Nutria activity was recorded as numbers of digging (for rhizomes) 
or clipping (of plants) locations, numbers of droppings, numbers of 
trails crossing the transects, and inches covered by nutria activity 
on the sample transects. For many diggings and clippings the species 
of plants involved were listed. © 
TRANSECT DESCRIPTIONS 
The study areas were located in southwestern Louisiana (Fig. 1). 
in locating most of the transects, an attempt was made to select areas 
where nutria damage to vegetation was not already extensive, but where 
such damage might reasonably be expected to occur. The transects were 
not statistical samples of the various marsh plant associations in 
southwestern Louisiana, but they did represent areas of high nutria 
populations. 
Transect A was located in the central portion of Marsh Island, 
Iberia Parish, Louisiana. It was 10,500 feet long, passing through 
the following vegetative types: 
1. A marsh of mixed saltmeadow cordgrass and Olney's three-square, 
4,900 feet. 
2. A stand of big cordgrass, 600 feet, called the "north stand." 
3. <A firmer and slightly more elevated marsh than type 1 of 
saltmeadow cordgrass and saltgrass, 1,600 feet. 
4, Several former stands of reed, 500 feet. 
5. A series of big cordgrass stands, 3,000 feet, called “south 
stand.” 
