Common Reed Invades Green Bay Wetland

Ann Arbor, MI — In only a few years, a Green Bay lagoon became a jungle of giant common reed grass. Common reed grass is an invasive plant that crowds out native plants.

The 1.25 m (four foot) drop in water level of Lake Michigan from 1997 to 2001 was the largest on record. The lower water level caused a dramatic shift in vegetation at the Point au Sauble wetland. Repeat visits to the wetland in 2001 and 2004 showed a 100-fold increase in reed cover.

"Prolonged low lake levels exposed unvegetated lagoon bottom sediments, providing a substrate for new plant colonization, such as invasive common reed and cattail," said Mirela Tulbure, a PhD candidate at South Dakota State University.

Genetic analysis showed that the invasive grass is an introduced Eurasian variety that is extremely aggressive, growing in 3 m (10 feet) tall stands. These stands displace native vegetation and reduce habitat for wildlife.

Once established, reed stands are very difficult to eradicate. Monitoring coastal wetlands where water level has dropped and controlling reed at early stages of invasion are essential for maintaining healthy wetlands along the Great Lakes coast.

Original Publication Information

Results of this study "Rapid Invasion of a Great Lakes Coastal Wetland by Non-native Phragmites australis and Typha," are reported by Mirela G. Tulbure, Carol A. Johnston and Donald L. Auger in the latest issue (Volume 33, SI3, pp. 269-279) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2007.

Contacts

For more information about the study, contact Mirela Tulbure, Department of Biology & Microbiology, Box 2140D, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007; Mirela.Tulbure@sdstate.edu, (605) 688-6478.

For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.

Links

Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.