Except where indicated, all plants used in this study were grown in 

 the solutions listed in Table 1. Calcium carbonate was used to buffer 

 the solutions at hydrogen-ion concentration (pH) 7.1 to 7.4. 



In the first two experiments, plants were supported by placement 

 in a 4-centimeter-thick layer of polypropylene black beads, 2 milli- 

 meters in diameter and a density of 0.9 gram per cubic centimeter, 

 which floated on the surface of the nutrient solution. Although the 

 beads worked well for plant support, algae growth and difficulty in 

 changing nutrient solution limited their use. Thus, in the last three 

 experiments, plants were supported in plastic cups mounted in a re- 

 movable lid which allowed solution renewal and prevented algae growth. 



111. PROPAGATION 



Spartina alteimifZora propagates vegetatively and by seeds. New 

 sites are usually colonized by seeds that germinate in March in North 

 Carolina. Fragments of marsh sod may become dislodged by water or ice, 

 drift onto bare sites, take root, and spread. New stands thicken and 

 spread through the growth of new plants from rhizome culms and seed- 

 lings. Seedlings and vegetative transplants usually produce seed the 

 year of establishment; the amount depends on the growth and vigor of 

 the stand. 



This section provides data from several tests on eroding shore- 

 lines plus 1 year's observations of two previously reported experiments 

 (Woodhouse, Seneca, and Broome, 1974). 



1. Pruning . 



In machine planting it is sometimes convenient to prune large trans- 

 plants to facilitate handling. However, earlier observations suggest 

 that pruning may be detrimental to survival and early regrowth. The 

 effect of pruning and the relative importance to the reestablishment 

 process of the leaves versus stems and buds versus rhizomes alone 

 are presented in Table 2. The plots extending from above mean high 

 water (MHW) to below mean low water (MLW) were planted near the optimum 

 date for this species in the area. The intertidal nursery area at 

 Beaufort, North Carolina, was the source for the plants and rhizomes. 



Variability in this experiment was high, due largely to erosion. 

 There was no significant difference in the growth of pruned and un- 

 pruned plants. The rhizome planting yielded clearcut results; rhi- 

 zomes without attached plants succumbed. The results of these treat- 

 ments may be compared in Figures 2, 3, and 4. 



These findings are worthy of some emphasis since the use of Spartina 

 altemiflora rhizomes for transplanting continues to be suggested. This 

 plant spreads into bare areas by rhizomes, with new plants growing from 

 new rhizomes; these young plants make excellent transplants. However, 



