| In spring 2001, during a complete tidal cycle, nitrogen fluxes between the sea and the salt marsh were calculated. The marsh (1198 m2) covered in 75 % by halophytes, with 46 % by the sea purslane, Halimione portulacoides. The nitrogen balance shows that the salt marsh imports nitrogen micro-particules (2,09 g) by sedimentation, exports dissolved nitrogen (4,13 g), and that the macro-element part (-1,02 g in fauna and vegetable refuse) in the global mass balance (3,06 g) is not unimportant. Nitrogen fluxes are mainly under inorganic form for the incoming flux (mainly NO3), and under organic form for the outgoing flux. The halophyte vegetation of this marsh seems to play thus a dominating role in the tidal nitrogen exchanges, by a mechanical action on the... |
