Table 1. Description of plantings on Lake Ponchartrain, St Charles Parish. 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



The initial plantings were followed up by two detailed evaluations of plant growth during the 

 first growing season including photographic documentation. Surviving plants were doing well on 

 an evaluation trip on 25 June 1984. Immediately after planting, nutria damaged sites 5 through 

 11, reducing survival rates on sites 5 through 8 to 30% and sites 9 through 11 to 50%. Nutria 

 feeding activity within stands of smooth cordgrass is common even though the plant is not a 

 preferred food plant of the animal. This activity results in many vegetative test sections being 

 excavated and available for water transport to other suitable growing sites by tidal action. For best 

 results, it would be desirable to precede planting by a vigorous trapping program to reduce the 

 nutria population. The best results~75% survival rate-were obtained on plantings of two to three 

 rows with 0.61 m spacings (sites 1, 2, and 3). The rhizomes were closing in between plants, and 

 tillers were evident growing from the rhizomes. There was no additional nutria damage to sites 

 1 through 8 after the initial damage. The plants along the inside of shoreline (sites 9-11) were 

 doing well. Although it was evident that there was a good survival rate, all exterior shoreline 

 plantings (site 12) had been washed out by waves. 



The second field review on 23 August 1984 proved even more promising (Table 2). The results 

 were put into three groups: Group 1, inside shoreline (non-fertilized), sites 9, 10, and 11; Group 

 2, interior marsh sites (fertilized and non-fertilized), sites 1, 2, 3, and 4; and Group 3, sites 5, 6, 

 7, and 8. 



Photographic documentation after 24 August 1984 showed continued growth and development 

 of the planting sites and gradual spread into adjacent areas. The value of the vegetation in 

 trapping detritus was evident. In May 1985, approximately 15.24 to 20.32 cm of detrital material 

 had been deposited between the planting line at sites 1, 2, and 3 and the natural shoreline. As 



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