The Korean Tidal Flats

This book describes surface sediments and biological communities in nearly 60 tidal flats in Korea. The tidal flats were regularly visited every one or two years from 2015 to 2024 to sample and observe them. The data were collected about sediment texture, elevation, elementary chemical components, halophytes, microbenthic and marine-protected animals, and coastal birds. Every tidal flat reflects its unique sedimentary environments associated with adjacent rivers or streams and the local geography governing wave and tidal current regimes. The book illuminates how sensitively the tidal flats vary in sediment according to how much they are open to winter waves or summer typhoons and how close they are to the rivers. The volume also shows that the observed biological communities have adapted to the specific physical conditions (and thus the substrates) and, if any, the artificial intervention. The book is a valuable resource for graduate students, practitioners, and seasoned experts.

The book consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 briefly introduces the Holocene evolutionary history of the Korean tidal flats, followed by a synopsis of their characteristics regarding geology, geochemistry, and biology, and then by the subsections of ‘Study Area’ and ‘Materials and Methods.’ Chapters 2-8 describe tidal flats classified into seven environmental settings, including all five major Korean rivers, as well as macrotidal beaches and offshore islands. The description of a tidal flat includes the geologic setting, data of observed entities, and a summary. Chapter 9 summarizes all observations under each measurement entity. In this final chapter, the authors briefly address the characteristics of the tidal flats in the seven environmental settings.