2021 USGS Phragmites australis Greenhouse Submergence Experiment Data conducted in Ann Arbor, MI

To determine the potential for controlling non-native Phragmites australis through use of a cut-to-drown management strategy we performed a controlled greenhouse mesocosm experiment in Ann Arbor, MI during summer 2021. Field collected Phragmites rhizomes from one site within Michigan were propagated, cuttings taken of individual stems and potted in nursery pots. Established plants were then subjected to a complete factorial combination of three submergence treatments (no submergence, partial submergence of aboveground tissues, and compete submergence of aboveground tissues) and 3 cutting treatments (no cutting, spring cutting of above ground tissues, and summer cutting of aboveground tissues). By performing weekly monitoring of plant growth, harvesting of a subset of plant tissues and overwintering of the remaining plants, we were able to examine difference in biomass production, non-structural carbohydrate content and future viability of Phragmites plants receiving different cut-to-drown treatments.