Rapid Invasion of a Great Lakes Coastal Wetland by Non-native Phragmites australis and Typha

Molecular data provide strong evidence of natural hybridization between native and introduced lineages of Phragmites australis in North America

“…Regardless of the constraining mechanisms, the data collected in this study suggest that hybridization in the wild occurs infrequently; however, we may find many more hybrids if we sample more 'mixed' sites in the Great Lakes region. In addition, invasive P. australis colonizes new sites very rapidly (Howard et al 2008;Jodoin et al 2008;Saltonstall 2002;T'Ulbure et al 2007;Whyte et al 2008), and it is possible that if their frequency increases, the hybrids will show a similar capacity for dispersal and colonization. Now that hybrids of native and introduced P. australis have been identified in natural populations, future work should be directed at monitoring the relative fitness of hybrids in a range of different habitats.…”

“…Although this species is native to North America, a comparison of chloroplast genotypes from current and herbarium samples revealed that there was a cryptic invasion of a European P. australis lineage into North America, most likely during the nineteenth century (Saltonstall 2002). This European lineage has become increasingly invasive in North America over the last few decades as it expanded further west (Howard et al 2008;Jodoin et al 2008;Saltonstall 2002;T'Ulbure et al 2007;Whyte et al 2008).…”

Seeds contribute strongly to the spread of the invasive genotype of the common reed (Phragmites australis)

“…Large populations covering hundreds of hectares are widespread along the Atlantic coast of the United States (from Connecticut to Virginia) and in the Mississippi River delta (Rice et al 2000;Warren et al 2001;Lathrop et al 2003;White et al 2004;Philipp and Field 2005). Common reed populations have also recently expanded on the shores of the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence River (Wilcox et al 2003;Hudon et al 2005;Trebitz and Taylor 2007;Tulbure et al 2007). The spread and expansion of common reed populations in marshes are probably associated with the nineteenth century introduction of a Eurasian subspecies (P. australis subsp.…”

Long-term effects of a Phragmites australis invasion on birds in a Lake Erie coastal marsh

“…australis cover expanded after a water level drop (Tulbure et al, 2007;Whyte et al, 2008). In the late 1980s introduced P. australis was not a dominant plant species in the Great Lakes -at this time Typha was the dominant plant species and the main concern towards Great Lake biodiversity (Keddy and Reznicek, 1986).…”