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Birds | Plant Communities Intertidal Plant Communities
The mouth of San Marcos Creek in the East Basin
The plant communities found in intertidal habitats vary based on the salinity and depth of the water, and consist of Salt MarshSalt marshes can be found in low areas near the ocean that are in the tidal zone. Salt marsh plants are halophytes, which means they are adapted to salty conditions. They usually are compact plants with a succulent-like quality. Most intertidal salt marshes of southern California have three basic zones:
Pickleweed
In Batiquitos Lagoon, the salt marsh does not yet have these distinct zones because the water levels fluctuated only seasonally before restoration and were usually elevated during construction. However, some pickleweed and transplanted native cordgrass now grow in the low marsh.
Other Plants. Overall, the salt marsh at Batiquitos Lagoon is dominated by pickleweed, woolly sea-blite, and salty Susan. The marsh weed spearscale is also common here. Spearscale is a strongly opportunistic species but competes poorly with mature plants and is expected to decline as the marsh reestablishes. Other plants that grow in the lagoon's salt marsh are saltbush and alkali weed. Brackish MarshBrackish marsh can be found between salt marsh and freshwater marsh. The plants in this habitat type are adapted to varying conditions. Thickets of California bulrush mixed with soft-flag cattail define the extent of brackish marsh at Batiquitos Lagoon. In some places, short prairie bulrush grows on the fringe. Other plants found growing in brackish marsh include tule cattail, common tule, Olney bulrush, and spiny rush. Stands of the marsh weed spearscale are abundant east of the E-3 island nesting colony, in the eastern basin. Large stands of dead and dying brackish marsh are prevalent at the mouth of San Marcos Creek, in the eastern basin. As tidal influences return the lagoon to its marine state, most of the brackish marsh in the lagoon is expected to convert to salt marsh, while freshwater marsh (described below) becomes brackish. The dead and dying brackish marsh plants visible in the lagoon today represent this transition to a more saline environment. Freshwater MarshBatiquitos Lagoon has only two small freshwater marshes:
A sora creeps through cattails in the East Basin
As tidal influences return the lagoon to its marine state, most of the freshwater marsh in the lagoon is expected to convert to brackish marsh and may eventually become southern coastal salt marsh. Other IntertidalOther intertidal plants found at Batiquitos Lagoon include
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