Invasive Phragmites Science: Using Microbial Interactions to Foster the Restoration of Great Lakes Wetlands Active
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the plant to take over habitat used by native plants, (2) whether a disruption of these plant-microbe interactions can be used as an effective control strategy for Phragmites, thus adding another tool for land managers to use in the Phragmites control toolbox, and (3) whether Phragmites expansion creates microbial legacies that complicate native plant restoration after removal.
All plants interact with a diverse suite of microbes, including fungi and bacteria, throughout all stages of their life cycle. These microbes may surround the roots in the soil, live on plant tissues (epiphytes), or live inside the plant (i.e., endophytes). Plant-microbial relationships span a spectrum from beneficial to antagonistic. Microbes also are thought to confer many benefits to plants, thereby increasing their growth, stress tolerance, and competitive ability. Specifically, USGS researchers are seeking to understand the microbes associated with the non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) and the benefits they confer to their host. The non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) continues to invade fish and wildlife habitats across the Great Lakes Region, but it isn’t clear what role microbes play in its ability to outcompete native plants and whether manipulation of these microbes can be part of a new sustainable management approach for Phragmites. Therefore, researchers at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) and other public and private institutions including, Tulane University, Louisiana State University, and Rutgers University formed the Phragmites Symbiosis Collaborative to examine the role of endophytes in both the success of invasive Phragmites and as a potential mechanism for restoring native plant assemblages. Using this collaborative approach, participating scientists are coordinating research efforts to develop comprehensive microbe-based Phragmites control treatments that are not only effective at killing Phragmites but can facilitate establishment of native species post-treatment, thereby improving restoration activities. Currently, researchers are continuing development and field testing of a non-toxic bioherbicide, including completion of patents describing the work. This investigation aims to identify ways to manipulate the Phragmites endophyte community through application of naturally occurring substances to promote microbial species that induce plant death and facilitate decomposition, thus returning nutrients to the soil and improving native species establishment.
Partners
- Tulane University
- Louisiana State University
- Rutgers University
This project is part of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center’s wetlands research. Visit our page to learn about more collaborative research projects.
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the plant to take over habitat used by native plants, (2) whether a disruption of these plant-microbe interactions can be used as an effective control strategy for Phragmites, thus adding another tool for land managers to use in the Phragmites control toolbox, and (3) whether Phragmites expansion creates microbial legacies that complicate native plant restoration after removal.
All plants interact with a diverse suite of microbes, including fungi and bacteria, throughout all stages of their life cycle. These microbes may surround the roots in the soil, live on plant tissues (epiphytes), or live inside the plant (i.e., endophytes). Plant-microbial relationships span a spectrum from beneficial to antagonistic. Microbes also are thought to confer many benefits to plants, thereby increasing their growth, stress tolerance, and competitive ability. Specifically, USGS researchers are seeking to understand the microbes associated with the non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) and the benefits they confer to their host. The non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) continues to invade fish and wildlife habitats across the Great Lakes Region, but it isn’t clear what role microbes play in its ability to outcompete native plants and whether manipulation of these microbes can be part of a new sustainable management approach for Phragmites. Therefore, researchers at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) and other public and private institutions including, Tulane University, Louisiana State University, and Rutgers University formed the Phragmites Symbiosis Collaborative to examine the role of endophytes in both the success of invasive Phragmites and as a potential mechanism for restoring native plant assemblages. Using this collaborative approach, participating scientists are coordinating research efforts to develop comprehensive microbe-based Phragmites control treatments that are not only effective at killing Phragmites but can facilitate establishment of native species post-treatment, thereby improving restoration activities. Currently, researchers are continuing development and field testing of a non-toxic bioherbicide, including completion of patents describing the work. This investigation aims to identify ways to manipulate the Phragmites endophyte community through application of naturally occurring substances to promote microbial species that induce plant death and facilitate decomposition, thus returning nutrients to the soil and improving native species establishment.
Partners
- Tulane University
- Louisiana State University
- Rutgers University
This project is part of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center’s wetlands research. Visit our page to learn about more collaborative research projects.