How tidal regime and treatment timing influence the clipping frequency for controlling invasive Spartina alterniflora: implications for reducing management costs.

Treatment frequency is one of the key regulators determining the efficiency of and investment in controlling invasive plants. However, it is highly unlikely to find the optimal solution to the control of invasive plants through studying treatment frequency alone. In addition, the efficiency of controlling invasive plants is habitat-dependent. In this paper, clipping treatment was employed as the method to control invasive species Spartina alterniflora. We made an attempt to illustrate that clipping frequency can be reduced by considering the habitat properties and other relevant controlling regulators. Our full factorial test of combining clipping timing with considerations of clipping frequency and tidal regime showed that four-time clipping treatment started at florescence in high marsh or three-time clipping treatment started at florescence in low marsh was effective for controlling S. alterniflora. This implies that the control efficiency could be enhanced if treatment timing is optimized in relation to treatment frequency and habitat properties, which will lead to reduced management costs of controlling invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]