Combating Invasive Plants: Tackling the Phragmites in Ontario

Matt Bolding, Ecologist and GIS Professional, invasive Species Program Coordinator, Ducks Unlimited Canada (Eastern Region).
    
Combating Invasive Plants:  Tackling the Phragmites in OntarioInvasive Phragmites australis is an invasive grass that has had a devastating impact on the environment in Ontario and continues to cause a serious impact on both our natural ecosystems and on our human infrastructure. Phragmites management is costly and requires several years of effort, both in management and monitoring for the potential re-invasion of Phragmites into previously managed areas. A new tool for use in Phragmites management, biological control, was approved for release in Canada in 2019 following two decades of research. This presentation will speak to how the biological control agent functions, and the status of the efforts to integrate biological control into our existing Phragmites management toolkit.
Speaker profileMatt Bolding has been involved in wetland research for over a decade, working across Canada in many different habitats, including the Prairie Pothole Region, Rocky Mountains, and the Great Lakes. He has led numerous research projects in Ontario dealing with invasive species management, species at risk, and coastal wetland restoration in the marshes of Long Point and Rondeau, on Lake Erie. Matt started at Ducks Unlimited Canada in August 2023 and coordinates Ontario’s invasive species program, which includes supporting research into biological control for invasive Phragmites,the development of new tools to track aquatic invasive European water chestnut and water soldier and coordinating collaborative Phragmites management in Eastern Ontario for the Ontario Phragmites Action Program.
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