Palustrine Wetland Vegetative Dominance Types Along the Central Coast of Texas

Abstract

We studied vegetative dominance types in natural and man-made palustrine emergent wetlands in the central coast of Texas during 1991-1993. Study design consisted of a stratified random sample of 64.5-ha plots. Fifty-seven dominance types were recorded. Typha domingensis was the most abundant dominance type throughout the winter covering 9,000 ha. Eighty percent of the dominance types were perennials, 93% were native, and 84% were classified as warm-season growth plants. The five most abundant dominance types (i.e., Typha domingensis, Phragmites australis, Spartina spartinae, Sisaniopsis milacea, and Scirpus californicus) form thick strands of tall, robust emergents that generally make the wetlands unsuitable for wintering waterfowl.