Saltmarsh Goosefoot at Old Hall Marshes
139
to have a wider tolerance and occurs both further up and further down the creek as well as
interspersed with the Saltmarsh Goosefoot.
b. at a particular position laterally along the edges of creeks and fleets. Again, Red Goosefoot
appears to have a wider tolerance and occurs both to the creekward side and the landward
side of Saltmarsh Goosefoot, as well as interspersed with it; however, it is more prevalent
to the creekward side.
c. in areas of level, low-lying ground where barish mud is created by draw-down. It is in these
areas that Saltmarsh Goosefoot is at its commonest. They occur in the south east corner of
compartment 9 and in the north west corner of compartment 4.
3. Saltmarsh Goosefoot is not generally found in steep-sided creeks, particularly if they retain
water late in summer.
4. Saltmarsh Goosefoot is not generally found where Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus
and/or Common Recd Phragmites australis arc dominant in a creek. However, where cattle
have grazed this community, particularly Sea Club-rush, and the vegetation is consequently
less dense and the ground poached, then Saltmarsh Goosefoot can be found scattered along
the creek amongst the Sea Club-rush.
5. In Pennyhole Bottom (compartment 22) the area of draw-down is colonised at its lowest
point by annual Glasswort Salicornia spp., then a line of Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii,
behind which is scattered Saltmarsh Goosefoot, just in front of where the vegetation becomes
dominated by grasses. Saltmarsh Goosefoot here was 30 to 50cm tall, as opposed to 10 to
20cm in the creeks in the rough grazing land.
6. The recently-made scrapes along the western side of the reedbed (compartment 21) were
being colonised by Saltmarsh Goosefoot.
7. In compartment 1, there were plenty of goosefoots but earlier grazing meant there were
very few that could be identified to species.
8. Compartment 2 was heavily sheep-grazed and few goosefoots were seen.
9. It was noticed that where the compartments were grazed by cattle, Saltmarsh Goosefoot
was far more prevalent than when grazed by sheep. Even though eaten by the cattle, it
appealed that the type of grazing, and attendant poaching, allowed the goosefoot to flourish,
whereas sheep tended to nibble off the whole plant.
Update 1998 and 1999
It is only now, after two further years of recording, that I realise 1997 was probably the year most
conducive for Saltmarsh Goosefoot. A hot. dry year which followed several other dry years with hot
summers meant that the goosefoot was actually at its most plentiful. The winter of 1997/98 and the
summer of 1998 brought much rain and water levels on the reserve have risen- many of the creeks
arc no longer dry in late summer and the draw-down is much reduced. Also the vegetation on the
large area of draw-down in Irongate (compartment 9) has changed, with Saltmarsh Rush being more
abundant and the goosefoots less so, reflecting the different responses of perennial and late-flowering
annual species.
It is Irongate where further surveys have been carried out during 1998 and 1999. It has a large area
of draw-down and many creeks, both large and small, where the goosefoot occurs. Notes and
observations include:
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)