Does Kosteletzkya pentacarpos Facilitate Upland Transition to High Salt Marsh?

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