Class
Article
College
S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
Department
Watershed Sciences Department
Faculty Mentor
Maddie Houde
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
The Great Salt Lake is an important part of Utah’s natural resources. However, Great Salt lake wetlands are becoming overtaken by Phragmites australis, an invasive species originating from Eurasia. Introduced into North America, this plant has spread to create dense monocultures, quickly taking over native species and degrading avian habitat. Several P. australis populations have been found to survive in salinities up to 45-60 parts per thousand (ppt). However, there are multiple studies with conflicting results about the maximum salinity tolerance of P. australis (i.e., 23-60 ppt). This experiment will compare the salinity ranges of native species and non-native P. australis. This experiment will be done through the comparison of seedling emergence of the four study species in three different salinities: 0 ppt, 25 ppt, and 40 ppt in a greenhouse setting. Following the growing period, we ran our analysis method and found significant results between A. occidentalis and P. australis. While they had similar growth in freshwater, A. occidentalis had 14% germination while P. australis had only had 0.25% germination in 25 ppt of salinity. This information will be important in determining where it is appropriate to be monitoring and treating for P. australis.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2023 12:30 PM
End Date
4-12-2023 1:30 PM
Included in
Phragmites australis Seeds From Great Salt Lake Have a Lower Salinity Tolerance Than Expected
Logan, UT
The Great Salt Lake is an important part of Utah’s natural resources. However, Great Salt lake wetlands are becoming overtaken by Phragmites australis, an invasive species originating from Eurasia. Introduced into North America, this plant has spread to create dense monocultures, quickly taking over native species and degrading avian habitat. Several P. australis populations have been found to survive in salinities up to 45-60 parts per thousand (ppt). However, there are multiple studies with conflicting results about the maximum salinity tolerance of P. australis (i.e., 23-60 ppt). This experiment will compare the salinity ranges of native species and non-native P. australis. This experiment will be done through the comparison of seedling emergence of the four study species in three different salinities: 0 ppt, 25 ppt, and 40 ppt in a greenhouse setting. Following the growing period, we ran our analysis method and found significant results between A. occidentalis and P. australis. While they had similar growth in freshwater, A. occidentalis had 14% germination while P. australis had only had 0.25% germination in 25 ppt of salinity. This information will be important in determining where it is appropriate to be monitoring and treating for P. australis.