Table 11. Experimental planting sites on Padre Island. 



Description 



Planting 



Comments 



North Padre 



1,200-foot sea oats (Twin Batteries). 



Mar. 1969 



Original planting 3/4 saltmeadow cordgrass and 

 1/4 sea oats. Percent survival: cordgrass, 14; sea 

 oats, 46. Cattle grazing an early problem. Supple- 

 mental fill-in plantings of sea oats, cordgrass, and 

 panicum (shoredune and bitter). 



1,500- foot monthly planting-species 



1969 



Test plantings in small blocks of bitter panicum, 



comparisons. 



to 



sea oats, saltmeadow cordgrass, and seashore drop- 





1970 



seed; planted over 2 years. Survival: irregular; dune 

 not uniform. 



400-foot dune-width extension plot. 



Apr. 1973 



3:1 mixture of bitter panicum to sea oats. Percent 

 survival: panicum, 62; sea oats, 1. 



1,100-foot bitter panicum 



Feb. 1970 



Bitter panicum alternated with sea oats seed. 

 Percent survival: panicum, 17; sea oats, unsuccess- 

 ful. Subsequent patchwork planting. 



1,200-foot dune- width bitter panicum. 



Feb. 1972 



North half planted with bitter panicum; 76 per- 





and 



cent survival. South half planted with sea oats but 





Apr. 1972 



destroyed by jackrabbits. Replanted in April with 

 bitter panicum; 17 percent survival. 



700-foot monthly plantings (north 



1973 



Site originally planted in January 1971, as mixed 



section) plus 400-foot monthly 



to 



sea oats-bitter panicum planting. Failure due to 



plantings (southernmost plot). 



1974 



drought and wind excavation. Monthly plantings 

 in 1973 (700-foot section) and 1974 (southern- 

 most plot) of sea oats and bitter panicum; mostly 

 successful. 



Pan Am panicum (500 feet). 



Apr. 1970 



Planted with sea oats, but destroyed by rabbits. 

 Replanted with bitter panicum; 47 percent sur- 

 vival. Further panicum plantings in December 

 1970. 



South Padre 



Pass No. 1. 



Mar. 1971 



Mar. 1973 



North 400-foot section of 4-foot sand-fence dune 

 planted with bitter panicum. 



South 800-foot section of beach west of fence 

 planted to sea oats and bitter panicum. South half: 

 failure due to sand burial. North half: successful. 

 Percent survival: panicum, 53; sea oats, 21. 



46 



