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It's back! Thanks to support from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Invasive Species Centre is pleased to announce the return of a free Phragmites DNA Screening Program to support Ontario's Phrag-fighting community.
Native Phragmites is an important component of a healthy wetland ecosystem. It grows amongst other macrophytes in marshes and, unlike the invasive Phragmites, does not typically develop into dense monocultures or degrade habitat quality.
Across the Great Lakes region, the abundance of native Phragmites has been reduced in our wetlands because of the more competitive invasive Phragmites. This DNA Screening Service is available for the 2024-25 fiscal year to support Ontario's Phrag-fighters in maximizing their resources and better distinguishing between native and invasive Phragmites. This will ensure that native Phragmites populations are not inadvertently controlled as we continue to scale up our invasive Phragmites management efforts.
The DNA Screening method used for the program is from Wendell et al. (2021). This simple screen test can differentiate between native Phragmites and invasive Phragmites. The test will also detect hybridization.
To be eligible, the sample must be collected from a site in Ontario where management is underway or planned in 2024 or 2025. To maximize the use of limited resources, we hope to make this service available to those who need it most (e.g., those in central and northern Ontario where native Phragmites is more frequently observed, newer Phragmites managers in other regions, etc.). We would also encourage those participating in this program and any other Phragmites managers in Ontario to use the excellent resources and existing publications, including McTavish et al. (2023).
The screening program provides instructions and supplies for collecting and shipping one DNA sample (two leaves/sample). The participant is responsible for all other costs (e.g., gas, scissors, paper towels). The success and accuracy of the DNA Screening Test depends on the quality of the samples. Sample quality is based on three components:
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Fresh growth plant tissue: The DNA Screening kit will include instructions for sampling fresh plant tissue from Phragmites in the field. Each kit requires two leaf samples, each taken from different stems in the stand.
- Rapid delivery and silica bead care: Each kit will include an envelope, silica beads (to absorb moisture), and pre-paid postage to ensure your samples can be en route to the lab within 12 hours of collecting the plant tissues.
- Representation: You must do your best to collect a representative sample. This requires you to sample the variation you are observing, and you may need more than one kit to do this.
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