Objective: reduce the abundance of Spartina species already present in intertidal habitats
Definitions
● Intertidal = the area between high and low tide.
● Herbicide = a chemical that kills or inhibits the growth of plants.
1. Description
Integrated control most commonly refers to the use of multiple control methods and is generally related to the application of a second control method after cutting. Integrated measures have been found to reduce Spartina abundance by 91% and Spartina growth by 57%, on average (Wang et al. , 2023). Integrated measures may be effective at reducing Spartina but the effect on native wildlife must also be taken into consideration.
2. Evidence of effects on biodiversity
Birds: Birds tend to be deterred from areas invaded by Spartina , but have been shown to use areas (to a similar degree to non-invaded areas) once Spartina has been eradicated (Lyu et al., 2023). Controlling Spartina by waterlogging and mowing led to a restored site having comparable species richness to a natural wetland (Fan et al., 2021). Invertebrates: Cutting or mowing machinery could have potential negative impacts on benthic invertebrates if heavy machinery leads to soil compaction (David Melville, pers. obs.). A study in China found that waterlogging and mowing had negative impacts on the macrobenthic community in the long term (Sheng et al. , 2014). Native vegetation : A review by Wang et al . (2023) observed that native plant species diversity on salt marshes was enhanced by 210% following integrated control measures. However, Sheng et al. (2014) found that a combination of waterlogging and mowing negatively impacted native reed Phragmites spp.
3. Factors that can affect outcomes
Site access: How easy it is to access all areas of the site will determine which techniques can realistically be used. For example, soft mud can make a site inaccessible (Hassell et al. , 2014). Humans may need to manually intervene in areas where large machinery cannot reach. However, some areas may also be difficult, or unsafe, to access on foot.
Size of the site: The size of the area that requires Spartina removal will influence the methods to be implemented. For example, very small areas could be managed manually by removing
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