The Effects of Prescribed Burns of Phragmites australis on Salt Marsh Ecosystem Services: An Ecosystem-based Management

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Phragmites australis is an invasive grass species that affects many marshes along the U.S east coast, often displacing native grasses. Removing Phragmites has been a decades-long management goal as managers seek to restore native high marsh habitat and ecosystem functions and services. Phragmites removal and restoration efforts have proven beneficial for habitat and biodiversity – however, its removal comes with uncertainties about the tradeoffs of removal and the implications for achieving marsh restoration goals. One potential approach for managing tradeoffs associated with Phragmites removal is to use prescribed fire, which is a common method for vegetation removal. The burned biomass, or “biochar,” produced through this process may increase soil nitrogen removal and carbon and phosphorus storage, which can help to counteract losses in ecosystem services due to Phragmites removal.

In collaboration with regional coastal managers, this project compared salt marshes with and without a history of prescribed burns at Delaware National Estuarine Research…