A patchwork of soft green mats coalesces toward the slightly higher ground at the landward fringe of the salt flats and at the base of the coastal dunes. In these places, just centimeters above the salty tide, a vigorous sward of salt tolerant grasses take hold and bind the soil. “Vetiver” grass, Chrysopogon elongata, salt water couch, Sporobolis virginicus and species of Xerochloa are palatable to stock. Perched on their diminutive and fragile mesas, these grasslands are easily destroyed by the action of hooves compacting the soil and trampling their root-mat ramparts.