Estuarine Deltaic Wetlands, Table 3 Examples of deltaic wetland in estuaries in Australia and their biota
Estuary and climate Delta type
Delta wetland
habitats
Hydrography/
oceanography
Substrate
Hydroperiod/
salinity
Biota
Lawley River
estuary, tropical
humid
Tide-dominated
delta
Supratidal
floodplain and
anastomosing
shallow river
channel
Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
on floodplain,
gravel and
sand in
channel
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
Salt marsh on the
floodplain,
paperbarks, and
salt marsh fringing
the channel
High-tidal to
mid-tidal flats
Tide-dominated,
macrotidal
Mud
Tidally flooded
daily to
fortnightly,
salinity $ 40 ppt
grading upslope
to 190 ppt
Moderately diverse
zoned mangroves
and accompanying
high-diversity
benthic fauna
between MSL and
MHWS, samphire
at $ MHWS, bare
salt flat with local
algal mat at levels
above MHWS with
crustacean and
insects
Low-tidal to
mid-tidal flats
Tide-dominated,
macrotidal
Mud
Flooded daily,
salinity $ 35 ppt
High-diversity
infauna of
crustacean,
molluscs,
polychaetes,
sponges
Peel-Harvey
Estuary, Harvey
River delta,
subtropical
subhumid
Fluvially
dominated
delta
Supratidal
floodplain,
abandoned
channels
(sumplands),
cheniers, and
shallow river
channel
Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
on floodplain,
gravel and
sand in
channel
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
Salt marsh on the
floodplain;
paperbarks forest,
heath, and salt
marsh fringing the
channel on the
levees; salt marsh
on the interior
floodplains
Supratidal levee Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
otherwise
wetted by
brackish
shallow
groundwater
Paperbark forest and
heath
Supratidal
lagoons/
ponds
(sumplands)
Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
on floodplain,
gravel and
sand in
channel
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
Fringing salt marsh,
local algal mats,
gastropods
Tidal flats in
front of delta
Fluvially
dominated,
microtidal
Sand
Tidally flooded
daily, salinity
$ 40 ppt
Low diversity
invertebrate
infauna of
crustacean,
molluscs, and
polychaetes
Tidal flats lateral
to delta
Fluvially
dominated,
microtidal
Mud
Tidally flooded
daily, salinity
$ 40 ppt
Low diversity
invertebrate
infauna of
crustacean,
molluscs, and
polychaetes
268
ESTUARINE DELTAIC WETLANDS
Estuary and climate Delta type
Delta wetland
habitats
Hydrography/
oceanography
Substrate
Hydroperiod/
salinity
Biota
Lawley River
estuary, tropical
humid
Tide-dominated
delta
Supratidal
floodplain and
anastomosing
shallow river
channel
Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
on floodplain,
gravel and
sand in
channel
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
Salt marsh on the
floodplain,
paperbarks, and
salt marsh fringing
the channel
High-tidal to
mid-tidal flats
Tide-dominated,
macrotidal
Mud
Tidally flooded
daily to
fortnightly,
salinity $ 40 ppt
grading upslope
to 190 ppt
Moderately diverse
zoned mangroves
and accompanying
high-diversity
benthic fauna
between MSL and
MHWS, samphire
at $ MHWS, bare
salt flat with local
algal mat at levels
above MHWS with
crustacean and
insects
Low-tidal to
mid-tidal flats
Tide-dominated,
macrotidal
Mud
Flooded daily,
salinity $ 35 ppt
High-diversity
infauna of
crustacean,
molluscs,
polychaetes,
sponges
Peel-Harvey
Estuary, Harvey
River delta,
subtropical
subhumid
Fluvially
dominated
delta
Supratidal
floodplain,
abandoned
channels
(sumplands),
cheniers, and
shallow river
channel
Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
on floodplain,
gravel and
sand in
channel
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
Salt marsh on the
floodplain;
paperbarks forest,
heath, and salt
marsh fringing the
channel on the
levees; salt marsh
on the interior
floodplains
Supratidal levee Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
otherwise
wetted by
brackish
shallow
groundwater
Paperbark forest and
heath
Supratidal
lagoons/
ponds
(sumplands)
Riverdominated,
terrestrial
Sand and mud
on floodplain,
gravel and
sand in
channel
Flooded annually
in the wet
season by
freshwater
Fringing salt marsh,
local algal mats,
gastropods
Tidal flats in
front of delta
Fluvially
dominated,
microtidal
Sand
Tidally flooded
daily, salinity
$ 40 ppt
Low diversity
invertebrate
infauna of
crustacean,
molluscs, and
polychaetes
Tidal flats lateral
to delta
Fluvially
dominated,
microtidal
Mud
Tidally flooded
daily, salinity
$ 40 ppt
Low diversity
invertebrate
infauna of
crustacean,
molluscs, and
polychaetes
268
ESTUARINE DELTAIC WETLANDS