Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive ...
Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive ...
Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive ...
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Chapter 4: Spartina C<strong>on</strong>trol and Management<str<strong>on</strong>g>Proceedings</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Third</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Internati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>ference</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Invasive</strong> Spartinanatural restorati<strong>on</strong> processes occurring over several years,Spartina-affected mudflats are far from having shorebirdusage comparable to what normally occurred <strong>on</strong> a bare tidalmudflat. This may be especially true for low tidal energysites in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn half <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Willapa Bay, where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re istraditi<strong>on</strong>ally high shorebird usage. At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se sites, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>landscape-scale changes in bathymetry via Spartina-inducedaccreti<strong>on</strong> and root mass accumulati<strong>on</strong> make it unlikely thatany restorati<strong>on</strong> effort would be able to bring back <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>original bathymetry. This is especially true since nativemarsh is already succeeding in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se areas. Once <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se siteshave transiti<strong>on</strong>ed to stable salt marshes, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re will be littlelikelihood that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y could ever become functi<strong>on</strong>al mudflatsagain. To prevent irreversible loss <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> prime shorebirdhabitat, it is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore absolutely essential to eradicate allexisting Spartina in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se critical sites as quickly as possible.Can we realistically achieve restorati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> functi<strong>on</strong>alshorebird habitat at Spartina-affected tidelands post-c<strong>on</strong>trol?If <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> site has underg<strong>on</strong>e major elevati<strong>on</strong> changes, it is likelythat it will become a stable salt marsh, and achievingshorebird habitat over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<strong>on</strong>g term will be problematic. If<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> site has not underg<strong>on</strong>e major Spartina-induced elevati<strong>on</strong>changes, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n habitat restorati<strong>on</strong> is feasible. Restorati<strong>on</strong> maybe expedited with a process that breaks up root masses andremoves stubble and traces <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Spartina canopy, such astilling. This process is not inexpensive. Tilling <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> largeSpartina meadows is cost-prohibitive, requires veryspecialized equipment and is very slow (