vii
Iberian Peninsula]”), by Sara Muñoz Vallés, Jesús Cambrollé, Jesús M. Castillo,
Guillermo Curado, Juan Manuel Mancilla-Leytón, and M. Enrique FigueroaClemente, verifies that salt marshes are one of the most prolifically heavymetal polluted systems in the world. The interesting aspect of this chapter is its
explanation of how key native halophytes are able to phytoextract or phytostabilize
trace elements leading to the recovery of native prairies of low tidal marshes.
Chapter 8 (“El Yali National Reserve: A System of Coastal Wetlands in the Southern
Hemisphere Affected by Contemporary Climate Change and Tsunamis”), by
Manuel Contreras-López, Julio Salcedo-Castro, Fernanda Cortés-Molina, Pablo
Figueroa-Nagel, Hernán Vergara-Cortés, Rodrigo Figueroa-Sterquel, and Cyntia
E. Mizobe, like the preceding chapters discusses adverse impact of human activities
on coastal wetlands, in this case in central Chile, but additionally brings in the
effects of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, ocean swells, and
ENSO. Field monitoring is also discussed with the objective of eventually implementing ecological restorations.
Part II contains five chapters and deals with direct impacts of coastal engineering
and environmental degradation. The chapters here focus on clearly established and
obvious links between construction works and degradation of coastal wetlands that
are induced by ancillary effects. Chapter 9 (“Physical and Morphological Changes
to Wetlands Induced by Coastal Structures”), by Germán Daniel Rivillas-Ospina,
Gabriel Ruiz-Martinez, Rodolfo Silva, Edgar Mendoza, Carlos Pacheco, Guillermo
Acuña, Juan Rueda, Angélica Felix, Jesús Pérez, and Carlos Pinilla, focuses on
procedures that are used to better understand the relationship between modifications
of coastal processes and the response of a coastal environment, in the case of civil
works in the development of a new port in Barranquilla, Colombia. The interest here
is to ascertain what changes in physical conditions will produce negative effects on
the stability of natural systems in coastal wetlands. Chapter 10 (“Long Term Impacts
of Jetties and Training Walls on Estuarine Hydraulics and Ecologies”), by Alexander
F. Nielsen and Angus D. Gordon, probes inlet instabilities caused by the construction of jetties that in turn adversely impact the distribution of seagrass, salt marsh,
and mangrove forests on the east coast of Australia. Chapter 11 (“Mangrove
Degradation in the Sundarbans”), by Ashis Kr. Paul, Ratnadip Ray, Amrit Kamila,
and Subrata Jana, investigates aspects of mangrove degradation in the Sundarbans
and identification of contributing factors via extensive fieldwork, geospatial techniques, and factor analysis. This chapter shows hypersalinity, storm effects, fishery
development, land erosion, and sediment deposition parameters are mainly responsible for mangrove degradations. Chapter 12 (“Assessment of Anthropogenic
Threats to the Biological Resources of Kaliveli Lake, India: A Coastal Wetland”),
by Krishnan Silambarasan and Arumugam Sundaramanickam, focuses on various
threats to Kaliveli Lake, which is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India and
considered a wetland of international importance by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Anthropogenic activities
such as infringement from agricultural lands, wildlife poaching, loss of surrounding
forests, increased salt pan and aquaculture farming, and recreation constitute important threats to the well-being of this wetland. This chapter also explores measures
Preface
Iberian Peninsula]”), by Sara Muñoz Vallés, Jesús Cambrollé, Jesús M. Castillo,
Guillermo Curado, Juan Manuel Mancilla-Leytón, and M. Enrique FigueroaClemente, verifies that salt marshes are one of the most prolifically heavymetal polluted systems in the world. The interesting aspect of this chapter is its
explanation of how key native halophytes are able to phytoextract or phytostabilize
trace elements leading to the recovery of native prairies of low tidal marshes.
Chapter 8 (“El Yali National Reserve: A System of Coastal Wetlands in the Southern
Hemisphere Affected by Contemporary Climate Change and Tsunamis”), by
Manuel Contreras-López, Julio Salcedo-Castro, Fernanda Cortés-Molina, Pablo
Figueroa-Nagel, Hernán Vergara-Cortés, Rodrigo Figueroa-Sterquel, and Cyntia
E. Mizobe, like the preceding chapters discusses adverse impact of human activities
on coastal wetlands, in this case in central Chile, but additionally brings in the
effects of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, ocean swells, and
ENSO. Field monitoring is also discussed with the objective of eventually implementing ecological restorations.
Part II contains five chapters and deals with direct impacts of coastal engineering
and environmental degradation. The chapters here focus on clearly established and
obvious links between construction works and degradation of coastal wetlands that
are induced by ancillary effects. Chapter 9 (“Physical and Morphological Changes
to Wetlands Induced by Coastal Structures”), by Germán Daniel Rivillas-Ospina,
Gabriel Ruiz-Martinez, Rodolfo Silva, Edgar Mendoza, Carlos Pacheco, Guillermo
Acuña, Juan Rueda, Angélica Felix, Jesús Pérez, and Carlos Pinilla, focuses on
procedures that are used to better understand the relationship between modifications
of coastal processes and the response of a coastal environment, in the case of civil
works in the development of a new port in Barranquilla, Colombia. The interest here
is to ascertain what changes in physical conditions will produce negative effects on
the stability of natural systems in coastal wetlands. Chapter 10 (“Long Term Impacts
of Jetties and Training Walls on Estuarine Hydraulics and Ecologies”), by Alexander
F. Nielsen and Angus D. Gordon, probes inlet instabilities caused by the construction of jetties that in turn adversely impact the distribution of seagrass, salt marsh,
and mangrove forests on the east coast of Australia. Chapter 11 (“Mangrove
Degradation in the Sundarbans”), by Ashis Kr. Paul, Ratnadip Ray, Amrit Kamila,
and Subrata Jana, investigates aspects of mangrove degradation in the Sundarbans
and identification of contributing factors via extensive fieldwork, geospatial techniques, and factor analysis. This chapter shows hypersalinity, storm effects, fishery
development, land erosion, and sediment deposition parameters are mainly responsible for mangrove degradations. Chapter 12 (“Assessment of Anthropogenic
Threats to the Biological Resources of Kaliveli Lake, India: A Coastal Wetland”),
by Krishnan Silambarasan and Arumugam Sundaramanickam, focuses on various
threats to Kaliveli Lake, which is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India and
considered a wetland of international importance by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Anthropogenic activities
such as infringement from agricultural lands, wildlife poaching, loss of surrounding
forests, increased salt pan and aquaculture farming, and recreation constitute important threats to the well-being of this wetland. This chapter also explores measures
Preface