FERN: Let’s Talk About Drains

Our WorkFERN
Written By Avery Ng

ICYMI: The 2024 FERN Newsletter has been released!

Watersheds are made up of hundreds to thousands of channels that drain water from land into water. In today’s working and settled landscapes, drainage systems are part a regular but often overlooked part of our natural and agricultural landscapes.  They are important to water quality and maintaining biodiversity including species-at-risk of extinction.   

A longstanding challenge to their prosperity is the presence of the invasive species, Phragmites australis.  The continued invasion of this species on local drains has led to increased human intervention efforts to help them maintain their function, yet, these interventions could inadvertently reduce the biodiversity they are trying to save!   

Research led by Ryan Graham involved a survey across 10 drains in Windsor Essex to explore the relationships between plant communities in drains and Phragmites management. 

 

Read more in the FERN newsletter! (Download your copy from HHL’s Figshare through this link: https://tinyurl.com/hhl-fern-newsletter)

Avery Ng
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FERN: What’s the Story With Phragmites?

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