Relative effectiveness of management strategies in a Connecticut River oxbow: a 35-year comparison of marsh vegetation dynamics

摘要

Potentially invasive non-native species have become increasingly prominent in the marshes in Hulbert's Pond throughout the study. Though their establishment and spread can often be linked with disturbance, they remain, for the most part, minor components of the marsh vegetation, in part because of removal efforts by hand, directed mostly toward Lythrum salicaria and Trapa natans. Non-native species as a group are virtually absent from the structurally complex habitats of Ned's Ditch, where disturbance from upstream sources and management itself are minimal. These observations reinforce the arguments (Cox 1999, Myers & Bazely 2003) that the preservation of undisturbed natural habitats is critical for preventing the spread of aggressive non-native species in this and other similar regions.