Eradication of Spartina densiflora on Humboldt Bay NWR

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This agreement is being implemented in order to carry out the Large Invasives allocation for eradication of extant Spartina densiflora in Humboldt Bay NWR. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District will act as the lead agency, in collaboration with the Refuge. This project will benefit the public by restoring ecosystem services in salt marshes that were previously invaded by Spartina. Salt marshes provide many ecosystem services, including erosion control, flood protection, wildlife habitat, water quality improvement, and are the basis for the estuarine intertidal food web. Invasion by Spartina alters sedimentation rates, alters estuarine productivity and reduces species diversity. Species diversity increases the resilience of the marsh and its ability to recover from catastrophic events such as storms, tsunamis, and tectonically caused sea level change, which is characteristic of the project area. Spartina is also beginning to colonize the mudflat, which causes loss of invertebrate habitat. These invertebrates provide a major food source for the migratory and resident shorebirds in our area. The mudflats are also vital to our local aquaculture industry.

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