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Hi Fred & All,
Before the 101 series Highways were built, Phragmites was local and
uncommon in NS. The mowing along with wide and often wet ditches with
bare soil has generated Phragmites heaven. It is a great plant. If left
unmowed it will survive and generate bird habitat, especially in winter.
Something breaks those culms and leaves down over a period of 2-3 years
and that implies a cascade of organisms..
It has been widely used in the Netherlands for reclamation of
polders because it improves soil structure and therefore drainage. One
low corner of our garden was wet all summer; for 23 years. I planted
Phragmites there in 1991 and by 2000 that corner was well drained;
excellent soil structure. It is absent in the original corner because,
like most plants, it generates conditions which are unsuitable for its
needs. It is not a threat to anything but in ditches on a grade it may
be expected to decrease soil erosion and it will increase infiltration;
also desirable.
As dad used to say; "Don't pick that scab."
Yt, DW, Kentville
------ Original Message ------
From: "Douglas Guptill" <dguptill@accesswave.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Sent: 11/25/2017 5:22:45 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Masters Student Conducting Phragmites Research
>Go away with your herbicides.
>
>Douglas
>
>On Sat, Nov 25, 2017 at 04:00:55PM -0500, Frederick W. Schueler wrote:
>>Maritimers,
>>
>>As some may recall, ever since I first found invasive European Reed
>>(Phragmites australis ssp australis) at Chatham, NB, in 2001, I've
>>been
>>trying alarm Maritimers about the threat this invader poses to coastal
>>(and
>>inland) ecology, so that it can be controlled early on, when the
>>stands are
>>still small and scattered. -
>>http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.ca/2010/10/view-from-beausejour.html
>>-
>>or look at everything in our blog at
>>http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.ca/search?q=phragmites
>>
>>In Ontario, where the invader spread like wildfire through the 1980s
>>and
>>1990s, action is now beginning to be taken by cutting and herbiciding
>>stands
>>in wetlands and along highways, and there's even more control effort
>>in the
>>States, where the problem (unrecognized at the time) began in the
>>1940s and
>>1950s.
>>
>>Anamika Ray is doing her Masters research on “the technical efficacy
>>and
>>_social opinions_ on herbicide use as a best management practice for
>>controlling Phragmites,” at the University of Toronto.
>>
>>She has an online survey of knowledge & opinions on Invasive
>>Phragmites
>>which she'd appreciate having filled out by as wide a range of people
>>as
>>possible - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M8MZZ8N - and she'd very
>>much
>>appreciate Maritime participation in this.
>>
>>fred.
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>> Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad
>> Fragile Inheritance Natural History
>>Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills - http://pinicola.ca/mudpup1.htm
>>'Daily' Paintings - http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.com/
>>4 St-Lawrence Street Bishops Mills, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G
>>1T0
>> on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42'W
>>(613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca/
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>------------------------------------------------------------
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