When misconceptions impede best practices: evidence supports biological control of invasive Phragmites
Blossey, B., Endriss, S.B., Casagrande, R., Häfliger, P., Hinz, H., Dávalos, A., Brown-Lima, C., Tewksbury, L, & Bourchier, R.S. (2020). When misconceptions impede best practices: evidence supports biological control of invasive Phragmites. Biological Invasions, 22, 872–883. PDF.
Summary
Blossey et al. respond to Kiviat et al.’s opposition to biological control of non-native, invasive lineages of giant reed, Phragmites australis. They highlight that biocontrol, while not entirely risk-free, is a better and safer alternative than the widespread, expensive, and unsuccessful status quo of applying herbicide to manage invasive Phragmites. Importantly, Blossey et al. also address inaccuracies or misleading statements by Kiviat et al. in regards to biological control in general and biocontrol of invasive Phragmites specifically. Multiple lines of evidence, for example, suggest that the two proposed biological control agents (Archanara gemiipuncta and A. neurica) are unlikely to expand their host range through rapid evolution. Finally, Blossey et al. address Kiviat et al.’s claim that non-native, invasive Phragmites should not be managed because it has significant ecological and societal benefits, including stabilizing coastal shorelines and ameliorating sea-level rise via increased sediment accretion—each of these benefits can be better realized by using native plant alternatives that do not come with the inherent negative impacts of invasive Phragmites.
Take home points
Native species deserve our protection, and the current status quo of herbicides, physical, and/or mechanical control have not mitigated invasive Phragmites’ negative impacts on native species.
Biological control for invasive Phragmites is the culmination of more than two decades of careful research into its safety and efficacy and is the best management alternative.
Any perceived benefit of invasive Phragmites can be better realized by native plant alternatives.
Management implications
Biological control represents the most promising avenue for future control of invasive Phragmites in North America.
Restoration of native plant species offers a better alternative than protecting or actively avoiding control of non-native, invasive Phragmites
Keywords
Management Efficacy; Biological control; Host specificity; Invasive plant species management; Phragmites