BACKGROUND
Both mangroves and salt marshes occur in the intertidal zone: the area between terrestrial land and open salt water. Areas above high water level are increasingly restrictive on growth, and although some mangroves persist they commonly diminish in size and are soon replaced by saltmarsh communities more tolerant of hypersalinity.
PART 1: ABOITIC FACTORS
The main abiotic factors that will determine the structure of the salt marsh community are the salinity of the soil, the water content in the soil and the substrate type. The impact these abiotic factors have on the structure is ultimately determined by the topography of the land.

The unusual topography of the land determined the salinity concentrations in the soil: the land forms a shallow basin in the center and is surrounded by a slightly higher landform. When the salt marsh is rarely inundated, the water is drawn to the center of the ecosystem due to the abnormal topography of the land. During the process of evaporation, a majority of the water content is removed from the soil and transformed into water vapour, leaving behind highly concentrated salt sediment.
Another key abiotic factor is the substrate type. According to the data collected, sites B and D have fairly low water content in the soil, while the remaining sites recorded a much high reading. The soil at sites B and D appeared dry, especially on the surface, and replicated fine grain sand – this particular substrate cannot retain a high water moisture and will easily lose water to evaporation or water run-off. On the other hand, sites A and C soils appeared very moist and replicated clay – this particular substrate is ideal for capturing and retaining water, particularly in rain fall and the inundation of the area. Overall, the abiotic factors have determined the structure of the community, a distinct difference between the middle