Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
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| A chairmaker's bulrush stand at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, CA. Wikimedia Commons image by Gordon Leppig & Andrea J. Pickart - http://www.fws.gov/humboldtbay/plantguide/genus-s.html. |
Introductory
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:
Uchytil, Ronald J. 1992. Schoenoplectus americanus. 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/schame/all.html [].
Revisions:
On 19 October 2018, the common name of this species was changed in FEIS
from: Olney's three-square bulrush
to: chairmaker's bulrush. Images were also added.
ABBREVIATION:
SCHAME
SYNONYMS:
Scirpus americanus Pers. [6,10,31]
Scirpus olneyi A. Gray
NRCS PLANT CODE:
SCHAM6
COMMON NAMES:
chairmaker's bulrush
bayonet rush
Olney's threesquare bulrush
Olney's three-square
Olney bulrush
Olney's tule
three-cornered grass
three-cornered sedge
three square sedge
TAXONOMY:
The scientific name of chairmaker's bulrush is Schoenoplectus
americanus (Pers.) Volk (Cyperaceae) [34,35].
The taxonomy of chairmaker's bulrush is somewhat confusing because of
misapplication of scientific names within the genus for many years [24].
LIFE FORM:
Graminoid
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status
OTHER STATUS:
No entry
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Chairmaker's bulrush is sporadically distributed from Nova Scotia to
Washington state and south to South America. It grows primarily along
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in arid western states [28].
 |
| Distribution of chairmaker's bulrush in Canada and the United States. Map courtesy of USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database.
National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC. [2018, October 19] [29]. |
ECOSYSTEMS:
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES41 Wet grasslands
STATES:
AL AR AZ CA CT DE FL GA ID KS
LA MA MD MI MS NC NH NJ NM NV
NY OH OK OR RI SC TX UT VA WA
NS MEXICO
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS:
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
14 Great Plains
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:
K033 Chaparral
K040 Saltbush - greasewood
K041 Creosotebush
K042 Creosotebush - bursage
K049 Tule marshes
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K073 Northern cordgrass prairie
K078 Southern cordgrass prairie
K098 Northern floodplain forest
SAF COVER TYPES:
222 Black cottonwood - willow
235 Cottonwood - willow
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:
Chairmaker's bulrush forms nearly monodominant stands in some marshes.
In coastal areas it is most abundant in brackish marshes and is commonly
associated with seashore saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. spicata),
marshhay cordgrass (Spartina patens), big cordgrass (S. cynosuroides),
smooth cordgrass (S. alterniflora), and saltmarsh bulrush (Scirpus
robustus) [20,28]. In desert regions of the West, chairmaker's bulrush
bulrush often dominates or codominates slightly to moderately saline marshes
bordering lakes or springs. Codominants of western marshes include
creeping spikerush (Eleocharis palustris), Nebraska sedge (Carex
nebraskensis), inland saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta),
berula (Berula erecta), and marsh yellowcress (Rorippa islandica)
[3,26,32].
Chairmaker's bulrush dominated communities are described in the following
publications:
Aquatic and semiaquatic vegetation of Utah Lake and its bays [3]
Plant ecology of spring-fed salt marshes in western Utah [2]
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:
Chairmaker's bulrush rhizomes are a preferred food of muskrat,
and Canada and snow goose [15,20,28]. It is sometimes an important nutria food
source. Chairmaker's bulrush stands serve as primary wintering grounds for
the snow goose, where this plant makes up about 90 percent of the goose's diet.
Where geese or muskrat populations are high, use by these animals can be so great
that they cause "eat outs"; that is, they destroy large areas of
chairmaker's bulrush vegetation by consuming all the rootstocks and rhizomes [28].
The seeds are eaten by wintering ducks in the South but generally make
up only a small part of the diet [28].
Deer regularly feed on species of Scirpus. In terms of volume consumed,
chairmaker's bulrush ranked second among 50 plant species fed to captive
deer in Louisiana [28].
PALATABILITY:
Chairmaker's bulrush rhizomes are highly palatable to the muskrat, nutria,
Canada goose, and snow goose [28]. In the South, chairmaker's bulrush is
moderately palatable to cattle. Tender, young shoots are most
attractive [28].
Palatability was rated as follows in Utah: poor for sheep, horses, elk,
mule deer, and pronghorn; fair for cattle, upland game birds, and small
nongame birds; and good for waterfowl and small mammals [7].
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE:
Chairmaker's bulrush regularly provides good nesting habitat for many
species of rails [28]. In Utah, cover value has been rated as fair for
upland game birds and good for waterfowl, small nongame birds, and small
mammals [7].
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:
Chairmaker's bulrush is used in saltmarsh revegetation programs.
The best place to initiate new stands is probably in brackish areas where
salinities range from 5 to 10 parts per thousand and water depths range
from 0 to 4 inches (0-10 cm) [11]. Stands are best established by
planting rootstocks 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) below the soil surface in
winter at a spacing of about 6 by 6 feet (1.8 by 1.8 m). Water depths
need to be maintained at 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) above the soil surface
for 3 to 4 weeks after planting but can fluctuate thereafter. Muskrat
and nutria need to be controlled on planted areas because they can
severely reduce planting stock. For a detailed discussion on site
preparation and planting techniques see Sipple [28] and Ross and
Chabreck [23].
OTHER USES AND VALUES:
NO-ENTRY
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
Management and maintenance of chairmaker's bulrush stands depends
primarily on maintenance of water levels and secondarily on salinity levels.
Maximum survival and growth in coastal areas occur where average minimum
yearly water levels do not fall below 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) above the
soil surface [23].
Chairmaker's bulrush increases under light to moderate cattle grazing.
Under heavy grazing, however, it is replaced by less palatable species
such as seashore saltgrass, black rush (Juncus roemerianus), and
seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) [4,28].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Chairmaker's bulrush is a coarse, rhizomatous, perennial sedge.
It has erect, sharply triangular and deeply concave-sided culms growing up to 5
feet in height (1.5 m) [10,21]. It generally bears only a few short
leaves up to about 4 inches long (10 cm) which arise from the lower part
of the culm. The inflorescence consists of a cluster of 5 to 12
sessile, crowded spikelets [28]. Rhizomes are located within 6 inches
(15 cm) of the soil surface [28].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM:
Geophyte
Helophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES:
Sexual reproduction: Chairmaker's bulrush seed production has been
variously reported as very poor to heavy, with seed yields ranging from
0 to 24 pounds per acre (0-27 kg/ha) [28]. The seeds undergo a long
period of afterripening, often requiring 18 months or more before
germination can occur. The seeds remain dormant as long as they are
submerged in water and thus become a component of the marsh seed bank.
Germination and seedling establishment potentially occur on exposed
mudflats following marsh drawdown, yet seedling establishment under
these natural conditions appears to be rare [19]. Under laboratory
conditions, maximum germination of only 25 percent was achieved in
distilled water under fluctuating temperatures between 68 and 95 degrees
Fahrenheit (20-35 deg C) [20]. Germination decreased with increasing
salinity with a 50 percent reduction at 4 parts per thousand (ppt) and
no germination at above 13 ppt [20].
Vegetative regeneration: Chairmaker's bulrush perennates and
spreads by rhizomes, which is primarily responsible for the maintenance and
expansion of stands.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS:
In coastal regions, chairmaker's bulrush grows primarily on peat in
brackish tidal marshes, where soil salinities range from 2 to 17 ppt,
and water levels range from -2 to +4 inches (-5 to +10 cm) [11,18].
Inland, it primarily grows in marshes, wet meadows, and playas that are
somewhat alkaline, but also grows in fresh water [6]. In an alkali
meadow in Utah, chairmaker's bulrush dominated the area surrounding the
water source (a spring), but became rarer farther away from the spring,
and was replaced by inland saltgrass and creeping spikerush as water
depth decreased and salinity increased [26]. At this Utah meadow, soils
under chairmaker's bulrush stands had higher levels of organic matter and
phosphorus than other marsh plant communities.
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:
The successional status of chairmaker's bulrush varies regionally.
Along the Gulf coast, it is a seral species, and gives way to seashore
saltgrass and marshhay cordgrass in the absence of periodic (every few
years) burning or other disturbance.
In Utah, chairmaker's bulrush is considered climax. Referring to
chairmaker's bulrush stands at Fish Springs, Utah, Bolen [2] stated
the "stands contain no other marsh species of comparable status and
are considered to represent closed stands of vegetation. It is
completely successful in its niche and competition from other
communities and/or species was not observed."
Along the East Coast, chairmaker's bulrush forms climax stands that are
apparently maintained more by the slowly rising sea level than by fire
[28].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:
In Louisiana, chairmaker's bulrush begins spring growth in March
when soil temperatures 4 inches (10 cm) below the soil surface reach 60 degrees
Fahrenheit (16 deg C) [11,19]. Culms grow at a uniform rate until
August, but by October, nearly all the culms are dead. A small
percentage of the culms remain green throughout the winter [19].
In Utah, spring growth began on March 27 in marshes near warm springs,
and on April 14 in marshes far-removed from warm water [2].
Flowering and fruit production dates are as follows:
Delaware - flowers from early June to September [28]
New England - flowers from July 20 to August 8 [25]
Louisiana - flowering begins in late March and is finished by late May.
Seeds are ripe by the end of June. Seedfall begins in
mid-July [19].
North and South Carolina - flowers from June to September [21]
Utah - flowers in early May [2]
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:
Chairmaker's bulrush's rhizomes are sufficiently buried in soil, sometimes
up to 6 inches (15 cm), and are thus well protected from the heat of
fire. Additionally, the plants often grow in shallow water which
further insulates the underground regenerative structures.
Chairmaker's bulrush seedling establishment after fire has not been
reported. However, field studies show that chairmaker's bulrush seeds
stored in the soil are not injured by marsh fires. Palmisano [19] found
that seeds subjected to marsh fires, whether placed on a moist, but
unsaturated soil surface or buried 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the soil
surface had slightly higher germination rates than seeds not subjected
to fire.
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: Schoenoplectus americanus
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT:
Only aboveground (or abovewater) plant parts of chairmaker's bulrush are
removed by fire when water levels are aboveground or only slightly below
the soil surface. Thus the plant survives most fires because perennating
underground organs are not harmed. However, under severe drought conditions,
fire can burn deep into peat layers and kill chairmaker's bulrush by
charring or consuming the rhizomes .
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT:
In comparison with marshhay cordgrass, chairmaker's bulrush's rhizomes are
more deeply buried in the soil. If burned when marsh soils are dry,
chairmaker's bulrush typically suffers much lower rates of mortality where
these plants grow in mixed stands [12].
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:
Chairmaker's bulrush often sprouts within a week of burning [11,12]. In
Louisiana, chairmaker's bulrush culm density reached or exceeded preburn
density within 4 weeks of burning whether burned in October, December,
or February [5]. Another study in Louisiana similarly found that
burning during different seasons had no effect on chairmaker's bulrush culm
density [11]. In this study, plants quickly sprouted whether burned in
fall, winter, or spring as long as water levels were even with or
slightly above the soil surface at the time of burning. However,
maximum leaf growth occurred in March and April when soil temperatures
rose above 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 C), no matter what time of year
plants were burned.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE:
The Research Project Summary Vegetative response to fire exclusion and
prescribed fire rotation on 2 Maryland salt marshes provides information on
prescribed fire and postfire response of plant community species, including
chairmaker's bulrush, that was not available when this species review was written.
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
Marshhay cordgrass outcompetes and replaces chairmaker's bulrush in Gulf
Coast brackish marshes that remain unburned for a few to several years.
In a Louisiana brackish marsh, chairmaker's bulrush was "weeded out" by
marshhay cordgrass after just 3 years of fire protection [28].
Prescribed burning every 2 or 3 years, however, maintains subclimax
stands of chairmaker's bulrush [12]. For Louisiana coastal marshes, O'Neil
[18] recommended burning chairmaker's bulrush stands anytime from October
10 to January 1 when water levels are between 0 and 2 inches (0-5 cm)
above the soil surface.
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Schoenoplectus americanus
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