Abstract Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Research motivation 1.2 Research objective 1.3 Book structure Chapter 2 Morphodynamic modelling 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Model formulation 2.2.1 Hydraulic module 2.2.2 Sediment transport 2.2.3 Bed evolution 2.2.4 Vegetation growth 2.3 Hydrodynamic verifications of the model 2.3.1 Wetting and drying effects 2.3.2 Effects of vegetation on flow resistance 2.4 Conclusions Chapter 3 The interaction between tidal channels and salt marshes 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Model setup 3.3 Results 3.3.1 Coupled evolution of tidal channels and salt marshes 3.3.2 Deposition and erosion rates 3.3.3 Development of salt marshes 3.3.4 Development of tidal channel networks 3.3.5 The drainage efficiency 3.4 Discussion 3.4.1 Sea level rise 3.4.2 Comparison with Delft3D 3.5 Comparison with field data 3.6 Conclusions Chapter 4 The effect of initial bed surface on salt marsh and tidal channel developments 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Model setup 4.3 Effects of perturbations on bare soil cases 4.3.1 Initial perturbation density 4.3.2 Initial perturbation distribution 4.4 Effects of perturbations in the presence of vegetation 4.4.1 Development of salt marshes 4.4.2 Vegetation feedback on tidal channel development 4.5 Effects of initial bed slope 4.5.1 Channels in bare sloping mudflat 4.5.2 Coupled development of tidal channels and salt marshes 4.5.3 Vegetation contributions on sloping beds 4.6 Key factors for the efficient drainage system 4.7 Conclusions Chapter 5 General conclusions and future work Bibliography