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This study represents the first comprehensive biological and hydrochemical investigation of small coastal ponds in the saltmarsh dominated Tijuana Estuary, southern California (U.S.). Special attention is given to the brackish water biotopes.
Different salinities and considerable fluctuations in water level characterized these shallow ponds and restrict the biological settlement. Fluctuations of salinities ranged from brackish water to hyperhaline water conditions. Due to different salinity levels, the ponds vary in hydrochemistry, macroinvertebrate species composition and plant communities. The macroinvertebrate community of the brackish waters were dominated by Gastropoda, Odonata, and Coleoptera containing a mixture of freshwater/brackish water species and marine macroinvertebrates. Typical plants of the brackish habitat were Typha domingensis (Southern cattail), and Scirpus californicus (California bulrush) associated with Juncus acutus (Siny rush). These brackish habitats with a wide range of salinity fluctuations are sparsely colonized but represent a niche for typical highly adaptable species. Especially, it is a biotope for species with a wide range of salt tolerance. Therefore, endangered species occurred besides introduced or invasive species in the ponds of the Tijuana Estuary. This fact has to be taken into account in case of wetland restoration. Due to the freshwater influence, the restoration of brackish habitats focuses on the problem of invasive species.