Assessment of Eurasian Phragmites australis Haplotype M Cryptic Invasion in the Minnesota and Mississippi River Valleys of Minnesota

Abstract

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. is an aquatic grass species found in wetlands throughout North America. The cryptic invasion of these environments by the introduced Eurasian Phragmites australis haplotype M over the past two centuries has recently been reported. In recent decades, the aggressive expansion of clonal Phragmites australis populations in many Minnesota wetlands has been noted. Wetland scientists have often speculated that these invasive populations may represent non-native strains that are morphologically indistinguishable from the native type, now recognized as Phragmites australis subsp. americanus. In this study, we use RFLP analysis to investigate the extent of Eurasian Phragmites australis haplotype M establishment in the Minnesota and Mississippi River Valley corridors of Minnesota, and within the drainage way of Interstate Highway 94 in central Minnesota.