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"The first thing we noticed was that the stands were very distinctly divided into native-like and invasive-like kinds: we counted 11 alien and 7 native stands, and only 1 that we called ambiguous, though the natives graded out into little whisps, and we doubtless missed some of these which an observer on foot could have waypointed. The most striking feature of this difference was the persistent green foliage of the aliens, in contrast to the shriveled get-ready-for-winter brown of the natives (one often sees that alien plants from NW Europe retain green leaves far longer than native plants do). "Those on NatureNS will remember that throughout Nova Scotia we were perplexed by the intermediacy and confusing morphology of the majority of the Phragmites stands we sampled there: at Tantramar there was no ambiguity, and the natives didn't look much different from the ones we see in Ontario". Those of us in Ontario have seen how completely the invasive Phragmites can take over wide areas, and really wish action could be taken in the Maritimes before the task becomes impossible. fred. ==================================================== -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Catling & company on invasive Phragmites in the Maritimes (& Nfld) Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 10:39:08 -0500 From: Frederick W. Schueler <bckcdb@istar.ca> Organization: Bishops Mills Natural History Centre To: NATURENB@LISTSERV.UNB.CA <NATURENB@LISTSERV.UNB.CA> New Brunswickers, I urge you to read the appended article (which has just come out in BEN), very carefully, and to take action to suppress stands of the alien race. All you need to do is to drive along the eastern shore of NB, and then drive along the shore roads of New Jersey (solid alien Phragmites as far as the eye can see), to envisage just what you don't want your province to become. The Fundy shore is more different from New Jersey, so the geomorphic comparison isn't so close, but solid stands of Phragmites would be equally undesireable there. fred. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ BOTANICAL ELECTRONIC NEWS No. 324, March 16, 2004 <aceska@victoria.tc.ca> Victoria, B.C. ----------------------------------------------------------- Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2 ----------------------------------------------------------- STATUS OF THE ALIEN RACE OF COMMON REED (_PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS_) IN THE CANADIAN MARITIME PROVINCES From: Paul M. Catling*, Gisele Mitrow*, Lynn Black*, Susan Carbyn** * Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Environmental Health, Biodiversity, Saunders Bldg., C.E.F., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 catlingp@agr.gc.ca **Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Environmental Health, Biodiversity 32 Main Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia B4N 1J5 An alien race of Common Reed (presumably the European _Phrag- mites australis_ (Cav.) Trin. ssp. _australis_) has been rapidly spreading along roadsides and invading and dominating wetlands in parts of southern Ontario and Quebec since the early 1990s (Schueler 2000a, b, Robichaud & Catling 2003, Catling et al. 2003). The invasion and domination of native plant communities led to a substantial reduction in native biodiversity (e.g. Catling et al. 2003, Lavoie et al. 2003). Very recently the status of the alien race has been clarified in other parts of Canada (e.g. Martin 2003, Schueler et al. 2003). However, in the Canadian maritime provinces its status has been unclear until recently when both field study and a database of herbarium records was completed. The herbarium records database includes data from all major herbarium collections in Canada (including those of particular importance with regard to the maritimes such as ACAD, CAN, DAO, MT, MTMG, NFLD, NSPM, UNB). The value of herbarium specimens in understanding status and spread was increased when a method of distinguishing the races using the floral character of lower glume length (Robichaud & Catling 2003) made it possible to identify many herbarium specimens lacking the distinctive lower stem characters. The alien in- vasive race was distinguished from the native race by having first glumes 4.1 mm long or less and lower stem internodes yellow or brownish instead of reddish-purple (Robichaud & Ca- tling 2003). A chemical method for distinguishing the races has also recently become available (Saltonstall 2003). The following notes, arranged by province, are derived from response to several questions regarding the status of the alien race in the maritime region. NEWFOUNDLAND: The only record is that of a specimen collected from Stephen- ville Barachois by R. Day in 1991 (DAO). The native race has apparently not been recorded in the province. NEW BRUNSWICK: Of the locations mapped by Hinds (2000, p. 606), only that collected from 2 km S of Beaver Dam in Sunbury County by H. R. Hinds in 1981 (MTMG, UNB) was referable to the introduced race. A depauperate specimen from the salt marsh at St. Louis Cape in Kent County collected by P. R. Roberts and B. Pugh in 1965 (UNB) has a lower glumes approx. 4.0 mm long but lacks stem and was not assigned to race. In 2003 the alien race was collected by P. M. Catling at two locations on the Trans Canada highway at Sackville (DAO). Here it occurred within 20 m of the paved edge of the highway. From here it may spread into the adjacent Tantramar Marshes and displace the native race of _P. australis_, (which is presumably referable to ssp. _berlandieri_, see Fernald 1932). Schueler (2000b, 2002) found _Phragmites australis_ absent from sides of major roads in New Brunswick (and Prince Edward Island) so that the occurrence in the Sackville area along the major highway is almost certainly a recent phenomenon. This conclusion is supported by the small size of the clones present, i.e. only several m2. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: At the present time only the native race is known from Prince Edward Island and it is considered rare in the province (Day & Catling 1991). It was collected from the Dunk River estuary in Bedeque by M. L. Fernald and H. St. John in 1914 (CAN, MT) and later by D. Erskine and A. J. Smith in 1953 (DAO, MT). Plants reported from Lennox Island (Day & Catling 1991) have not been seen. NOVA SCOTIA: Most of the locations mapped for Nova Scotia (Roland & Smith 1969, Zinck 1998) represent the native race. The obvious excep- tions are the specimens from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown. The alien race was first collected at Annapolis Royal in by J. Macoun in 1910 (CAN), and subsequently by M. L. Fernald and B. Long in 1921 (ACAD, CAN, MT), by H. E. Perry and M. V. Roscoe in 1928 (ACAD), by G. C. Warren in 1938 (ACAD), W. G. Dore in 1940 (DAO), F. Kinsman in 1949 (DAO), M. S. Brown in 1949 (NSPM), P. Douglas in 1949 (NSPM), J. R. Jotchan in 1978 (ACAD), E. Specht in 1979 (ACAD), P. M. Catling, S. Carbyn and J. Achenbach in 2003 (DAO). It is believed in Annapolis Royal that the alien race was introduced with straw on trains carrying Elephants and other circus animals in the early 1900s (J. Achenbach, pers. comm.). It is locally called Elephant Grass. For many decades the occurrence of this gigantic (to 4 m tall in one season) grass in and around Annapolis Royal was recognized as a remark- able occurrence. Interestingly the Common Reed growing around Annapolis Royal was used to thatch a restored Acadian dwelling in the same way that the Acadians used the native race. Prior to the dyking which began around 1700, the native race may have been much more abundant in the Fundy tidal marshes. The alien race was also recorded relatively early at Bridgetown. Here H. G. Perry and M. V. Roscoe made a collection in 1928 (ACAD, MTMG, NSPM). Despite the continuity of collections from Annapolis Royal, there was a gap of 44 years until another locality of the alien race was recorded, this being from South Brookfield where it was collected by P. L. Comeau and J. M. Stanley in 1972 (NSPM). There are several more recent collec- tions; Big Pine Lake by M. Zinck and R. Ogilvie in 1992 (NSPM), Sable River by R.E. and R.B. Newell in 1993 (ACAD), south side of Annapolis River at Middleton by P.M. Catling in 2003 (DAO), junction of Trans Canada Highway 104 at Highway 102 by P. M. Catling (DAO), Highway 101 at Grand Pré by S. Carbyn in 2003 (DAO), 2 km W of Dodge Road overpass on Hwy 101 3 km W of exit 17 (Kingston/Greenwood) by S. Carbyn in 2003 (DAO),1 km W of exit 16 Hwy 101(Aylesford exit) by S. Carbyn in 2003. All of these are within 20 m of a paved road suggesting that vehicles and roads are the means and pathway of invasion. Conclusions Although the alien race became established in the maritimes almost 100 years ago, it appears to have spread only recently and is apparently spreading by means of vehicle traffic on roads. This parallels the situation elsewhere in eastern Canada (Catling et al. 2003). Although the alien race is invading agricultural land, including cornfields in southern Quebec, its most serious impact to date has been the replacement of diverse native vegetation in wetlands with significant loss of biodiver- sity in general. Considering its impact on Atlantic coastal marshes in the United States (e.g. Blossey 2002, Marks et al. 1994, Meyerson et al. 2000), marshes along the St. Lawrence River (e.g. Lavoie et al. 2003) and wetlands in southern Ontario (pers. ob.), it is considered a threat to the biodiversity of the Bay of Fundy marshes. Since its spread into much of the region is recent, there is an opportunity for regional control, especially around major brackish marshes. For example, invasion of the upper levels of the Tantramar Marshes, at the head of the Bay of Fundy, may be prevented by eliminating patches invading along the Trans Canada highway (hwy 104), and monitoring the adjacent marshlands. Acknowlegements Jef Achenbach of Annapolis Royal assisted with field work in the Annapolis valley region. The development of a database was supported by the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership. References Blossey, B. 2002. Replacement of native North American _Phrag- mites australis_ by introduced invasive genotypes. _Botanical Electronic News_ 284: 1-3. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben284.html Catling, P. M., F. W. Schueler, L. Robichaud and B. Blossey. 2003. More on _Phragmites_ - native and introduced races. _Canadian Botanical Association Bulletin_ 36(1): 4 - 7. Erskine, D. S. 1985. _The plants of Prince Edward Island_. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada publication 1798 (publi- cation 1088, 1960, reprinted). 272 p. Fernald, M. L. 1932. _Phragmites communis_ Trin. var. _berlan- dieri_ (Fournier) comb. nov. _Rhodora_ 34: 211-212. Hinds, H. R. 2000. _Flora of New Brunswick_. 2nd edition. University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick. 695 p. Lavoie, C., M. Jean, F. Delisle and G. Letourneau. 2003. Exotic plant species of the St. Lawrence River wetlands: a spatial and historical analysis. _Journal of Biogeography_ 30: 537- 549. Marks, M., B. Lapin and J. Randall. 1994. _Phragmites australis_ (_P. communis_): Threats, management, and monitoring. _Natural Areas Journal_ 14: 285-294. Martin, M. 2003. Common Reed (_Phragmites australis_) in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. _Botanical Electronic News_ 318: 1. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben318.html Meyerson, L. A., K. Saltonstall, L. Windham, E. Kiviat, and S. Findlay. 2000. A comparison of _Phragmites australis_ in freshwater and brackish marsh environments in North America. _Wetlands Ecology and Management_ 8: 89-103 Robichaud, L. and P. M. Catling, 2003. Potential value of glume length in differentiating native and alien races of Common Reed, _Phragmites australis_. _Botanical Electronic News_ 310: 1-3. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben310.html Roland, A.E. and E.C. Smith. 1969. _The flora of Nova Scotia_. Nova Scotia Museum. Reprinted from _Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science_, 26: 1-238, 277-743. Saltonstall, K. 2003. A rapid method for identifying the origin of North American Phragmites populations using RFLP analysis. Wetlands 23(4): 1043-1047. Schueler, F. W. 2000a. Monster Grass an Invasive or Native. _SER Ontario News (Newsletter of the Ontario Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration_) 6(1), Spring 2000. 2 p. www.serontario.org/pdfs/may00.pdf Schueler, F. W. 2000b. GPS Surveys for _Phragmites_ and other invasives. _SER Ontario News (Newsletter of the Ontario Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration_) 6(1), Spring 2000. 2pp. www.serontario.org/pdfs/may00.pdf Schueler, F. W. 2002. Distribution of roadside _Phragmites_ in Canada. _Phragmites australis_: A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing? _Technical Forum 6-9 January 2002, Vineland New Jersey_, abstract pp 27-28. Schueler, F. W., A. Karstad and J. H. Schueler. 2003. Non-native _Phragmites communis_ in British Columbia. _Botanical Electronic News_ 315: 1 http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben315.html Zinck, M. 1998. _Roland's flora of Nova Scotia_. Nimbus Pub- lishing and Nova Scotia Musem. Halifax. 2 vol. 1296 p. -- ------------------------------------------------------------ Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad Fragile Inheritance Natural History Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills - https://www.facebook.com/MudpuppyNight/ '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 44.87156° N 75.70095° W (613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca/ ------------------------------------------------------------ nationally recognized as incapable of generating a net income from our work - http://www.wwf.ca/newsroom/?31661/Glen-Davis-Conservation-Leadership-Prize ------------------------------------------------------------
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