Invasive Reeds

10 years ago

Hello fellow gardenweb members,
I am here to gain some insight of what, to my understanding is an endemic of invasive reeds.

Particularly that of phragmite australis, it seems given the wet climate here in Victoria that these very large dense grasses in wetlands take up more then their fair share of habitat, this of course is not just limited to wetlands but rivers, lakes, ponds and the like.

I am aware that reeds like these help to keep the water oxygenated although I am curious if this is the only benefit they give and if they are the only means of doing this. Where the grasses grow have left almost no hope for competing native flora, it is growing in areas where it is able to have a significant impact on plant and animal diversity.

Essentially the questions I have come here to ask are:
1. Are there any pros or further cons to discuss about these plants? How have they affected areas around you are they helping the environment or are the inhibiting it?
2. Are you aware of any laws protecting this species or any efforts to remove them in your area? Is it only overseas where phragmites have been labeled an invasive species or is Australia aware of its weed-like behavior?

These last few questions are not a necessary part of this discussion but I have wondered whether there is a means to be recognized by the council as a removalist so to speak, of these grasses (only if in conclusion it is a shared consensus that they are a pest and we could do with efforts to rid some areas of them).

In a hypothetical situation;
If i were to go out to a local park right now and throw myself into the water expelling all the reed and can handle, could I get punished by local authority or would it be considered neutral (No intervention required)?
Furthermore are you aware of ANY known councils, worldwide even, that use volunteer/paid work as a means of control for invasive reeds?

I really do despise these plants taking up otherwise decent grounds when they can thrive in bare minimum. It's not like they are particularly an eye saw, they just spread too much, too fast, so easily.

Thanks prior to your comments, for taking the time to read this and enlightening me with your contributions.

Comments (4)

mazer415
10 years ago
I suggest contacting your Native Plant Socieety if you have one. They often have all the answers you are looking for and even have invasive plant removals
lukifell
10 years ago
Reeds may be invasive in Australia because many plants are invasive there. Here in North America reeds are not a problem anywhere. They are actually beneficial because they provide shelter for small animals, like muskrats for example.

I must caution you. You will never understand ecology if you listen to your government. Governments know nothing about ecology. You must learn for yourself, it is the only way.
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docmom_gw
9 years ago
Lukifell,

I must beg to differ. Based on your recommendation, I did some research re these reeds, which happen to be growing less than 100 yards from my front door. They have, in fact, invaded significant portions of the entire Great Lakes Coastline, and are crowding out critical native species which local animals, birds and insect depend on for survival. The areas of invasion have even been mapped via satellite in order to allow more efficient efforts to destroy the dense growth. These plants are dangerous and need to be controlled.

Martha
leila hamaya
9 years ago
this is a sticky subject that i think about too. i think its good to ask these questions, although i am used to having a very different opinion than others about these issues. although i like many native plants (and forage and spread them)- there are also many useful, feral, edible and medicinal plants that get stuck with the unwarranted label of "invasive", and then are removed with toxic herbicides.

i have definitely seen examples of plants that are truly acting "invasive" and are opportunistically taking advantage of the imbalance of their ecosystems. BUT i think its important to factor in that their ecosystem are out of balance to begin with, which is closer to the real SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.

I whole heartedly agree with anyone who knows that we need to repair our bioregions, and seeks to create sustainable INTACT ecosystems. But i disagree with what they see that as, and also think nature is far more resilient than people give it credit for being. That most ecosystems are HUMAN DOMINATED, is a major part of the problem, and the time scale for natures self healing process (which measures itself in eons!) is outside of our immediate scope.

pointing the finger at the (so called) "invasives" only, and not seeing the larger picture somewhat misses the point, IMO. and especially if you consider once labelled "invasive" a LOT of toxic stuff gets poured on the ground in the effort of removing them. Also claiming that you alone, as a single small human creature, know what is best for nature, is a very slippery slope! no matter what kind of credentials or authority you may have....

also i get tired of researching plants and having to wade through all the "invasive" labelling and misunderstanding presented by those who just parrot the misinformation they are getting. there are many plants that do not deserve the label and treatment, and it gets more than a little absurd when the government tries to make a plant illegal, etc. i have also seen some manipulative tactics used by those, who go way overboard in stretching "truths" and perception about certain "non native plants".