Jason Martina, a collaborator at Texas State University, gave two conference presentations in Texas this month, reporting on new results from our research collaboration to study the relationship between elevated nutrient loading to wetlands and invasion by Phragmites australis. Results were based on thousands of simulation runs conducted with the Mondrian wetland community-ecosystem model. These results indicate that if land managers or agricultural practices could significantly reduce elevated N inflows to Great Lakes wetlands where Phragmites have become established, Phragmites infestations will likely not be reduced to low levels. Elevated N inflows help Phragmites to become established, but once established, the set of community-ecosystem processes enters a new stable state. We are currently working on a journal article reporting these results.

Martina, J.P., K.L. Elgersma, William S. Currie, and D.E. Goldberg. Can invasion be reversed by removing the main driver or has a regime shift occurred? A test case using a simulated wetland ecosystem. Oral presentation given at the Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society Annual Conference. Bryan, TX. November 2019.

Martina, J.P., K.L. Elgersma, William S. Currie, and D.E. Goldberg. Can invasion be reversed by removing the main driver or has a regime shift occurred? A test case using a simulated wetland ecosystem. Oral presentation given at the Texas Chapter of the Society of Ecological Restoration. Galveston, TX. November 8-10, 2019.