September 27, 2020 - Bulrush Monitoring in Wetland #6

For a few bulrush seasons now, the bulrush program has attempted to re-cultivate bulrush seeds in wetland #6 through the process of mowing, disking, and then pumping water back into the field once it is cleared of invasives earlier in the season. Pumping water back into the wetland after the mowing and disking process promotes germination of the bulrush seeds that lay beneath the freshly tilled soil. This technique has allowed more than one generation of bulrush plants to seed in a single growing season. Last year we were able to eradicate 2 generations worth of bulrush in a single season, and this year, we were able to eradicate a total of 3 generations of bulrush plants in a single season. For this reason, wetland #6 has turned into our experimental bulrush growth site.  

A Search of Wetland #6

    Back in July we took volunteers through this wetland and removed the seed heads of all the bulrush plants we could find. Once we had officially cleared the wetland of invasives, the tractors were brought in for mowing and disking of the wetland. About a week later, water was pumped into the wetland for about 10 days. The water was then allowed to drain, and the wetland was simply left alone for over a month in order to let the new growth take hold. 

    For the last month, we have been popping into this wetland to check for any new growth. Last week, right after the smoke cleared enough for us to get beck into the field, I spotted the first 3rd generation bulrush for the year 2020. Today I went back in and identified approximately 10 more baby bulrush plants hiding along the outer areas of the wetland. I consequently flagged and took the coordinates of these plants - with the hope that we will return to the wetland soon to spray these little guys with herbicide before they release their seeds. 

A baby Rice Field Bulrush plant that I found during my search. 

It is important for us to experiment with the longevity and resiliency of rice field bulrush seeds and the corresponding seed bank. Studies show that bulrush seeds can remain dormant for an extended period of time - which can make them exceptionally hard to eradicate once they are established. By manipulating the soil structure and water flow into a wetland - as we have in Wetland #6 - we may be able to mimic the ideal conditions that allow bulrush seeds to germinate even in seasons where bulrush plants would not typically grow. This technique ultimately allow us to be rid of larger portion of the bulrush seed bank in a smaller amount of time. 

A wide view of Wetland #6 and the regrowth that is  currently taking hold.