Sedimentation fields as a method of saltmarsh restoration: continuity of human influence on natural processes

Saltmarsh habitat provides important ecosystem services such as water quality regulation, carbon sequestration and flood defence, but is experiencing losses globally. Historically, this has been caused by land claim, and more recently by rising sea levels. Several methods have been implemented to compensate for saltmarsh habitat loss, including realigning defences, transplanting vegetation and building structures such as sedimentation fields to enclose areas of mudflat and encourage sediment deposition. It has been suggested that sedimentation fields may offer saltmarsh restoration without the limitations identified in other restoration approaches, such as poor drainage and anoxia caused by changes to the sediment structure due to prior human activity. In this article, we argue that restoration through sedimentation fields should be viewed as a continuation of human activity influencing natural processes,rather than as a method that overcomes the influence of prior human activity on saltmarsh ecosystem functioning. This opinion is evidenced by a critical review of the (pre-)historic human activity and saltmarsh restoration attempts at Rumney Great Wharf, Severn Estuary, Wales, where sedimentation fields were constructed between 1989 and 2005 and extended in 2024. We then evaluate the research requirements that need to be addressed to ensure the successful implementation of future schemes, including further understanding of the interactions between physical and biological processes, to enhance ecosystem functioning in sites restored using sedimentation fields.