Do common assumptions about the wetland seed bank following invasive plant removal hold true? Divergent outcomes following multi-year Phragmites australis management

Author: Christine Brenda Rohal, Carrie Reinhardt Adams, Laura Kay Reynolds, Eric Lewis Goff Hazelton, Karin Marie Kettenring
Year: 2021
Digital Object Identifier:
Type: Publication
Topic: Guidance Document, Management, Restoration

Limited funds and compressed timelines frequently translate into a reliance on seed banks for native plant recovery following invasive plant management. This approach assumes: (a) baseline seed bank communities are sufficient for native plant recovery regardless of site environmental conditions; (b) different management actions variably impact native and invader seed banks; (c) management actions reduce invader seed banks; while (d) native seed banks do not decline following management; and (e) returning above-ground vegetation reflects the seed bank. Do these assumptions hold true in the context of invasive Phragmites australis management?