When attempting to control an invasive species it is important to know the potential of a particular species to reproduce by seed or by vegetative means. It is also helpful to know how long seed of that species is viable in the soil, for example if seed is viable for 3 years then I can feel pretty good in 2016 if I stop seed production in 2012. Narrow-leaf cattail (Typha angustifolia) is one of the nastiest invasive species out there. It has destroyed and is destroying native wetlands all over the eastern U.S. T. angustifolia has an amazing ability to reproduce: an individual cattail head (hotdog) can have as many as 700,000 seeds and under ideal conditions seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 100 years. Furthermore vegetative reproduction has been reported to be very high; as many as 98 vegetative buds per mature plant. Let 1 single narrow-leaf cattail into your wetland and your in big trouble.
These pages from my notebook were done while I was working at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes (NCSL). You can follow NCSL’s attempt to restore an urban wetland choked with T. angustifolia right here.
Canada Geese: When they can successfully breed in WalMart parking lots by the thousands there are too many; I have heard them referred to as ‘sky carp” which might be a better common name…
3 comments:
Phragmites is rapidly overrunning cattail swamps across N. America. It is less easily used, and harder to eradicate.
Hi Steve, Unfortunately I get to manage my fair share of Phragmities as well... I see it taking over wetlands all of the time and it easily bullies broad-leaved cattail (T. latifolia) but head to head against T angustifolia I feel like it is a case of who got their first. Always a sad outcome regardless of who wins the race. I would agree that Phrag is tougher to eradicate.
We call Canadas 'Water Starling'.
Phragmites and these cattails are a scourge. Here (SW IN) we see more of the Phragmites. At least it is more noticable to me.
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