The tidal creek character in salt marsh of Spartina alterniflora Loisel on strong tide coast

Spartina alterniflora Loisel is introduced from the USA to China and it is a new adventitious species of plant to Chinese environment, which can occupy vast areas between mean sea level and mean high level with many special biological characteristics, such as high plant, great community coverage and robust root. By the influence of the interaction between the tidal current and Spartina alterniflora Loisel, the particular landform configuration is forming. There has formed many Spartina alterniflora salt marsh on Jiangsu coast since the planting of Spartina alterniflora Loisel in 1982, especially in the tidal flat outside of Badou Reclaim region, Dongtai County, which has developed a mature salt marsh with the mature and integrated channel system. By field investigations and interpretation of remote sensing imageries of Badou Reclaimed region, many particular channel characters in the salt marsh of Spartina alterniflora Loisel are identified: (1) high density channels, which can reach 50km/km 2; (2) small width-depth ratio, which is often smaller than 8; (3) remarkable creek bank; and (4) obvious gulch outside edge of the salt marsh. Combining the survey result of tidal current in Spartina alterniflora Loisel salt marsh, reasons accountable for the formation of the particular channel characters mentioned above in the salt marsh of Spartina alterniflora Loisel are analysed.One of the important reasons is attributed to the substantial soil and ebb-dominance current resulting from the special biological characteristics, such as high plant, great community coverage, robust root in the salt marsh of Spartina alterniflora Loisel.etc.