(c) robust "cuttings" prepared by transplanting small 

 shoots from tall, healthy plants into 10-centimeter peat pots in Septem- 

 ber for field planting the following spring; 



(d) dwarf "cuttings" prepared in the same way as above 

 with shoots from dwarf cordgrass. All peat pots were cultured over 

 winter in tanks inundated 8 hours daily with San Francisco Bay water 

 at salinities of 10 to 15 parts per thousand. 



Each of the four types were about equally effective as transplants. 

 Survival was better for the dwarf cuttings than for the robust, and first- 

 year growth of the peat -pot seedlings was below that of the plugs and 

 cuttings. However, growth evened out the second year and the predicted 

 time for the development of a mature stand (3 years) was the same for 

 all four types and for direct seeding. 



Transplanting of freshly dug Pacific cordgrass plants or "sprigs" 

 from natural marshes or intertidal nurseries, as used with smooth cord- 

 grass (Woodhouse, Seneca, and Broome, 1972), was quite successful in a 

 1976 test (Morris and Newcombe, 1978). Survival and first-year growth 

 was substantially better than with the four transplant types used in the 

 earlier trial. However, this trial did not provide a valid comparison 

 of transplant types because the 1976 plantings were located in an aban- 

 doned saltpond that had been breached and filled with dredged material. 

 This provided a somewhat more protected site than that used in the first 

 test. Also, most of the area was in the upper end of the elevation 

 range for Pacific cordgrass. Even so, these results are encouraging for 

 the use of sprigs. These are much cheaper than the other transplant 

 types and may be preferable from the standpoint of survival and early 

 growth . 



d. Black Needle Rush . This plant is propagated vegetatively and 

 by seeds. Transplant success has been erratic. Plants from young, un- 

 crowded stands are definitely preferable to older plants. Seeds may 

 germinate as soon as shed. They require light and constant wetness and 

 they germinate best in freshwater; prolonged exposure to salinities 

 above 1 percent are detrimental. Black needle rush seeds are more 

 difficult to harvest than seeds of the cordgrasses. Seedlings have 

 been produced in peat pots (Garbisch, Woller, and McCallum, 1975) which 

 is probably the most reliable method. However, in light of the diffi- 

 culties encountered in direct establishment of this species and the 

 propensity it has for invading stands of other marsh plants after 

 stabilization, direct planting of black needle rush is seldom justified. 

 Usually, it is much easier to stabilize the area with smooth cordgrass 

 or saltmeadow cordgrass and allow black needle rush to invade naturally 

 where it is best adapted. If large grass plantings are isolated from 

 natural stands, it may be advisable to include 1 to 5 percent black 

 needle rush in the initial planting to ensure the presence of a seed 

 supply. 



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