The Western Aquatic Plant Management Society (2004) states that, \"S. alterniflora is a plant of the intertidal zone, where it colonizes mud or sandflats in saline or brackish water. Found in areas of low to moderate wave energy, the species can colonize a broad range of substrates, ranging from sand and silt to loose cobble, clay, and gravel. The species can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, including: inundation up to 12 hours a day, pH levels from 4.5 to 8.5, and salinity from 10 to 60 ppt\".
Spartina can grow in terrestrial areas, but is excluded by competition from other plants. It can grow in the highest reached of the intertidal zone all the way down until ~ 1m from mean low water (Brian Silliman., pers. comm., 2005).
Principal source: Invasive Spartina Project, 2003. Introduced Spartina alterniflora/hybrids (smooth cordgrass)
Western Aquatic Plant Management Society, 2004. Spartina alterniflora
Compiler: National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) & IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
Review: Brian Silliman The Nature Conservancy David H. Smith Postdoctoral Fellow Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences College of William and Mary
Publication date: 2005-11-16
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Spartina alterniflora. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/Spartina+alterniflora on 07-10-2024.