Phargmites australis, the common reed, is a tall perennial grass that has historically been a minor component of the wetland plant communities of the Laurentian Great lakes. In the last decade a more aggressive genotype has displaced the native populations of Phragmites and threatens native floral diversity. This dramatic increase in Phragmites along the south shore of Lake Erie is thought to be directly related to its ability to readily establish and spread on disturbed areas facilitated by the recent declines in Lake Erie water levels. We have tracked the spread of Phragmites in the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 60 hectare Lake Erie coastal wetland (Huron, Ohio), using a combination of low altitude aerial photography and ground surveys. Since the late 1990’s the Old Woman Creek wetland has shifted from a predominantly open water system to a shallow water emergent system. Aerial photographs for the period 1999-2005 show a transition from the floating leaf Nelumbo lutea (American water lotus), to a mixed-emergent community, and increasingly large monotypic beds of Phragmites. We have also begun to investigate the impacts of Phragmites on the wetland biota, specifically to better answer the question, is Phragmites the villain it is portrayed as. Our intent is that information gained through a better understanding of Phragmites and its impacts to the wetland ecosystem may be applied to more effective wetland management and restoration programs.

August 12, 2008 - Robert Whyte, California University of PA, "Impacts of Lake Levels and Phragmites on Navtive Vegetation"