The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar “Deflecting succession: Repeated manual removal of invasive cattails maintains habitat structure in an Oswego County (NY) intermediate fen,” presented by Eric Hellquist, associate professor from the Department of Biological Sciences at SUNY Oswego, today, November 25, at 3:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151. Attendees are welcome to enjoy coffee and cookies during the seminar.

Abstract
The inevitable outcome of ecological interactions is succession, the change in the identity and abundance of species at a given location over time. Restoration ecology seeks to influence successional trajectories to reestablish a desired community condition that existed prior to human disturbance. Prolific growth of invasive cattails (Typha spp.) can alter habitat structure, nutrient cycling, and community composition of wetlands and littoral zones. A significant component of Typha colonization is the yearly deposition of dead leaves and stems (thatch). Typha thatch can impede growth as well as alter community composition and structure of pre-existing communities. We work in a central New York fen of conservation importance where the floating mat has been progressively colonized by Typha angustifolia and T. xglauca in recent decades. We initiated a manual Typha control program to slow Typha colonization of the sensitive floating mat habitat. From 2016-2020 and again in 2023-2024, we clipped Typha stems and removed the biomass from the mat. Cutting has reduced Typha stem counts, biomass, and inflorescences. Thatch has been effectively eliminated from the floating mat. Our results show that repeated, manual cutting of Typha can be a laborious, but effective strategy to impede habitat conversion in fens.