ScienceCordgrass Spread in New Zealand After 1940s Wetland Reclamation
In the 1940s, New Zealand introduced cordgrass (spartina) to stabilize marshy coastlines for grazing land. Originally seen as beneficial, it spread aggressively across tidal mudflats, becoming a persistent invasive species. The Department of Conservation called it a long-lasting invader in a 2025 release. Early plantings began as far back as 1913, aiming to bind mud and reclaim land for pasture.
HT World·

