does kosteletzkya pentacarpos facilitate upland transition to high salt marsh?
TRANSCRIPT
Does Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
Facilitate Upland Transition to High Salt
Marsh?
Victoria Long
KatieSpady
Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
“The pig of the plant world”…. but in the case of K. pentacarpos everything is useful*
• Seeds for oil for biodiesel fuel
• Seed pulp for animal feed• Stems for fiber and
animal bedding• Flowers for bees and
hummingbirds• Perennial plant with deep
roots that sequester large amounts of C and N
• Tolerates brackish soils• Cultivated with traditional
farm machinery• Facilitates conversion to
high marsh• Highly competitive with
Phragmites
* Jack Gallagher, Univ Deleware
Long-term experiment in collaboration with TNC and University of Delaware to assess:• Soil properties particularly C and N content in
old field vs. K. pentacarpos planted plots• Track vegetation communities• Agricultural demonstration project
Summer 2014 QuestionsGermination efficiency?
GreenhouseField
Planting approach?TransplantDrilled Broadcast
Soil saturation?Wet Dry
Trans-planted
DrilledBroad-
cast
Very wet soil
1
Wet soil 1 1
Moderately wet soil
1
Moist soil 1 1 1
Groundwater wells
Cork surface water pipes
Variables• Germination efficiency
– Greenhouse– Field
• Survival• Plant height• Number of stems• Number and timing of flowering• Seed biomass
Seed CollectionOctober 18, 20133 locationsSeeds combined
LegendBrownsvilleABCRC Lab
Seeds planted March 14,
2014
81% germination
Plot APlanted June
10, 2014
Plot C
Plot D
Broadcast PlotsPlanted July 2, 2014
Plot TypeTotal
NumberCapsules
Drilled/very wet 0
Drilled/wet 4
Drilled/moderate 0
Drilled/moist 0
Broadcast/wet 9
Broadcast/moist 25
acknowledgements
Virginia Coast Reserve LTER
The Nature ConservancyNational Science
Foundation