area and how it develops over time. Below is a short article on what Emily learned during the talk.
Saltmarsh is a neonatural habitat which means that it has changed very little since before the time of human habitation which makes it a very unique and valuable habitat. Amongst its many useful features is its ability to store carbon. Manchester Metropolitan University studied a restored area of saltmarsh and they estimated that the site had the ability to sequester 19 tonnes of organic carbon per hectare per year. This is equivalent to taking 32,900 UK cars off the road for one year, the greenhouse gas emissions from powering 77,930 UK homes for one year and the rate at which carbon was stored was 18 times higher than the rate currently being used to estimate the carbon storage potential of saltmarsh in the UK. This was only one study site however it is uplifting to see the potential benefits of saltmarsh on a large scale. It is estimated that the UK is losing around 100 hectares of saltmarsh habitat every year.
The plants that make up saltmarsh have many functions including selective filtration which means only absorbing fresh water to the exclusion of salt; excretion of salt through special glands; and succulence where the plant absorbs and retains water in its leaves for long periods of time. The varieties of mechanisms for living in such a harsh environment mean that these plants also support a much wider ecosystem of microorganisms and animals that all come together to make saltmarsh what it is.
Saltmarsh plants help to catch sediment that is brought in on the tide, this leads to accretion of land and therefore aids in combating climate change and sea level rise by creating natural storm defences that buffer incoming Spring tides and storm surges.
If you would like to know more about Josh’ work you can visit his website, North West Rare Plant Initiative and follow him on social media.
ONE ESTUARY
The Our Dee Estuary project was designed to link together the communities, habitats and the amazing work going on all around the Dee Estuary. Nature does not recognise our human boundaries and so we should look to view and manage ecosystems in a more holistic way than is traditional. The project has demonstrated how organisations and communities can work together to reconnect with and protect the natural world.
Looking toward the future we want to see this work continue. That is why we have been working hard to launch a Dee Estuary Coastal Partnership as a way for all stakeholders (authorities, businesses, communities) to develop their work in collaboration with one another to strengthen its impact and ensure longevity.
The team have secured funding for the next year through the Environment Agency’s Championing Coastal Coordination (3Cs) fund to host a series of stakeholder workshops and deliver pilot nature recovery projects through the partnership.
This is an approach that has proven successful in other locations around the UK including the Severn and Solway Firth Estuaries. We believe that this will be the start of a positive, exciting, and more joined up future for the Dee Estuary.
WHAT IS A CATCHMENT?
A river catchment tells the story of the journey from the waters’ origin to the open ocean. Every drop of rain that falls on our island will eventually reach our streams, rivers and reservoirs supplying us with the water resources that we need to run our homes, grow our food, and to support our industries. These water resources are also vital to support the vibrant biodiversity found across the UK.
The catchment of a river extends to the furthest point at which water will travel and feed in further downstream. This flow of water will culminate at the mouth of the river, often feeding freshwater directly into our estuaries. This is how the Dee Estuary is structured. Fresh water in the estuary primarily comes from the River Dee, however, there are many little tributaries that also feed fresh water into the river and the estuary.
By managing our rivers through a catchment-based approach we can ensure that each step of this process from source to sea is carefully managed to reduce the risk of overexploitation and maintain the health of the natural environment. There are over 100 individual catchment partnerships within England and across the England/Wales border. These partnerships bring together representatives of civil sector, government, and local authorities to share data and collaboratively deliver projects that will protect our water resources, promote sustainable practices, connect people with the natural environment and help nature to recover.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust host the Tidal Dee Catchment Partnership.
North Wales Wildlife Trust’s 60 Seaside Shore-nanigans
We know the summer holidays are over however with all this great weather we have been enjoying in September we highly recommend you join NWWT as they celebrate our marine world.
If you are new to visiting the coast to help you kick-start your marine adventure, they have put together 60 fun and exciting seaside shore-nanigan activities into one handy downloadable pack for the whole family to dive into!
Discover our amazing egg-laying shark species, explore the shores by locating and recording our highly threatened seagrass meadows and get creative by making some marine-themed art!
Photo Credits: Terry Whittaker 2020VISION, Robin Rowe, Paul Steele – Bald Hiker
