Wetland value is threatened by invasive plant species such as Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). Hence the research objectives of this project were to determine if reed canarygrass abundance has an effect on plant species diversity and assess the effectiveness of novel treatments on reed canarygrass control in a constructed wetland. Four treatments (mowing, herbicide, mowing plus herbicide, and a control) followed by broadcast seeding were applied to regulate growth of reed canarygrass. Principal components analysis, biodiversity measures, and ANOVA were used to identify community composition, quantify biodiversity values and identify treatment differences respectively. Results indicated differences in species composition between east and west blocks of the study site, reed canarygrass abundance appears to keep plant species diversity low, indigenous species were rare, and reed canarygrass was resistant to treatments.The results of this study are not surprising considering there is little evidence that treatments for reed canarygrass control are effective.

Wetland value is threatened by invasive plant species such as Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). Hence the research objectives of this project were to determine if reed canarygrass abundance has an effect on plant species diversity and assess the effectiveness of novel treatments on reed canarygrass control in a constructed wetland. Four treatments (mowing, herbicide, mowing plus herbicide, and a control) followed by broadcast seeding were applied to regulate growth of reed canarygrass. Principal components analysis, biodiversity measures, and ANOVA were used to identify community composition, quantify biodiversity values and identify treatment differences respectively. Results indicated differences in species composition between east and west blocks of the study site, reed canarygrass abundance appears to keep plant species diversity low, indigenous species were rare, and reed canarygrass was resistant to treatments.The results of this study are not surprising considering there is little evidence that treatments for reed canarygrass control are effective.

This study was concerned with development of chromatographic methods suitable for determination of plant sugars. The resultant methodology was applied to the comprehensive study of plant carbohydrates as they vary during plant growth. Plant cell walls were isolated with boiling water followed by delignification with acid chlorite. The soluble portions were hydrolyzed with 2N sulfuric acid and the total sugars and individual monosaccharides were quantified using gas chromatography and colorimetry. The insoluble residues were hydrolyzed with 72% sulfuric acid followed by dilution with water to 2N and further hydrolysis. The effects of duration of delignification and acid hydrolysis were interpreted in terms of carbohydrate yield monitored colorimetrically and with gas chromatography. The rapid derivation of sugars was perfected using N-methyl-imidazole as an acetylation catalyst. This catalyst was also employed for the derivatization of lactonized aldonic acids, enabling the gas chromatographic quantitation of uronic acids. The growth of reed canarygrass was interpreted with empirical and non-empirical methodology. the empirical procedures provided little insightinto plant cell wall composition. The non-empirical methodology which included DMSO extraction and gas-liquid chromatography revealed the possible presence of a branched galactoarabinoxylan and a linear arabinoxylan in reed canarygrass hemicellulose. The presence of β-glucan was also confirmed using selective enzymatic hydrolysis. As the plants matured, the proportion of linear xylan increased. The occurence of galactose, mannose, fucose and rhamnose in cell wall extracts may be the result of acid catalyzed degradations and transformations of other cell wall sugars. The results revealed the value of chromatography as it is applied to interpretation of plant growth and composition. Gas-liquid chromatography was proposed as a tool for the evaluation of forage digestibility and forage quality.

Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a grass species that can dominate wet meadow plant communities. This study investigated if grazing by cattle on restored wet meadows suppresses reed canarygrass, thereby promoting the restored plant community. This study was conducted at two locations in northwest Minnesota. Management practices used were a patch-burn grazing treatment and a four-pasture high intensity-short duration grazing rotation. A pretreatment survey was conducted before grazing followed by annual surveys every five years after grazing. Both treatments reduced reed canarygrass canopy cover by 49 percent compared to non-grazed control sites. Grazed patches were moving towards a Carex dominated community. The community not invaded with reed canarygrass had similar native species richness at the end of the experiment in the rotational grazing treatment, and improved plant richness in the patch-burn grazing treatment. This study demonstrates grazing reduces cover of reed canarygrass, while maintaining or increasing native plant species richness.

No description available.