is 



At War 

 in the 

 Wetlands 



By P a m Smith 



T 



JL here's a war being waged in wetlands. 



The enemy — Phragmites australis — 

 appears innocuous enough at first glance: 

 With blue-green leaves and cane-like stems 

 topped with purplish plumes, the tall marsh 

 plants curtsy and dance in the breeze. 



But the aesthetic deception ends at 

 their "feet." These moisture-loving rhizomes 

 and fibrous roots not only anchor the plant 

 in place, but also branch out to reproduce 

 exponentially. Even the smallest rhizome 

 fragment can float away to regenerate itself 

 in a new locale. 



In just one growing season, dense 

 growths can crowd out native vegetation 

 and wildlife habitat — threatening entire 

 aquatic ecosystems. Phragmites australis 

 is particularly aggressive in low-salinity 

 marshes and in wetland areas where salinity 

 levels are lowered by human-induced 

 changes. 



LEFT: Kyle Hall is in full battle gear as he combats 

 the spread ofPhragmites austrails in Kitty 

 Hawk Woods Reserve. 



