Typhoons, as one of the common natural disasters in coastal zones, have severe impacts on tidal flats. However, there is a significant lack of field data on typhoons, and studies on how salt marsh vegetation protects tidal flats during typhoon events are still very limited. This study selected Chongming Dongtan in the Changjiang River Estuary as the research site. During the passage of Typhoon In-Fa in July 2021, hydrodynamic instruments and UAV photogrammetry (elevation measurements) were used to monitor hydrodynamics and sediment in both salt marsh and the marsh front areas, as well as to monitor the salt marsh ecosystem before and after the typhoon. The findings are as follows: (1) During the typhoon, wind speed, water depth, and wave height were 1.1−2.8 times those before and after the typhoon, and the hydrodynamic forces in the marsh front area were higher than those in the salt marsh area, with water depth, wave height, and flow velocity being 1.3 times, 1.2 times, and 1.9 times those of the salt marsh area, respectively. (2) Under the influence of Typhoon In-Fa, vegetation patches at the marsh front, directly exposed to strong winds and waves, experienced hydrodynamic forces such as water depth and wave height that were 1.1−1.9 times those of the salt marsh area, resulting in erosion at the marsh front being 1.2−1.8 times that of the inland vegetation patches under the same vegetation coverage conditions. (3) In the marsh-front area, densely vegetated patches demonstrated stronger sediment accretion capacity compared to sparsely vegetated patches, with the maximum accretion thickness in densely vegetated areas reaching 45 cm, whereas sparse patches were mainly subject to erosion, with a maximum erosion depth of 17 cm. This indicates that the density of vegetation patches directly affects the sedimentation and erosion dynamics of the tidal flat. This study reveals that the arrangement and location of vegetation patches are crucial to the sedimentation and erosion of tidal flats under extreme weather events, which has significant implications for tidal flat management and ecological protection. It also provides theoretical support for establishing a robust natural barrier in response to extreme weather conditions.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |