Fire in North American Wetland Ecosystems and Fire-Wildlife Relations: An Annotated Bibliography

217. Scifres, C. J., and D. L. Drawe. 1980. Gulf cordgrass: distribution, 
          ecology and responses to prescribed burning. Pages 83-92 in C. W. 
          Hanselka, ed. Prescribed range burning in the coastal prairie and 
          eastern Rio Grande plains of Texas. Proceeding of a Symposium held 
          16 October, 1980. Tex. Agric. Exten. Serv., Texas A&M University, 
          College Station.

Gulf cordgrass forms almost pure stands at elevations intermediate between lowland marshes and upland coastal prairie, and requires inundation alternating with dry periods for maximum stand development. Gulf cordgrass is well adapted to fire. Periodic prescribed burning removes excessive mulch and rejuvenates stands. Large, decadent gulf cordgrass bunches are replaced by several smaller, but vigorous, plant units following fire, and production of inflorescences is increased. Mature gulf cordgrass is unpalatable and not grazed to any appreciable extent by domestic livestock. Burning at any season, given adequate stored soil water to permit regrowth, will stimulate grazing by cattle. New growth is higher in crude protein, phosphorus, and digestible energy content than mature herbage. Gulf cordgrass has considerable potential for filling the cool-season forage gap on the coastal prairie. [From authors' abstract]

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