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In September, we made 9 additional plantings of Juncus maritimus ,
Puccinellia maritima, and Spartina maritima and established initial
plantings of another species, Triglochin maritima (Figs. 12, 13).
Although not recognized as such on our initial visits to the site, the
latter species appears to be a common pioneer species on disturbed
sites alone or with Puccinellia maritima . Both Puccinellia and
Triglochin appear to invade by seed.
Height, number of stems, cover (a measure of spread) and
aboveground dry weight per transplant were determined in September
1979, 4 months after planting. Cover determinations were made by
measuring the average maximal diameter and the average minimal diameter
of the transplant and using these dimensions in the formula for the
area of an ellipse. Percent survival by transplant type and species
was also assessed at this time and at each subsequent visit. Because
our major objective was to establish vegetation, destructive sampling
for biomass determinations was held to a minimum of three samples per
treatment per location. A photographic record of all plantings was
initiated.
1980 Plantings
Based on results of our 1979 plantings, we established 14
additional plantings at higher elevations in May 1980 utilizing plugs
of Puccinellia , Juncus , Spartina , and Triglochin and sprigs of
Halimione (Figs. 14, 15). Remains of stems and intact root systems of
Halimione indicated that this species was the dominant along the creek
banks prior to the Amoco Cadiz oil (Fig. 16). Consequently, we began
preliminary tests of reestablishing this species along the creek banks
(Fig. 17) and included it in an experiment to determine the feasibility
of nursery production for transplants. Like the earlier plantings,
these 1980 plantings were designed to determine transplant response to
fertilizer materials at different rates over a range of substrate and
exposure conditions. Cover was determined for selected plantings. All
experimental plantings were surveyed to determine relative elevations,
i.e. relative to the natural marshes (Fig. 18).
In September we made 8 additional plantings using primarily
Puccinellia and Halimione with some . Spartina Based on results from
our earlier plantings, further planting of Triglochin seemed
impractical. As in September 1979, all earlier plantings were assessed
for survival, height and cover with sampling for dry weight
determinations limited to only two plantings. Photographic
surveillance was considered even more important because we did not
conduct intensive destructive sampling.
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