Is Phragmites for the Birds?

[JeffD]

I carried the discussion you and I were having on the NEWSPAPER ARTICLE topic in General Discussion, Barry, to this post, after having done a short engine search. According to the article on the link I found, although phragmites is an invasive species, it is a good place for birds and a marsh dominated by this reed is as good as a marsh dominated by another wetland plant. The author of the article calls for wise management of phragmites, based on scientific field study of a particular area, not automatic eradication. Managing the reed is like thinning trees in a forest.

http://www.njaudubon.org/Conservation/opinions/05-01.html

 

[German]

I've also seen some of the recent opinions on the value of Phagmites to wildlife. The jury is still out, though, in my opinion. These might be the most recent opinions, but that does not mean they are the right ones. I'm sure more light will be shed as the species is studied more. From my observations (part of which were during seven years working at a park whose acreage was about 70% saltmarsh) a typical phag marsh is made up of phagmites and little else, while other nearby marshes dominated by Spartina species are typically not monocultures and had many other species growing there. Unless you are talking about a species with extraordinary value to wildlife, more species diversity is almost always better than less.

 

[JeffD]

The main problem I see with phragmites so far is that it is very agressive. Too much of anything, too fast, can throw off the ecological balance.

After I made this post, I did an engine search and found a blurb on the Pine Barrens Enthusiast website about removing the reed in Wharton State Forest. The blurb was from least year and the call was to help remove Phragmite seeds and cut them back in the spring. It was in a small area of Wharton. I see the Audubon author's point about management of phragmites but not eradication, and that plans to deal with the reed should be made on a case by case basis. In some cases the growth of phragmites may need to be slowed down, and perhaps is some cases, completely removed from an area. As the autubon article points out, a reed dominated marsh has the same amount of biomass as an equivilent marsh dominated by the other species (I forget the name of its "competitor").

In any case, if phragmites growth gets out of hand I think there is a problem. Too much growth can choke a marsh, not allowing water to flow through it and it could even dry up faster than it would. Ecological succession could be put on fast forward.

I wonder if the phragmites removal project is a yearly thing or was just a one-time deal, or if it is done as needed. Maybe we Pine Barren Enthusiasts could look into that. If I stop by the Wharton Forest ranger station I'll have to ask about it. Or maybe they can be contacted via other means.

One more thing. The Audubon Society perspective is from what the reeds do for the birds. This, of course, is important. But, like any other subject in the Pine Barrens, it should be addressed from other perspectives.