Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
Ann Rev Mar Sci. 2009;1:117-41. doi: 10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163930.
Salt marshes are among the most abundant, fertile, and accessible coastal habitats on earth, and they provide more ecosystem services to coastal populations than any other environment. Since the Middle Ages, humans have manipulated salt marshes at a grand scale, altering species composition, distribution, and ecosystem function. Here, we review historic and contemporary human activities in marsh ecosystems--exploitation of plant products; conversion to farmland, salt works, and urban land; introduction of non-native species; alteration of coastal hydrology; and metal and nutrient pollution. Unexpectedly, diverse types of impacts can have a similar consequence, turning salt marsh food webs upside down, dramatically increasing top down control. Of the various impacts, invasive species, runaway consumer effects, and sea level rise represent the greatest threats to salt marsh ecosystems. We conclude that the best way to protect salt marshes and the services they provide is through the integrated approach of ecosystem-based management.
盐沼是地球上最丰富、最肥沃和最容易到达的沿海栖息地之一，它们为沿海地区的人口提供的生态系统服务比任何其他环境都多。从中世纪开始，人类就在大规模地对盐沼进行管理，改变了物种组成、分布和生态系统功能。在这里，我们回顾了湿地生态系统中的历史和当代人类活动——植物产品的开发；转化为农田、盐场和城市土地；引入非本地物种；改变沿海水文学；以及金属和营养物污染。出人意料的是，不同类型的影响可能产生相似的后果，使盐沼食物网颠倒，极大地增加了自上而下的控制。在各种影响中，入侵物种、失控的消费者效应和海平面上升对盐沼生态系统构成了最大的威胁。我们得出的结论是，保护盐沼及其提供的服务的最佳方法是通过基于生态系统的综合管理方法。
