Resource utilization of invasive Spartina alterniflora: A review

In China, Spartina alterniflora, an invasive alien plant species, covers an area of approximately 54 600 hectares. The total dry matter of the aboveground part of S. alterniflora is 7.5×10⁵~1.15×10⁶ tons per year. The control and utilization of S. alterniflora have received increasing attention. A combined utilization and control approach could produce simultaneous economic and ecological benefits. Studies of the utilization of S. alterniflora in China tended to focus on the direct utilization of straw, including its use as fuel, feed, and raw material. These methods of utilization were generally low-value. Possible high-value utilization includes the medicinal value of S. alterniflora and its salt-tolerant genes. In all the studies, the largest proportion (43%) of straw was utilized as fuel, whereas the smallest proportion (approximately 8%) was utilized for other purposes, such as fertilizer and for its salt-tolerant genes. Previous studies have focused on utilization technologies, but they have not looked at S. alterniflora collection technology and market promotion. In the future, attention should be paid to every link of the industry chain of S. alterniflora utilization, and cooperation between research institutions and enterprises is essential for the synchronous development of industry, education, and research.