Biology subjects

Robichaud, C. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Robichaud, C. D..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Control of invasive Phragmites australis (European common reed) alters macroinvertebrate communities

Wetland restoration often involves invasive plant species suppression to encourage the recovery of native-dominated vegetation communities. However, assessment of recovery is usually focused only on vegetation and the response of other critical wetland biota, such as macroinvertebrates, is seldom assessed. We characterized the aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial macroinvertebrate communities in remnant, uninvaded marsh to identify restoration targets and compared this to the communities in Phragmites australis-invaded marsh, and in formerly invaded marsh that was treated with the herbicide glyphosate in 2016 to simultaneously evaluate the effects of invasion and of invasive species suppression. We sampled invertebrates in 2017 and 2018 to track two years following herbicide treatment. The invertebrate community composition captured by the emergence traps was similar between P. australis and remnant marsh, suggesting invasion has little effect on macroinvertebrate community structure. There was also high concordance between the aquatic and emerging invertebrate communities in the invaded and uninvaded habitats. In contrast, herbicide-treated sites had a unique community composition, characterized by very high densities of Chironomidae (Diptera) and low taxa richness and evenness. Herbicide-treated sites also exhibited low concordance between the aquatic and emerging invertebrate communities, potentially attributable to the sparse emerging vegetation cover providing limited substrates for emergence. Herbicide-based invasive species control results in considerable changes to the macroinvertebrate community in freshwater marshes for at least two years after treatment, which may have consequences for aquatic food webs and species that rely on macroinvertebrates as prey.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Suppression of established invasive Phragmites australis leads to secondary invasion

Invasive Phragmites australis (European Common Reed) is rapidly spreading throughout North American wetlands, with negative impacts on wildlife and native plants. The removal or suppression of P. australis is desired to provide an opportunity for native vegetation and wetland fauna to recover. In Ontario, managers applied a glyphosate-based herbicide to >400 ha of P. australis in ecologically significant Great Lakes coastal marshes, representing the first time this tool was used over standing water to suppress P. australis in Canada. Using a replicated Before-After-Control-Impact monitoring design, we 1) evaluated the efficacy of glyphosate-based herbicide at suppression P. australis along a water depth gradient and 2) assessed the recovery of the vegetation community for two years after treatment in relation to local reference conditions. We found that herbicide reduced live P. australis stem densities by over 99% the first year after treatment and about 95% the second year post-treatment. Treatment was equally effective along the entire water depth gradient (10 - 48 cm). The initial suppression focused management was successful, but sustained monitoring and containment focused follow-up treatment will be required to prevent reinvasion. Two years after treatment, the vegetation community does not resemble reference conditions. Although some treated plots initially increased in similarity to the vegetation communities typical of reference areas, many plots where P. australis was suppressed are on a novel trajectory comprising a vegetation community dominated by non-native Hydrocharis morsus-ranae. Secondary invasions represent a major challenge to effective recovery of native vegetation after P. australis control.

ecology↗