Rivercane Research: Settin up Experimental Sites

Setting up Experimental Sites

As was stated in an earlier blog, there are two major objectives of this research project. First, a survey of Saluda Shoals Park will need to be done to determine the extent of the rivercane population and establish research sites. We will use the Carolina Vegetation Survey (CVS) program to document this data and track the progress of the privet removal and rivercane restoration (Peet et al 2012). Once research sites have been determined, experimental plots will be created. Transects will be set up through selected canebrakes using a randomized split-plot experimental design with two factors, privet-presence and cane-planting (Osland et al 2009). In the privet-presence treatments there are three levels, privet-presence, privet-removal cut only, and privet-removal cut with herbicide treatment. The cane-planting treatments are two levels, no cane and cane. The plant source used for these plantings will be transplants from a variety of sites, including some taken from Saluda Shoals Park. All of the transplants will be maintained in the University of South Carolina greenhouse facility located on Heyward Street. Light levels, rivercane height and diameter, and number of culms, and status (new, viable, dead) will measured seasonally (four times per year) for a minimum of a three year period.

A walking survey was conducted at Saluda Shoals on April 10, 2013. Hayden Dale, Taylor Kehoe, and new undergraduate research assistant, Shane Overcash, and I walked along the Greenway Trail from Rawl’s Creek to the tube takeout point along the Lower Saluda River. We were able to identify several potential sites with the most promising nearer to Lorick Branch Creek. Our next goal is to layout transects, measuring areas for experimental sites in these stands of rivercane. We will then be able to set up our experimental design.

It was a beautiful day for a hike as you can see from the following photos while following our progress.