Analysing the restoration of small coastal marshes: origin, construction and main contributions of the PEPPS programme

Abstract

The research programme PEPPS - Pertinence environnementale de la restauration des petits marais et prés salés (Environmental Relevance of the Restoration of Small Marshes and Salt Meadows) took place from 2018 to 2021. It is the results of exchanges and discussions of researchers from the universities of Rennes 1, Western Brittany and Southern Brittany specialising in the study of these environments and their functioning, ecological restoration and the analysis of social representations of the areas. Managers of natural areas and various expert structures were also involved. This programme, was financed by the Loire-Brittany Water Agency, the Brittany Region, the Côtes d'Armor and Finistère Departments, as well as the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme de Bretagne. The detailed results of this programme have been the subject of a synthesis report (Salgueiro-Simon et al., 2022) and scientific publications. The aim here is to present the objectives and approaches and to highlight the ecological and social dynamics and processes involved in the restoration of small salt marshes.