XVI International Botanical Congess

Mentor Marsh,near Cleveland,OH is under pressure resulting in a decrease in native flora and the ecological value of the wetland.Native flora is being replaced by the giant reed(Phragmites australis).A pilot study in 1998 showed that control of this species was possible and the seed bank species could re-establish.In a 1999 large-scale study we will employ treatments as follows:removal of emerging shoots, treatment one coupled with application of herbicide, treatment two coupled with planting T.lattifolia, and continuous removal of shoots throughout the growing season.Control plots will be left untreated.With these methods it is possible to:ascertain reed progression or regression by counting the number of stalks,discover changes in vegetative composition and structure,and observe the severity of decrease in reed density and its causes.