Contact: Jenni Brockman St. Margaret’s School recently hosted a community "Phrag Forum" in conjunction with local volunteers, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge. The forum, which focused on Phragmites australis, an invasive marsh plant that threatens Virginia’s landscapes, covered topics including plant identification in the watershed, growth control and species eradication. Doug Forsell, a waterfowl specialist with the USFWS in Annapolis, MD, gave the keynote address; Forsell holds a strong interest in marsh habitat restoration. Alice Wellford, of Richmond, who combated phragmites on Kendsale Farm, a nearby farm, located in Chance, that Wellford’s family owns that drains into two Rappahannock River tributary creeks, organized the forum. "I’ve had endless problems over the years with phragmites on my property. After spending a lot of money – including hiring a helicopter for an aerial survey - I thought that this was a ridiculous situation and I decided to do something about it," Wellford said. Locally, Phragmites australis or "common reed" threatens the vitality of native marsh species growing in the Rappahannock watershed. A fast growing, invasive tall grass, phragmites compete with native marsh grass and other wetland species for soil nutrients. Typically, the phragmites survive at the expense of native plants. Unlike native plant species, phragmites provide little benefit in the way of food or shelter for local aquatic wildlife. Phragmites spread by means of rhizomes (rootstalks) and seeds. Phragmites rapidly grow roots once a stalk becomes detached from the main plant. Rhizomes can spread 20 to 30 feet annually, meaning one plant has the potential to become a one-acre stand in a very short time. Tide is another factor aiding the spread of phragmites. Once a piece of rhizome falls [off the plant], the tide can carry it to a new location (phragmites originated in South America where it was used as a packaging material; it first arrived in Delaware, spreading from there). Although disturbed areas are most at-risk, phragmites can establish virtually anywhere that soil is available. "To prevent further spread into the marshes and creeks of the lower Rappahannock River, phragmites must be controlled," says Wellford. "Controlling phragmites is a very important ecological issue because our marshes are vital to the stability of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem," adds St. Margaret’s School biology teacher, Andrea Robinson.
According to experts, the application of an approved herbicide, such as Rodeo, in early fall can eliminate stands of the invasive plant. Once the herbicide has killed the plant growth, the area must be burned to annihilate any detritus or rhizomes that might otherwise survive and reestablish phragmite growth at the expense of native plants. As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that this procedure be repeated the following year. "The forum was a huge success," Wellford concludes. "What resulted is a steering committee set up to resolve this issue for good. We aim to get more information out to the public soon." Fact sheets on specific invasive species and further information on how to protect Virginia’s southern watersheds can be viewed on the Department of Conservation and Recreation or Virginia Native Plant Society web sites http://www.state.va.us/~dcr/vaher.html and http://www.vnps.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Margaret’s Hosts Forum on Wetlands Plant
(l. to r.) Alice Wellford, of Richmond, stands with Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge biotechnician, Alan Bennett, RRNWF resident manager, Cathy Owens, RRNWF manager, Barry Brady, and St. Margaret’s biology teacher, Andrea Robinson, at the community "Phrag Forum" held Wednesday, January 5, at St. Margaret’s School.
