[1] The drainage density of a network is conventionally defined as (proportional to) the ratio of its total channelized length divided by the watershed area, and in practice, it is defined by the statistical distribution and correlation structure of the lengths of unchanneled pathways. In tidal networks this requires the definition of suitable drainage directions defined by hydrodynamic (as opposed to topographic) gradients. In this paper we refine theoretically and observationally previous analyses on the drainage density of tidal networks developed within tidal marshes. The issue is quite relevant for predictions of the morphological evolution of lagoons and coastal wetlands, especially if undergoing rapid changes owing, say, to combined effects of subsidence and sea level rise. We analyze 136 watersheds within 20 salt marshes from the northern lagoon of Venice using accurate aerial photographs and field surveys taken in different years in order to study both their space and time variability. Remarkably, the tidal landforms studied show quite different physical and ecological characteristics. We find a clear tendency to develop characteristic watersheds described by exponential decays of the probability distributions of unchanneled lengths, and thereby a pointed absence of scale-free distributions which instead usually characterize fluvial settings. We further find that total channel length relates well to watershed area rather than to tidal prism, a somewhat counterintuitive result on the basis of dynamical considerations. Finally, we show that in spite of the apparent site-specific features of morphological variability, conventional measures of drainage density appear to be quite constant in space and time, indicating a similarity of form. We show that such similarity is an artifact of the Hortonian measure. Indeed, important morphological differences, most notably in stream (or link) frequency reflecting the true extent of branching innervating the marshes and the sinuosity of tidal meandering, may only be captured by introducing measures of the extent of unchanneled flow paths based on hydrodynamics rather than topography and geometry.

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[1] Wetlands are characterized by extremely high biodiversity and primary productivity (comparable to tropical rain forests), provide critical habitats for rare and endangered vegetation and animal species, and mediate the effects of floods and the action of the sea on the coast. A deep understanding of wetland system functioning cannot be acquired by simply reducing its dynamics to a collection of parts but requires the explicit description of wetland physical and ecological processes as fully interacting components. In fact, the complex spatial ecohydrological patterns characterizing wetland areas arise as a result of the coupled evolution of their ecological, hydrological, and morphological features. Here we examine observations of prominent spatial patterns in wetland vegetation and link them to the relevant hydrological and ecological processes. We describe the limitations to vegetation development due to scarce soil oxygen availability and implement a mathematical model, based on Richards' equation, coupling subsurface water flow and plant water uptake in a tidal salt marsh. The soil aeration patterns arising from such interactions highlight the central role of vegetation in increasing soil aeration, possibly inducing the establishment of a permanently aerated soil layer (in spite of tidal flooding), and the influence of different soil characteristics on soil oxygen availability. Finally, we discuss how ecohydrological interactions can contribute to explain patterns of vegetation colonization and spatial heterogeneity.

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