Title

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Phragmites australis Treatment for the Great Lakes Coastline

Document Type

Conference Paper/Presentation

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

Millions of dollars have been spent on herbicide and other control measures of the form of the wetland plant Phragmites australis, but few efforts have included monitoring to assess the effectiveness of treatment on habitat restoration and biodiversity. A study was conducted to analyze field and remote sensing data in a nested design to develop recommendations for standardized methods for monitoring treatment success. Through field sampling, paired treated and non-treated Phragmites dominant sites were assessed in Green Bay and Saginaw Bay for biodiversity of birds, amphibians, and vegetation. Aerial and satellite imagery at various scales were used to map treatment success at the landscape scale. Remote sensing data provides the spatial context of the distribution of live Phragmites plants including leading edges, and it also provides documentation of the location of dead Phragmites vegetation regrowth and spatial context with adjacent lands. Field data provide an assessment of the biodiversity of a site and presence of rare or endangered species. Both field and remote sensing-based monitoring are needed for adaptive management strategies in controlling Phragmites. The main findings of this research, including a comparison of the impacts of treatment efforts in Green Bay and Saginaw Bay, will be presented

Publisher's Statement

© 2016 International Association for Great Lakes Research. Publisher's version of record: http://iaglr.org/conference/downloads/2016_abstracts.pdf

Publication Title

IAGLR 59th Annual Conference

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