1. Bio 126 Marsh and Wetlands

2. Current state: In California we have lost 90% of our wetlands – Much of the Great Central valley was a seasonal marsh – Our Largest lakes with miles of marshy shoreline were by Bakersfield. They had 2,100 miles of marshy shoreline – 40% of the SF Bay has been filled in with land. – Rivers have been channelized, shoreline reduced

3. Types of Marshes: Salt water – marine or sea water marshes – along bays and sea shore Mangrove swamps, important for island building in warm waters Brackish – mix of salt or sea water and fresh water – locations may vary by seasonal flow Estuaries – river meets a bay, or sea Fresh water – along streams and lakes

4. Ecological Roles of Wetlands: High productivity Filters water – Laminar flow Fisheries Migrating & resident birds Food, cover, nesting sites Traps nutrients, pollutants

5. Salt Marsh Plants Halophytes at leading edge Plants adapted to salty conditions Many have Salt glands Succulents have swollen tissues that store water – like Pickleweed

7. Anatomy of Salt Marsh Open sea water Mudflats – still under water Salt marsh – above ground by inches, right next to mudflats. Salt content of soil high Fresh water marsh, higher up, and farther back from mud flats Salt content of soil very low

8. Mudflats Forms new land by silting, Limited by high-tide line Area still under water at high tides Wind blows dust, plant trap sediments settling down & slowly build up soil Differences in compaction create tidal meanders – deeper channels Highest salt content – same as sea Eel grass and sea lettuce- dominants Wading birds eat animals in mud

9. Salt Marsh edge with sea water Cordgrass dominates Hollow stems, 2-3 ft. tall Rhizomes trap detritus, and sediments add to soil Highly productive Has nitrogen fixing bacteria in roots Few things eat cordgrass Fuels a detrivore based food chain Decays in mud, microorganism eat detritus Worms, snails, fish larvae eat microorganisms Birds, larger fish, eat worms etc.

10. Salt Marsh farther inland Salt in soil is less than 2% Saltgrass most common Other salt-tolerant species may be present such as: Saltbush Sea Blite Marsh Grindelia – a “gum weed”

11. Fresh Water Marsh On inflow of creeks into salt marshes Around lakes streams inland Deltas of rivers

12. Fresh Water Marsh Plants Floating plants – microphytes Duckweed and Water-ferns Water hyacinth an introduce weedy species Tule – Bullrush small spike of flowers and seeds Triangular stems up to 6 ft. Cattails – column of small flowers / feather seeds Round hollow stems up to 10 ft. Can not tolerate water deeper than 4 ft. Shrubs and Trees – Riparian areas may include Willows, Alder, Cottonwood, Sycamore

13. A Saltwater Marsh in California

14. Good website to view marshplants www.msnucleus.org/.../ mudslough/mudplants.html

15. Cord grass

16. Pickleweed

17. Marsh Grindelia Gumplant

18. Cattails

19. Bull rush - Tule

20. Marsh Birds Northern Harrier Rails Black Phoebe Kingfishers Egrets, Herons Ducks Western Meadowlark Smaller Waders: Stilts, Avocet, Peeps Brewers and Red-winged Black birds

21. Northern Harrier the marsh Hawk

22. Great Egret

23. Snowy Egret

24. Great Blue Heron

25. Green Heron

26. Belted Kingfisher

27. American White Pelican

28. Canvasback Duck

29. Lesser Scuap

30. Ruddy Duck

31. Pintail Duck

32. American Wigeon

33. Common Golden Eye

34. Barrow’s Golden Eye

35. Northern Shoveler

36. Pied Billed Grebe

37. Bufflehead

38. Double Crested Cormorant

39. American Avocet

40. Black necked Stilt

41. Killdeer

42. Green winged teal

43. Blue winged teal

44. Cinnamon Teal

46. Experimental field research in Marsh Ecology

47. Other Marsh Animals Black-tailed Jack Rabbit Tule Elk Racoons Skunks Muskrats Otters Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Norway Rats Introduced red fox – hunts marsh birds

48. Harrier, Northern

49. A new Dawn for the Delta Glen Martin SF Chronicle December 30, 2005

55. SAN FRANCISCO BAY Bonanza of birds on the bay Tidal marshes' recovery has brought record counts Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer Saturday, March 26, 2005

57. SAN FRANCISCO BAY Bay researchers try to mow down enemy Invasive hybrid weed is suffocating mudflat habitats Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer Tuesday, October 11, 2005

58. Spartina alternifolia- Atlantic Smooth Cord Grass