ABSTRACT
Tidal wetlands provide man with a wide array of goods and services ranging from commercial timber to the control of coastal erosion. However, there are also extensive freshwater swamp forests in many areas of the tropics which are influenced by tidal movements. In attempting to maximize the production of one or even a small part of the total resources offered by wetlands there are corresponding environmental and economic impacts upon other wetland dependent activities. Bio-physical features of wetland ecosystems are discussed in relation to the influence of tides, functions provided by wetlands and other coastal ecosystems. Tidal wetlands are complex systems which have strong functional linkages to rivers, estuaries, lagoons, seagrass beds and other coastal ecosystems. Apart from the contribution to primary productivity, there are other factors which are important to consider in terms of the linkages between different forms of tidal wetland. Two broad categories of wetland soils can be identified, namely organic and mineral soils.
