PROPAGATION OF SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA FOR SUBSTRATE STABILIZATION 

 AND SALT MARSH DEVELOPMENT 



by 



W.W. Woodhouse, Jr., E.D. Seneca, 

 and S. W. Broome 



I. INTRODUCTION 



1 . General . 



Natural tidal marsh has become recognized as a valuable resource 

 (Gosselink, Odum, and Pope, 1974). Marshes serve as a nursery ground or 

 as a source of energy or both, for a large number of sports and commercial 

 fishery species (Odum, 1961; Teal, 1962; Odum and de la Cruz, 1967; 

 Cooper, 1969; Williams and Murdoch, 1969). Under suitable conditions, 

 dry-matter production in these marshes may exceed that of the major food 

 crops of the world grown under the best conditions (Odum, 1961) . Tidal 

 marshes are also important in the storage and transfer of mineral nutri- 

 ents between sediments and surrounding estuarine waters (Pomeroy, et al . , 

 1969; Williams and Murdoch, 1969). Further, in many situations these 

 marshes stabilize shorelines and afford protection to developed areas 

 during storms by absorbing and dissipating wave energy, and by storage 

 of water. 



In many parts of the world intertidal marshes have been prime targets 

 of reclamation for agricultural, industrial and commercial development 

 for a long time. Some Dutch polders are believed to have been reclaimed 

 from marshes over 1,000 years ago. Until recently, marshes along much of 

 the Atlantic coast of the United States have been viewed as wasteland 

 suitable for conversion to other land uses by dredge and fill operations 

 and as a place to dump waste materials. Consequently, the coastal marsh 

 areas have decreased markedly in many regions causing concern, particularly 

 along the Atlantic coast of the United States. 



Although dredging for development and for navigation has destroyed 

 substantial amounts of marsh over the years, much of the marsh that has 

 developed in recent times arose on dredge spoil deposits in and around 

 estuaries. Dredging continues to be essential to the maintenance of navi- 

 gation, and it seems likely to increase in importance. The stabilization 

 of dredged materials will often be desirable. If this activity could be 

 successfully combined with marsh creation, substantial multiple benefits 

 should be possible. This is a report of a study started in the fall of 

 1969, to explore the possibility of stabilizing dredged material in the 

 intertidal zone and the concomitant establishment of estuarine marsh 

 plants under conditions existing along the North Carolina coast (Woodhouse, 

 Seneca, and Broome, 1972; Broome, 1973; Broome, Woodhouse, and Seneca, 

 1974). 



Efforts were concentrated primarily on the perennial salt marsh grass, 

 Spartina alterniflora Loisel. (smooth cordgrass) . At the start of this 



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