Wetland restoration following Phragmites control: informed by seedling performance of alkali bulrush
Expected Graduation Year
2018
College
S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
Department
Wildland Resources Department
Faculty Mentor
Karin Kettenring
Abstract
Seedling performance of alkali bulrush sourced from different sites:
implications for revegetation in Great Salt Lake wetlands.
Bulrush (Schoenoplectus and Bolboschoenus species) are significant in Utah wetlands as they provide critical habitat for millions of migratory birds that utilize the Great Salt Lake. Many agencies in Utah are working to control Phragmites, an invasive species that has outcompeted and replaced bulrushes. Part of this process requires the introduction of native species into wetlands to restore wetland habitat, following Phragmites control, by sowing seeds into areas in need of revegetation. There are many potential seed sources from which to acquire seeds; it is unknown how well plants sourced from various sites will vary in performance. In a greenhouse study, we have grown alkali bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus) seedlings from five geographically-distant wetland sites across the Intermountain West. We harvested seedlings and evaluated emergence timing, emergence proportion as well as the following seedling traits critical to restoration outcomes: stem diameter, root length, number of shoots, height of seedlings, and biomass production, at three different time points. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA with seed source as the fixed effect with 5 levels. We found that the Bear Lake seed source had lower seedling emergence than seeds sourced from Clear Lake and Sterling. There were no significant differences among the seed sources for the seedling performance metrics in the first and third harvests. At the second harvest, Bear Lake seed source had poorer performance overall. Analysis would suggest avoiding using Bear Lake seed for wetland managers. However, there may be no preference between using seeds from the remaining four sites.
First Co-Presenter's Department
Watershed Sciences Department
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-13-2017
Recommended Citation
Judd, Gabriela and Kettenring, Karin, "Wetland restoration following Phragmites control: informed by seedling performance of alkali bulrush" (2017). Research on Capitol Hill. Paper 59.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/roch/59