Cattail Invasion and Persistence in a Coastal Salt Marsh: The Role of Salinity Reduction

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Abstract
The hypothesis thatTypha domingensis (cattail) can invade tidal marshes only after soil salinities are substantially reduced was tested experimentally by comparing the salt tolerance of seeds, seedlings, and plants reared from rhizomes. Germination rates for four southern California populations reached 100% in fresh water, decreasing to 2% at 20‰. The salt tolerance of seeds from three coastal populations was lower than that of the Salton Sea population. Salt tolerance of plants grown in the lab did not increase with age for seedlings up to 8 weeks old. Rhizome-bearing plants had greatly decreased growth at 10‰ and no growth at 25‰ However, rhizomes of about 5% of the plants survived 9 months at 45‰. The seeds and seedlings are salt sensitive, which explains why invasion into tidal marshes is restricted to prolonged periods of low soil salinity. The older, rhizome-bearing plants are salt tolerant, which explains how invading plants persist persist under hypersaline conditions.

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