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The Bahía Blanca Estuary (38° 50' S, 62° 30' W) presents salt marshes where interactions between the local main plant and the dominant crab generate some very characteristics salt pans. These pans alter the normal water circulation and condition its trajectory generating an erosive process. The removed sediment is then exported to the main estuary through the creeks that evolve from those biological-physical interactions. To study it, a conceptual model is proposed, based on the laws deduced from observation of these phenomena in the field, and then verified with measurable data within macroscale time units. The objective of this article is to model how the interaction between the crab C. granulata and the plant S. perennis modifies the landscape of the salt marsh and influences the loss of sediment with a Cellular Automata Model. Originally developed to study the effect of the interaction plant - crab in the formation of tidal creeks, the model copies the basic laws that dominate the problem based on purely biological factors. Finally, the volume of sediment that is removed and how it varies in time are evaluated. The model results a very good tool to integrate a large quantity of data collected recently and to be able to extract conclusions on processes that have a very slow dynamics. Additionally, it could reproduce faithfully the salt marsh landscape product of the plants - crab interaction.En el estuario de Bahía Blanca (38° 50' S, 62° 30' O) existen marismas donde la interacción entre la planta principal y el cangrejo predominante generan cuencos salados muy característicos. Estos cuencos alteran la circulación normal del agua y condicionan su trayectoria generando procesos erosivos. El sedimento removido es transportado al estuario a través de los canales de marea que evolucionan a partir de estas interacciones físico-biológicas. Para estudiar estas interacciones se propone un modelo conceptual basado en leyes deducidas de mediciones en el campo de esos procesos y luego verificadas con unidades de macroescala. El objetivo de este artículo es modelar como la interacción entre al cangrejo C. granulata y la planta S. Perennis modifica el paisaje de la marisma e influencia una pérdida de sedimento con un modelo de Autómatas Celulares. Este modelo fue concebido originalmente para estudiar como la interacción planta - cangrejo modifica el desarrollo de los canales de marea. El modelo copia las leyes básicas que dominan el problema, basado exclusivamente en factores biológicos. Finalmente se evalúa cuanto volumen de sedimento es erosionado y su dinámica temporal. El modelo resultó una muy buena herramienta para integrar gran cantidad de datos y posibilitó extraer conclusiones en procesos que tienen una dinámica muy lenta. Además, se pudo reproducir satisfactoriamente el paisaje que la interacción planta - cangrejo generan en la marisma.

The Bahía Blanca Estuary (38° 50' S, 62° 30' W) presents salt marshes where interactions between the local main plant and the dominant crab generate some very characteristics salt pans. These pans alter the normal water circulation and condition its trajectory generating an erosive process. The removed sediment is then exported to the main estuary through the creeks that evolve from those biological-physical interactions. To study it, a conceptual model is proposed, based on the laws deduced from observation of these phenomena in the field, and then verified with measurable data within macroscale time units. The objective of this article is to model how the interaction between the crab C. granulata and the plant S. perennis modifies the landscape of the salt marsh and influences the loss of sediment with a Cellular Automata Model. Originally developed to study the effect of the interaction plant - crab in the formation of tidal creeks, the model copies the basic laws that dominate the problem based on purely biological factors. Finally, the volume of sediment that is removed and how it varies in time are evaluated. The model results a very good tool to integrate a large quantity of data collected recently and to be able to extract conclusions on processes that have a very slow dynamics. Additionally, it could reproduce faithfully the salt marsh landscape product of the plants - crab interaction.