Nestled along the biodiverse Frontenac Axis of Eastern Ontario, the Lost Bay Nature Reserve protects both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including forests, rock barrens, and wetlands. Many of the wetlands on the property belong to the provincially significant Lost Bay and Charleston Lake wetland complexes, which provide high quality habitat for species at risk and help support flood resiliency.
Lost Bay Nature Reserve provides habitat for over 500 species of plants and animals, including 24 species at risk. Recently, a new species was observed by our volunteer stewards, but unfortunately is it not one that is welcome: the European common reed, also known as invasive phragmites.
Phragmites australis © Andreas Rockstein CC BY-SA 2.0
Invasive phragmites is a species of reed from Eurasia that grows in moist areas. Commonly seen in roadside ditches, this species grows in tall dense stands and can by identified by its upright beige stem, blue-green leaves, and large fluffy seed head.
Invasive phragmites grows quickly and spreads aggressively due to its wind-dispersed seeds and large network of underground rhizomes (trailing roots that branch out from the plant). Once established, it can grow up to 6 meters tall and at densities so high that wildlife can have challenges navigating through it. This allows it to easily outcompete native species and take over the habitat it’s growing in, resulting in reduced biodiversity, poor habitat quality for aquatic wildlife, and lowered water levels.
If left alone, phragmites will quickly spread through wetlands, fundamentally changing them and worsening habitat for the species that call them home. To make matters worse, once phragmites has been established within a wetland, it is extremely difficult to remove due to its underground rhizomes.
Phragmites australis © Sunghwan Yoon CC BY-SA 2.0
The first step in managing phragmites is understanding exactly where it is. If any is left behind, it can quickly reestablish, so it’s important to be diligent. To do this Ontario Nature staff use a GPS to walk a path around phragmites locations and create maps. In areas that are difficult to reach, or unsafe for staff to walk, a drone is used to take aerial images that are then used to create maps.
Thanks to funding from TC Energy, Ontario Nature was able to work with the Invasive Phragmites Control Centre to remove any phragmites from Lost Bay Nature Reserve in fall 2024, but our work doesn’t end there. In the coming years we will be visiting these spots annually to ensure none has re-grown and remove any that has.
In areas where invasive phragmites has been removed, the native seedbank usually remains intact. This means the habitat formerly occurring at the site should re-establish in the absence of competition from invasive phragmites.
Phragmites australis © Peter O’Connor CC BY-SA 2.0
Does this species look familiar to you? If so, we encourage you to report any sightings to the Invasive Species Centre or through iNaturalist to help safeguard Ontario’s biodiversity. The earlier phragmites can be managed, the better off native habitats are!
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