VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Spartina alterniflora | Smooth Cordgrass 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Smooth cordgrass has little value as livestock forage, although it is
sometimes eaten after rains wash away salts accumulated on the leaves.
Smooth cordgrass sites are often too wet for livestock grazing to be
practical [1].

A variety of wildlife species use smooth cordgrass.  It is an important
food source for West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) and snow geese
(Chen caerulescens) [1,31].  It has provides limited food value for
muskrats (Ondatra spp.).  Fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax) and ribbed mussels
(Geukensia demissa) form facultative mutualistic relationships with
smooth cordgrass.  Fiddler crabs excavate burrows which increase soil
drainage, soil oxidation-reduction potential, and in situ decomposition
of belowground plant debris.  Smooth cordgrass provides structural
support in the soft soil, which facilitates burrowing [2].  Ribbed
mussels are found attached to stems and roots of smooth cordgrass.  The
relationship leads to increased net primary production and stability of
the marsh [3].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
Smooth cordgrass provides cover for waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds,
and muskrats; and habitat for commercially important fish and shellfish
[29].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Smooth cordgrass was direct-seeded successfully on damaged marshes found
on dredge spoils from Connecticut to Virginia.  Lower littoral zones
were seeded in locations where heavy wave action caused by storms did
not erode away the often top-heavy plants before their root systems
developed sufficiently.  Smooth cordgrass seeds and seedlings were also
planted successfully on dredge spoils produced in the maintenance of
navigational channels within sounds and estuaries [11].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Smooth cordgrass provides thatch for roofs [6].

Smooth cordgrass is an important component of Gulf Coast salt marshes
which stabalize shorelines against erosion and filter heavy metals and
toxic materials from the water column [13].

The presence of smooth cordgrass indicates sites with high salinity,
which can be managed for shrimp ponds [20].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Gulf Coast marshes, because they provide soil stabilization and enhance
water quality, receive the highest priority for protection in
comprehensive oil spill response plans for coastal areas [13].  Effects
of oil spills on salt marshes vary depending on oil type, plant
coverage, season, and marsh elevation [24].  Flushing with seas water is
the most effective clean-up method for oil-contaminated salt marshes at
present. However, once oil penetrates the sediment, not even flushing
will remove it.  Flushing is also ineffective at reducing damage to
cordgrass and enhancing long-term plant recovery.  If natural tidal
flushing occurs, no other clean-up measures are recommended because
impacts on the community cause more harm than good.  Overall, clean-up
responses have limited effectiveness; therefore, primary emphasis should
be placed on contingency planning and protection of salt marsh habitat
from oil spills [13].

Related categories for Species: Spartina alterniflora | Smooth Cordgrass