BIOL1110L – Salt Marsh Review

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to salt marsh ecosystems, their inhabitants, and ecological significance.

Mud flats

Accumulations of fine silt and clay sediments in sheltered bays, harbours, or estuaries, where salt marsh plants can grow.

Diatoms

Tiny one-celled algae that form a greenish-orange slick on mud at low tide and exhibit vertical migration with the tides.

Corophium

A genus of amphipod crustaceans living in mud, noted for their abundance and role as a food source for shorebirds.

Salt marshes

Highly productive ecosystems that support diverse life and provide key services such as shoreline stabilization and carbon sequestration.

Dyking

The process of building dykes to block salt water for agricultural use in salt marshes.

Blackgrass rush (Juncus gerardii)

A salt marsh plant with erect stems, cylindrical and hollow, that can reach up to 70 cm in height.

Saltmeadow cordgrass (Sporobolus pumilus)

A fine grass species found in mid to high elevations of salt marshes, used for hay.

Mycorrhizae

Root-associated fungi that enhance plant biomass by relying on carbon stored in salt marsh plants.

Species diversity

The variety of species in an ecosystem, influenced by environmental complexity and specialization.

Osmoconformers

Animals that adjust their extracellular fluid concentration in response to changes in environmental salinity.

Osmoregulators

Animals that maintain a stable internal fluid concentration regardless of external salinity changes.

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)

A small migrating shorebird that feeds on tidal flats during migration.

Tidal pools

Depressions formed in salt marshes that vary in size and depth and host a variety of organisms.

Carbon sequestration

The process by which salt marshes store carbon in plant biomass and soil to mitigate climate change.

Spear saltbush (Atriplex patula)

A broadleaf salt marsh plant known for its triangular leaves and ability to excrete salt.