Agriculture Bureau,New Taipei City Government

Agriculture Bureau,New Taipei City Government

Agriculture Bureau,New Taipei City Government

Known as the “killer of intertidal zones,” Spartina alterniflora is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas and belongs to the Spartina genus in the Poaceae family. It has tough, upright stems that can reach up to 2.5 meters in height, with leaf sheaths and alternate, long, lance-shaped leaves. The leaves have salt glands and are coated with white, powdery salt crystals. The plant bears white flowers from July to October in the form of slender, spike-like inflorescences.

Spartina alterniflora spreads by seed to colonize new areas and expands its population through asexual reproduction via underground rhizomes. It was once introduced to mainland China due to its strong root system and rapid growth, used for sand fixation and shoreline protection. In recent years, however, it has invaded the western coastal areas of Taiwan via ocean currents.

Its aggressive expansion hinders the growth of native plants. Its dense network of underground rhizomes forces benthic animals such as fiddler crabs and mud crabs to abandon their burrows, resulting in a decline in both the number and diversity of intertidal organisms, posing a serious threat to biodiversity.

Spartina alterniflora has high tolerance to salt and flooding. Its underground structures typically reach depths of 50 to 60 centimeters and can extend over 1 meter in special terrains. The removal process is especially challenging due to its muddy habitat and limited access for machinery, which must be timed with the tides. Currently, removal efforts rely on manual labor.

The Agriculture Bureau, in collaboration with the Society of Wilderness, monitors infestation sites along both sides of the Tamsui River and dispatches personnel to remove the plant. So far, the affected areas have gradually decreased. The Agriculture Bureau will continue its efforts to control and prevent the aggressive spread of Spartina alterniflora entirely.