Long-term periodic management of Phragmites australis maintains native brackish wetland plant communities

Abstract

Abstract Complete eradication of invasive plants is often infeasible while in some cases ‘functional eradication’, the reduction of an invader to low levels with reduced ongoing management costs, is a sustainable option. Non-native Phragmites australis has challenged land managers across North America but functional eradication may yet be possible in some scenarios. Here we present data from Chesapeake Bay brackish tidal wetlands where two approaches to Phragmites management (long-term, continuous management and short-term, non-continuous management) were used. We demonstrate that the application of herbicides will lead to the establishment of native species, but long-term, continuous management is required to facilitate functional eradication of Phragmites by keeping it at low levels of occurrence and restoring native plant communities. Ultimately, historical data from sites that were sampled as part of this study indicate that if management is successful and results in functional eradication of Phragmites, then the recovering vegetation will include native species that were present before the sites were invaded by Phragmites.