Salt Marshes and Inland Saline Habitats

Abstract

This chapter reviews our knowledge about the ecology of Central Europe’s saltmarsh vegetation along the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts and in inland saline habitats. It covers the halophyte flora of Central Europe, the genesis of saltmarshes, and characterises the environmental conditions in saline habitats. It also provides a thorough description of the main vegetation types of these habitats, the adaptations of halophytes to the environment, the productivity of and nutrient cycling in saltmarsh ecosystems, their vegetation dynamics, and a comprehensive discussion of the human impact on salt marsh ecosystems.