Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
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| Sturdy bulrush. Image in: Francis, Mary Evans. 1912. The book of grasses: an illustrated guide to the common grasses, and the most common of the rushes and sedges. Hosted by Wikimedia Commons. |
Introductory
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:
Snyder, S. A. 1991. Bolboschoenus robustus. In: Fire Effects
Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences
Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/graminoid/bolrob/all.html [].
Revisions:
On 10 September 2018, the common name of this species was changed in FEIS
from: seacoast bulrush
to: sturdy bulrush. Images were also added.
ABBREVIATION:
BOLROB
SYNONYMS:
Schoenoplectus robustus (Pursh.) M.T. Strong [31]
Scirpus maritimus L. var. macrostachyus Michx.
Scirpus robustus Pursh [9]
NRCS PLANT CODE:
BORO5
COMMON NAMES:
sturdy bulrush
alkali bulrush
bulrush
leafy three-cornered sedge
saltmarsh bulrush
seacoast bulrush
seaside club-rush
stout bulrush
three-cornered rush
TAXONOMY:
The scientific name of sturdy bulrush is Bolboschoenus robustus (Pursh)
Soják (Cyperaceae) [32].
LIFE FORM:
Graminoid
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status
OTHER STATUS:
NO ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Sturdy bulrush is distributed along the East Coast of North America
from Nova Scotia south through Florida, and along the Gulf Coast into
Mexico [9]. Populations exist in California along the coast and in
inland deserts [24,29].
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| Distribution of sturdy bulrush. Map courtesy of USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database.
National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC. [2018, September 10] [27]. |
ECOSYSTEMS:
FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES41 Wet grasslands
STATES:
AL CA FL GA LA ME MD MA MS NV
NH NJ NY NC SC TX UT VA NS MEXICO
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS:
3 Southern Pacific Border
7 Lower Basin and Range
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:
K049 Tule marshes
K080 Marl - Everglades
K090 Live oak - sea oats
K091 Cypress savanna
K092 Everglades
K105 Mangrove
K114 Pocosin
SAF COVER TYPES:
101 Baldcypress
102 Baldcypress - tupelo
103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
106 Mangrove
108 Red maple
255 California coast live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES:
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:
Sturdy bulrush is an obligate wetland species [24].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:
Sturdy bulrush is valuable to wildlife as food and cover. Muskrat
and waterfowl eat the seeds [20,21]. In the coastal plain of Louisiana,
sturdy bulrush is one of the most important waterfowl foods as
measured by gizzard content [3].
PALATABILITY:
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE:
Sturdy bulrush provides cover for fiddler crabs and nesting ducks
[3,14].
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:
Sturdy bulrush was used to improve habitat for largemouth bass in the
Lake Mead Recreation Area [4]. It established and spread quickly,
showing an 88 percent survival rate. After 1 month cover rates
increased from 45 percent to 80 percent on one site and from 30 percent
to 70 percent on another.
OTHER USES AND VALUES:
NO-ENTRY
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
Pure stands of Scirpus species in Louisiana saltmarshes are more
susceptible to destruction by foraging geese and muskrats than are
Scirpus stands mixed with other climax species [16].
After seed planting, water level over the seeds should be maintained at
1 foot for 2 weeks, then reduced to "mudflat stage" [18]. Periodic
flooding up to 3 feet should occur until the seeds are established.
Seeds can germinate in fresh water but are unable to compete well with
other species under these conditions [18].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Sturdy bulrush is a native, rhizomotous, perennial sedge [9,20,29].
Its triangular culms are 2.3 to 5 feet (0.7-1.5 m) tall, with narrow
leaves. It has from one to five spikelets that are 0.4 to 1 inch (1-2.5
cm) long [9,19]. Spikelets have been described as reddish-brown near
the coast and more straw-colored inland [19]. Seed heads are brown and
occur in dense, conical clusters [6].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM:
Phanerophyte
Geophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES:
Sturdy bulrush regenerates mainly by tuber-forming rhizomes [9,19].
Germination tests have shown seeds to be very viable; 95 percent
germinated after exposure to 14 hours of light per day [21]. When
exposed to salinity levels of 9,000 p/m, germination is reduced by 50
percent. No germination occurred after salinity levels reached 21,000
p/m [21]. Sturdy bulrush seeds can remain dormant in marsh soils for
"long periods" until moisture conditions are favorable [16].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS:
Sturdy bulrush is an obligate wetland species found in brackish
coastal and inland marshes [9,24]. In California it usually grows below
1,000 feet (305 m), but in the Great Basin it is found between 2,000 and
5,000 feet (610-1,524 m) [19]. Soil salinities of sturdy bulrush
communities have been measured between 3,000 and 22,000 p/m, but it
appears to grow best when salinity levels average between 3,000 and
7,000 p/m [20,21]. Water depths in these Scirpus communities average
between -6 and +5 inches (-15 and +13 cm). Soil pH ranges from 4.3 to
6.4 [20,21].
Common associates of sturdy bulrush include common reed (Phragmites
communis), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), cordgrass (Spartina spp.),
American bulrush (Scirpus americanus), widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima),
coastal saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. spicata), sedge (Carex spp.),
buckbrush (Baccharis halimifolia), marsh button (Achyranthes
philoxeroides), seaside goldenrod (Solidago mexicana), cattail (Typha
spp.), bulltongue (Sagittaria spp.), and cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea)
[3,11,21,22].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:
Sturdy bulrush is a pioneer species in coastal marshes where soil is
exposed and water levels fluctuate [21,22]. In areas where fire is
excluded, sturdy bulrush is subclimax to marshbay cordgrass (Spartina
patens) but could become dominant with frequent fire. In the absence of
disturbance, it is outcompeted and eventually crowded out by climax
species [13].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Sturdy bulrush sprouts in early spring, flowers between April and
August, and fruits between July and October [9,19]. After a brief
dormant period in summer, it will resprout in the fall if soils are
flooded again [18]. Water level fluctuations of 6 to 8 inches (15-20
cm) in spring, summer, or early fall will increase sturdy bulrush
[20].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:
Sturdy bulrush can survive fire by sprouting from rhizomes [9].
However, because sturdy bulrush grows in coastal and wetland areas
fire may be infrequent.
FIRE REGIMES:
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:
Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Bolboschoenus robustus
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT:
Fire removes all aboveground vegetation of sturdy bulrush [11].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT:
Chabreck [2] reported that fall burning of Scirpus communities
benefitted this genus. Fire in brackish coastal marshes can increase
minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium [13].
The absolute concentration of these and other minerals increased in
Scirpus shoots following a January/February burn in the coastal marshes
of Mississippi [8]. Because sturdy bulrush has much deeper rhizomes
than the dominant marshbay cordgrass, fire can be used to enhance
sturdy bulrush in areas where cordgrass is not desired [13].
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:
Sturdy bulrush can sprout as quickly as 1 week following fire [13].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE:
In Mississippi coastal marshes, prescribed fire effects on vegetation
were simulated by clipping all aboveground vegetation in areas where
soils were wet or where there was standing water [11]. This caused an
increase in net primary production of Spartina communities that included
sturdy bulrush. However, sturdy bulrush itself did not show an
increase in abundance here as reported by others in similar communities
[2,13].
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
In the South, sturdy bulrush can be burned during late winter to
enhance food for geese and muskrats [16]. However, ash could possibly
retard vegetative recovery of marshland plants [8]. Burning an entire
marsh community at one time is not recommended because different stages
of plant community development are needed for various animal life cycle
stages [11]. Perkins [30] recommended burning Scirpus marshes between
October and January to maintain constant annual growth.
References for species: Bolboschoenus robustus
1. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]
2. Chabreck, Robert H. 1981. Effect of burn date on regrowth rate of Scirpus olneyi and Spartina patens. Proceedings, Annual Conference Southeastern Associations of Game and Fish Agencies. 35: 201-210. [14504]
3. Chamberlain, J. L. 1959. Gulf Coast marsh vegetation as food of wintering waterfowl. Journal of Wildlife Management. 23(1): 97-102. [14535]
4. Croft, Lisa K.; Haley, Jennifer S.; Paulson, Larry J. 1990. The Lake Mead cover enhancement project: planting native vegetation creates new habitat. In: Hughes, H. Glenn; Bonnicksen, Thomas M., eds. Restoration `89: the new management challange: Proceedings, 1st annual meeting of the Society for Ecological Restoration; 1989 January 16-20; Oakland, CA. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Arboretum, Society for Ecological Restoration: 403-419. [14713]
5. De LaCruz, A. A. 1974. Primary productivity of coastal marshes in Mississippi. Gulf Research Reports. 4: 351-356. [16942]
6. Duncan, Wilbur H.; Duncan, Marion B. 1987. The Smithsonian guide to seaside plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts from Louisiana to Massachusetts, exclusive of lower peninsular Florida. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. 409 p. [12906]
7. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
8. Faulkner, Samuel P.; de la Cruz, Armando A. 1982. Nutrient mobilization following winter fires in an irregularly flooded marsh. Journal of Environmental Quality. 11(1): 129-133. [16155]
9. Fernald, Merritt Lyndon. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. [Corrections supplied by R. C. Rollins]. Portland, OR: Dioscorides Press. 1632 p. (Dudley, Theodore R., gen. ed.; Biosystematics, Floristic & Phylogeny Series; vol. 2) [14935]
10. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
11. Hackney, Courtney T.; de la Cruz, Armando A. 1981. Effects of fire on brackish marsh communities: managememt implications. Wetlands. 1: 75-86. [14534]
12. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 730 p. [1168]
13. Hoffpauier, Clark M. 1968. Burning for coastal marsh management. In: Newsom, John D., ed. Proceedings of the marsh and estuary management symposium; 1967; Baton Rouge, LA. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University: 134-139. [15274]
14. Kerwin, J. A. 1971. Distribution of the fiddler crab (Uca minax) in relation to marsh plants within a Virginia estuary. Chesapeake Science. 12: 180-183. [16943]
15. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
16. Lynch, John J.; O'Neil, Ted; Lay, Daniel W. 1947. Management significance of damage by geese and muskrats to Gulf Coast marshes. Journal of Wildlife Management. 11(1): 50-76. [14559]
17. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
18. Miller, A. Wendell. 1962. Waterfowl habitat improvement in California. In: Proceedings, annual conference of Western Association of State Fish & Game Commissioners. [Volume unknown]: 112-118. [15439]
19. Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
20. Neely, William W. 1962. Saline soils and brackish waters in managment of wildlife, fish, and shrimp. Transactions of the North American Wildlife Conference. 27: 321-335. [14643]
21. Palmisano, Angelo W., Jr.; Newsom, John D. 1968. Ecological factors affecting occurrence of Scirpus olneyi and Scirpus robustus in the Louisiana coastal marshes. Proceedings, 21st Annual Conference of Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissions. 21: 161-172. [15303]
22. Penfound, W. T.; Hathaway, Edward S. 1938. Plant communities in the marshlands of southeastern Louisiana. Ecological Monographs. 8(1): 3-56. [15089]
23. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
24. Reed, Porter B., Jr. 1988. National list of plant species that occur in wetlands: California (Region O). Biological Report 88(26.10). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. In cooperation with: National and Regional Interagency Review Panels. 135 p. [9312]
25. Roland, A. E.; Smith, E. C. 1969. The flora of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS: Nova Scotia Museum. 746 p. [13158]
26. Singleton, J. R. 1951. Production and utilization of waterfowl food plants on the east Texas Gulf Coast. Journal of Wildlife Management. 15(1): 46-56. [14536]
27. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2018. PLANTS Database, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (Producer). Available: https://plants.usda.gov/. [34262]
28. Godfrey, Robert K.; Wooten, Jean W. 1979. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States: Monocotyledons. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press. 712 p. [16906]
29. Mason, Herbert L. 1957. A flora of the marshes of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 878 p. [16905]
30. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 10 p. [20090]
31. Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. 1999. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. Available: North Carolina Botanical Garden In cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [2001, January 16]. [38380]
32. Flora of North America Association. 2009. Flora of North America: The flora, [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.fna.org/FNA. [36990]
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