Increasing Plant Biodiversity Research Articles

Studying of the biological characteristics of introduced rare citrus taxa in the humid subtropics of Russia as one of the elements of preserving and increasing plant biodiversity

The study is devoted to the study of the biological characteristics of introduced citrus taxa. The study of the biological characteristics of plants in various soil-climatic zones is of great scientific and practical importance, and is an essential element in preserving and increasing biodiversity by new introduced plant species. As a result of the research, the forms C. maxima ‘Sambokan’, C. × meyeri, C. × limetta ‘Chontipico’ and C. × limonelloides were isolated, which can be recommended for creating plantings in open ground and cultivation structures with uncontrolled conditions in the humid subtropics of Russia. Taxa C. aurantifolia, C. aurantifolia ‘Foro’, C. × limonelloides, C. × meyeri, C. × myrtifolia, C. × latifolia, C. × bergamia, C. × limetta ‘Chontipico’, C. limon ‘Del Brasil’, C. × meyeri, C. medica var. sacrodactylus, distinguished by its decorative qualities, can be recommended as an extension crop in demonstration areas, as well as for the design of winter gardens, terraces and interiors in various rooms.

The effect of urban environments on the diversity of plants in unmanaged grasslands in Los Angeles, United States

Urbanization is a strong driver of plant diversity and may have complex effects on developed ecosystems. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether urban environments increase or decrease plant biodiversity compared with rural environments. Further, it is also unclear how non-native plant species contribute to spatial diversity patterns and ecosystem services. Better understanding these diversity drivers across gradients of urbanization has the potential to enhance native species conservation (e.g., targeted restoration activities), leading to positive feedbacks for broader promotion of biodiversity and societal benefits (e.g., links with native biodiversity and human health). In this study, we hypothesized that for plant species in unmanaged grasslands, urbanization would lead to declines in diversity at both small and medium scales. We established a network of remnant grassland sites across an urban to rural gradient in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Across this gradient we assessed patterns of alpha and beta diversity during the 2019 growing season. We found that local plant alpha diversity in remnant grasslands declined in urban landscapes (measured by surrounding percent development) due mostly to loss of native species. However, at intermediate scales across unmanaged parks and greenspaces, we saw increases in beta diversity at more urban locations. This was possibly due to the patchy dominance of different exotic species at urban locations; whereas, in rural locations non-native and native species were common across plots. Conservation is often informed by examinations of large scale, city-wide assessment of diversity, however, our results show that urban plant diversity, particularly native species, is affected at all spatial scales and beta-diversity can add important insights into how to manage urban ecosystems. Conservation that accounts for alpha and beta diversity may promote “virtuous cycle” frameworks where the promotion and protection of biodiversity simultaneously reduces the negative effects of invasion.

173 The North American Bison Management System: Reintroduction of a Species with Ecological, Economic, and Cultural Roles in a Changing Climate

Abstract Bison (Bison bison) restoration has profound implications for ecological, economic and cultural domains, especially restoration into their former historic ranges. Climate change and climate variability, however, threaten sustainable restoration progress. The historic range of bison centered on the prairies of the Great Plains but spanned from Alaska to Mexico and from the Pacific coast to Florida and Pennsylvania, land which is now primarily privately held. Today, 63% of the 184,000 privately owned bison are located in the northern Great Plains, with 12,000 additional bison in the public sector, and 20,000 additional bison in each of the non-profit NGO and Tribal sectors. This multi-sectoral production-conservation system is referred to as the bison management system (BMS) and all sectors are intricately and economically linked through the production market and the cross-transferal of surplus animals. Bison are native ecological keystone species in native prairies and help to restore ecosystems. Their innate wallowing behavior produces shallow bare-soil depressions which create habitat for many other prairie-inhabiting species. Because bison create these wallows by excavating, urinating, and rolling, they also open the seed bank and concentrate nutrient inputs, and in turn increase plant biodiversity in the immediately adjacent landscape. Economically, the bison market has grown over the past 20 years, with bison market returns 1.5–3.3 times that of cattle. Finally, bison repopulation on Tribal lands increases food sovereignty, enhances economic stability, and revitalizes cultural connections to Tribal lands. The newly established Center of Excellence for Bison Studies at South Dakota State University aims to advance research, education, and outreach that address issues associated with each the ecological, economic, and cultural domains throughout the BMS, and is especially focused on restoration challenges associated with climate change and climate variability in conservation and production settings.

Poly-Species Phytocenoses for Ecosystem Restoration of Degraded Soil Covers

Agroecological studies are based on the concept that, by understanding ecological processes, it is possible to manage agroecosystems for more sustainable production of more biomass and, thus, protection of natural resources. Many studies in the field of agroecology show that some farming methods can improve soil quality and restore agroecosystems by increasing plant biodiversity. Functional characteristics of plants for the assessment of ecosystem processes and services can be used for the sustainable management of agroecosystems. The paper discusses ways to restore pastures with low biological productivity in the arid steppe of Northern Kazakhstan (Kostanay region). Grass-and-legume mixtures were selected, according to the soil and climatic conditions of this region, to increase the productivity of pastures. The authors also describe the meteorological conditions in the region in question for 2021. The data of agrochemical analysis of the soil on which the grass mixture was grown differed slightly from the soils of other sites and often even was inferior to them in some indicators that affected plant productivity, namely, the humus, phosphorus, and potassium content. In the conditions of the experiment, the highest productivity was shown by the grass-and-legume mixture consisting of crested wheatgrass-alfalfa-awn less brome (27.8 c/ha of green mass and 12.6 c/ha of dry matter). Thus, according to the information obtained during the study, it can be concluded that to restore the productivity of pastures in Northern Kazakhstan, it is necessary to select the grass-and-legume mixtures that have the highest productivity and nutritional value and are adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of this region. The algorithm of the predictive simulation model of the dynamics of the graminoid community is also presented in a general form. Problems related to the remediation of soil covers are discussed.

Geospatial approach for developing an integrated water resource management plan in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

The integrated water resource management (IWRM) plan plays a substantial role in addressing institutional problems and capacity building for the use, control, preservation, and sustainability of water systems, especially for developing countries like Bangladesh. Bangladesh is undergoing dramatic changes in land cover/land use (LC/LU) change, primarily due to rapid urbanization. Urbanization converts the natural resources (water bodies) into impervious surfaces (urban areas and roads). Rajshahi is one of the largest metropolitan cities in Bangladesh, and its urban sustainability is affected by the demolishment of water bodies influenced by rapid LC/LU change. Satellite images at different spatial resolutions are extensively used for extracting water body information at various periods. Using multi-temporal Landsat TM/OLI satellite images, the study aimed to estimate the spatiotemporal LC/LU change and identify the most influential LC/LU parameters that contributed to the reduction of surface water body from 1989 to 2019. The support vector machine, matrix union, and image difference algorithms were applied to estimate LC/LU classification, conversion of LC/LU, and water body to other LC/LU classes. Results revealed that a massive increase in the built-up area (16%) and infrastructural development were the primary cause for water body reduction, and loss of water bodies was estimated at around 8% in the last 30 years. Key informant's interviews were conducted to identify the effective management and technical strategies for developing a sustainable IWRM plan utilizing modern technology. The estimated hydro-geomorphological (modeling flow direction, stream network, flow accumulation, and surface water potential zones) information would be beneficial to any developing country.. This study will contribute to the development of effective strategies for conserving existing water bodies and ensuring ecological and environmental sustainability by increasing plant biodiversity and mitigating the effects of heatwaves.

Biodiversity effects on grape quality depend on variety and management intensity.

Interactions between plants can be beneficial, detrimental or neutral. In agricultural systems, competition between crop and spontaneous vegetation is a major concern. We evaluated the relative support for three non‐exclusive ecological hypotheses about interactions between crop and spontaneous plants based on competition, complementarity or facilitation.The study was conducted in Swiss vineyards with different vegetation management intensities. In all, 33 vineyards planted with two different grape varieties were studied over 3 years to determine whether low‐intensity vegetation management might provide benefits for grape quality parameters. Management intensity varied with the degree of control of spontaneous inter‐row vegetation. Features of spontaneous vegetation measured included total cover, total species richness and abundance of nitrogen‐fixing plants. Grape quality parameters of known importance to wine making (yeast assimilable nitrogen, sugars, tartaric acid and malic acid) were determined by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Using structural equation modelling, we evaluated hypotheses about the multivariate responses of grape quality parameters as well as the direct and indirect (plant‐mediated) effects of management.Observed effects of management differed between grape varieties. Management intensity and abundance of N‐fixing plants significantly influenced grape quality parameters while total richness of spontaneous plants did not have detectable effects. Abundance of N‐fixing plants was enhanced by low‐intensity management resulting in increased N content in the red grape variety Pinot noir, potentially enhancing grape quality, while measured soil N content did not explain the increase.Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that crop quality can be enhanced by spontaneous plants, in this case by the abundance of a key functional group (N‐fixers), most likely through plant–plant or plant–microbe facilitation. However, beneficial interactions may have a high specificity in terms of facilitation partners and may have contrasting effects at low taxonomic resolutions such as crop varieties. Generally, increasing plant biodiversity in agricultural systems may increase competition with crops. Thus, the identification of suitable interaction partners and a careful balance between crop variety and spontaneous plant species may be necessary to utilize beneficial interactions and to reduce the trade‐off between agricultural production and biodiversity to achieve a sustainable ecological benefit in agricultural systems.

Influence of Vineyard Inter-Row Groundcover Vegetation Management on Arthropod Assemblages in the Vineyards of North-Eastern Italy.

Simple SummaryHabitat simplification and use of pesticides in vineyard agro-ecosystems simplified arthropod communities, reducing natural pest control. In this context, habitat management practices could be useful strategies to provide fundamental sources for sustaining natural enemies. The effects of habitat management practices on pests and beneficial arthropods were evaluated in vineyards of North-eastern Italy through different field experiments. We reduced mowing frequency of inter-row spontaneous grasses, compared different timing of mowing of a green manure mixture, and different green manure mixtures. The abundance of key natural enemies (e.g., predatory mites, parasitic wasps and spiders) and some grapevine leafhoppers increased when the grass mowing frequency was reduced. Many beneficial arthropods increased in numbers in organic vineyards. Late mowing of green manure favored spiders and parasitic wasps but not herbivores associated with grapevines. The experiments on the comparison of green manure mixtures did not significantly affect the arthropod communities. Groundcover management practices could enhance beneficial arthropod abundance, but the adoption of this practice should be carefully evaluated when pests occur. In this study, the effects of habitat management practices on both pests and beneficial arthropods were evaluated in vineyards of North-eastern Italy through different field experiments: (1) mowing of inter-row spontaneous grasses in conventional and organic vineyards, (2) different timing of mowing of a green manure mixture, and (3) comparing different green manure mixtures. The first experiment followed a split-plot design, while randomized block design was used in the second and third experiment. In each experiment arthropods were sampled using different methods: leaf sampling, beating and sweep net sampling. Non-mowed spontaneous grasses in inter-rows of vineyards favored the abundance of natural enemies (e.g., predatory mites, parasitic wasps and spiders), and sometimes grapevine leafhoppers. Many arthropod species were recorded in higher numbers in organic vineyards. Late mowing of green manure favored beneficial arthropods (e.g., spiders and parasitic wasps), while it did not influence herbivore density. Groundcover management practices, aimed at increasing plant biodiversity in vineyards, could be a useful tool to enhance beneficial arthropod abundance, although the adoption of this practice should be carefully evaluated when pests occur. Semi-natural areas can contribute to create a more pest-stable agro-ecosystem and should be integrated with appropriate ecological infrastructures surrounding vineyards.

Role of Intra-Specific Varietal Mixture in Pollination Services: A Case Study in Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)

Buckwheat is one of the crops on which pollination services from honeybees and other insect pollinators are necessary for obtaining quality and higher grain yield. Increasing plant biodiversity is an important strategy to attract and restore pollinators in an agro-ecosystem. Among many ways to increase plant biodiversity, the present study aimed to identify whether the increasing intra-specific crop diversity enhances pollinator diversity in buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench). The field experiment was conducted at research field of Hill Crop Research Program, Kabre, Dolakha district, Nepal at an altitude of 1750 m asl during 2016. Thirteen treatments, each representing either a single or combination of two or three buckwheat genotypes were laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications. Pollination diversity or richness as well as their foraging behavior in the buckwheat flowers and associated yield parameters were measured for each treatment. Plots with higher intra-specific varietal mixture were found to attract more pollinators and had higher yield than plots with two or single genotypes. Pollinator visitation was higher during morning hour of the day (9 am to 10 am), which was followed by mid-day (12 noon to 1 pm) and the least visitation was observed during late afternoon (3 pm to 4 pm). The benefit of increasing intra-specific crop diversity on pollination services is not optimized and practiced under current farming practices. Hence, multi-location and multi-season studies are recommended to strengthen the current findings for future endeavors.

Long-term influence of hay-cutting on plant species richness, biodiversity and soil fertility in a Danish fen

We present a rare long-term management project of annual cutting, hay removal and plant species survey on a small Danish freshwater meadow (0.6 ha) for an extended period of 21 years. We evaluate whether disturbance by hay-cutting could reduce the dominance of tall grasses, increase species richness and change the representation of growth strategies and Ellenberg indicator values among species. We also evaluate whether hay removal could reduce soil fertility and increase the proportion of oligotrophic species. We found that species richness increased 3-fold over time accompanying a marked decline of vegetation height and proportion of tall, clonal grasses. Comparison with an adjacent un-cut area confirmed that species richness and evenness increased extensively in the plant community by hay-cutting. During the first ten years of the restoration period, species richness increased for both oligotrophic and eutrophic species, while during the latter 11 years only small oligotrophic species continued to increase. The proportion of Grime’s competitive C-strategies and Ellenberg’s N indices in the community declined over time in accordance with the 50% decrease of organic matter, total and exchangeable phosphorus in the soils. We conclude that long-term hay-cutting by disturbance and nutrient removal can markedly increase plant biodiversity as well as the representation of orchids and small species by breaking the dominance of tall grasses. Focused effort over decades can ensure a remarkable high biodiversity even in a small area, which will go unnoticed in common short-term experiments.

Hemiparasitic plants increase alpine plant richness and evenness but reduce arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization in dominant plant species.

Hemiparasitic plants increase plant biodiversity by reducing the abundance of dominant plant species, allowing for the establishment of subordinate species. Hemiparasites reduce host resources by directly removing nutrients from hosts, competing for light and space, and may indirectly reduce host resources by disrupting plant associations with symbiotic root fungi, like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark-septate endophytes. Here, we explored how a generalist hemiparasite, Castilleja, influences plant richness, evenness, community composition, and mycorrhizal colonization patterns across a ∼1,000 m elevational gradient in the North American Rocky Mountains. We hypothesized that the presence of Castilleja would be associated with increased plant richness and evenness, shaping plant community composition, and would reduce mycorrhizal colonization within dominant plant taxa. However, the magnitude of the effects would be contingent upon climate contexts, that is, elevation. Overall, we found that the presence of Castilleja was associated with an 11% increase in plant richness and a 5% increase in plant evenness, regardless of elevation. However, we found that the presence of Castilleja influenced plant composition at only two of the five sites and at the remaining three of five sites, plot pairing was the only predictor that influenced composition. Additionally, we found that the presence of Castilleja reduced mycorrhizal fungal colonization within dominant plant species by ∼20%, regardless of elevation. Taken together, our results suggest that hemiparasites regulate plant diversity, evenness, and interactions with mycorrhizal fungi independent of abiotic and biotic contexts occurring at the site, although overall effect on community composition is likely driven by site-level factors.

Ecological effects of forest roads on plant species diversity in Caspian forests of Iran

Current research includes the effects of asphalt forest roads on changes of plant cover and tree regeneration from asphalt forest roads edges towards its inner parts in two compartments of Nave Asalem forests located in the north of Iran. For this reason, in each side of road, 6 sample plots (20m×20m) were established for measuring plant species diversity. In each sample plot, ground vegetation and tree regeneration were assessed within nine 2×2m micro plots. In total, 12 sample plots and 108μ plots were established. Results indicated that the road positions were effective on plant species diversity. The highest diversity and evenness indices value were observed down of the road compared to the up of the road position for herbal and tree regeneration layers. The same results were found also for herbal richness indices. Up of road position had the greatest value of richness indices in comparison to the other road position for tree regeneration layer. Also, the results showed that diversity, richness, and evenness indices were decreased with the increasing of distance from the road side for herbs and tree regeneration layers. This study indicated that roads can increase plant biodiversity; that is, tree regeneration density.

Potentials of Pesticidal Plants in Enhancing Diversity of Pollinators in Cropped Fields

Declines in populations of pollinators in agricultural based landscapes have raised a concern, which could be associated with various factors such as intensive farming systems like monocropping and the use of non-selective synthetic pesticides. Such practices are likely to remove beneficial non-crop plants around or nearby the cropped fields. This may in turn result into losses of pollinators due to loss of the natural habitats for insects therefore, interfering the interaction between beneficial insects and flowering crop plants. Initiatives to restore friendly habitats for pollinators require multidisciplinary approaches. One of these could be the use of pesticidal flowering plants as part of field margin plants with the aim of encouraging the population of pollinators whilst reducing the number of pests. Farmers should be fully engaged in the efforts of creating conducive environments to pollinators and be well equipped with the knowledge of proper habitats management strategies in agricultural fields. Developing appropriate conservation strategies to combat decline of pollinators is of high importance and thus there is a need to evaluate management practices, which potentially favour the populations of pollinators. Therefore, this review aims at unravelling available evidences on habitats manipulation options through provision of flowering plants along the field margins that have shown to increase plant biodiversity surrounding the cropped fields. It also summarizes the options for increasing plant biodiversity, which have improved habitats for the pollinating insects and beneficially boosting pollination services in agro-ecosystems.

Planning the future of plant systematics: Report on a special colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Planning the future of plant systematics: Report on a special colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Using Different Grazing Practices for Increasing Plant Biodiversity in the Dykes and Embankments Along the Rhône River (Southern France).

Extensive grazing by domestic herbivores is a widespread management practice used since the 80s in many European agro-ecosystems such as semi-natural grasslands to maintain open habitats and to enhance biodiversity. Such grazing systems have principally been tested in cultural ecosystems of high nature value threatened by grazing abandonment. However, there have been few case studies of grazing management in very anthropized ecosystems, such as the new ecosystems created by urban or industrial conversions. In Southern France, the Rhône channeling for navigation and electricity production generated in the 1950s the construction of thousands of hectares of dams and dykes which were colonized naturally by diverse plant communities. Yet shrub encroachment and the consequent recourse to mechanical cutting to facilitate control and maintenance, raise the question of how best to maintain and manage these new habitats. Consequently, since 1999, different low-intensity grazing management systems using rustic breeds of cattle, horses and goats have been tested on a protected reserve of 1454 ha located in the lower part of the Rhône river. Extensive grazing, more than cutting or no management, positively modified vegetation heterogeneity (beta-diversity), the target open grassland species, but not plant species richness (alpha-diversity). However, the current monitoring shows that these benefits of grazing will be confirmed only if low-intensity grazing systems are sustained and if new adaptations can be also made, such as the use of mixed stocking and the establishment of multiyear contracts with breeders.

Pollen resources used by Chrysoperla agilis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in the Azores, Portugal

There are approximately 1200 described species of Chrysopidae, many of which are predators of agricultural pests. Spe- cies of Chrysoperla are mass-produced and sold for use as biological control agents of agricultural pests in Europe, Asia, North and South America. Chrysoperla agilis, a member of the carnea group of Chrysoperla, has the potential to be biocontrol agent and is native to the Azores, and therefore a local candidate for use in IPM of pests, such as aphids and scale insects. Given that many adult Chrysopidae feed on pollen and honeydew and the biology of Ch. agilis is not well understood, we studied the preferences of Ch. agilis adults living in a greenhouse on the campus of the University of the Azores for feeding on different types of pollen. Twenty-six species of flowering plants, belonging to 16 families and 24 genera, all previously recorded on Sao Miguel Island, were found in the greenhouse. Pollen grains from each species were collected and incorporated in a reference catalogue. Additionally, 40 adults of Ch. agilis were collected (20 in December 2012 and 20 in January 2013) and the pollen in guts identified. Of the 26 species of plants in the greenhouse 14 were used as sources of pollen by the lacewings. Pollen of Plantago lanceolata L. was the most fre- quently recorded pollen in the gut contents. The adults of this chrysopid fed mainly on the pollen of species of plants belonging to the Asteraceae, Plantaginaceae and Poaceae. The species richness (S = 12), diversity index (H' = 2.123) and equitability (J' = 0.8543) of the January sample are greater than those of the December sample. Similarity of the samples collected in the 2 months was 0.75. From these results we infer that it is important to maintain or increase plant biodiversity in agroecosystems as weeds pro- vide trophic resources for insects that are beneficial to agriculture.

Diversifying Agricultural Catchments by Incorporating Tallgrass Prairie Buffer Strips

Crop production and prevailing farming practices have greatly reduced biodiversity and nearly eliminated native prairie in the central USA. Restoring small areas of prairie on cropland may increase plant biodiversity and native species abundance while benefiting the cropland. In Iowa, we incorporated buffer strips composed of prairie vegetation within catchments (0.5 ha to 3.2 ha land areas in which precipitation drained to a collection point at the slope bottom) used for corn ( Zea mays ) and soybean ( Glycine max ) production. We planted prairie buffer strips in three designs, varying the proportion of the catchment converted to buffer and/or the continuity of the buffer. Within the catchments, we determined the identity and percent cover of buffer strip plant species during 2008–2011 and of weed species in cropped areas during 2009–2011. We found 380% more species in 6 m2 of buffer strip than in 6 m2 of crop, indicating that the presence of buffer strips greatly increased catchment diversity. Plant community composition did not differ among the three buffer designs. Despite being surrounded by cropland, the buffer vegetation was dominated by native perennial species—the targeted vegetation type for both ecohydrological functions (e.g., erosion control) and native species conservation—within four years of establishment. Furthermore, weed species richness and prevalence did not differ between cropped areas of catchments with buffer strips and cropped areas of catchments without buffer strips. These results indicate that converting 10–20% of cropland to prairie buffer strips successfully reintroduced perennial species characteristic of native prairie without increasing weeds in adjacent crops.

The profitability of maize–haricot bean intercropping techniques to control maize stem borers under low pest densities in Ethiopia

Lepidopteran stem borers are the main pests of cereals in Ethiopia. In recent years, habitat management techniques, which aim at increasing plant biodiversity through mixed cropping, have gained increased attention in stem borer control. In the present study, the profitability of mixed cropping of maize with haricot beans at different ratios and the effect on infestation of maize by stem borers, yield and borer parasitism were studied in Melkassa and Mieso, Ethiopia, in a field experiment under natural infestation. In Melkassa, pest infestations were too low for the cropping system to affect pests, plant damage and yields significantly, whereas in Mieso, where the pest densities were high, intercropping of maize with beans at ratios of 1:1 to 2:1 significantly decreased borer densities compared with pure maize stands. Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Cotesia flavipes. (Cameron) were the major stem borer and parasitoid species, respectively, recorded both at Melkassa and Mieso. Borer parasitism was higher at Mieso than at Melkassa and tended to increase with the increase of the haricot bean ratio in the intercropping system. Land equivalent ratios of >1 indicated higher land use efficiency in mixed compared with sole cropping, even if pest densities were low.

Common Reed Phragmites australis: Control and Effects Upon Biodiversity in Freshwater Nontidal Wetlands

Abstract Phragmites australis (common reed) has expanded in many wetland habitats. Its ability to exclude other plant species has led to both control and eradication programs. This study examined two control methods—herbicide application or a herbicide‐burning combination—for their efficacy and ability to restore plant biodiversity in non‐tidal wetlands. Two Phragmites‐dominated sites received the herbicide glyphosate. One of these sites was burned following herbicide application. Plant and soil macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity were evaluated pre‐treatment and every year for four years post‐treatment using belt transects. The growth of Phragmites propagules—seeds, rhizomes, and rooted shoots—was examined in the greenhouse and under bare, burned, or vegetated soil conditions. Both control programs greatly reduced Phragmites abundance and increased plant biodiversity. Plant re‐growth was quicker on the herbicide‐burn site, with presumably a more rapid return to wetland function. Re‐growth at both sites depended upon a pre‐existing, diverse soil seed bank. There were no directed changes in soil macroinvertebrate abundance or diversity and they appeared unaffected by changes in the plant community. Phragmites seeds survived only on bare soils, while buried rhizomes survived under all soil conditions. This suggests natural seeding of disturbed soils and inadvertent human planting of rhizomes as likely avenues for Phragmites colonization. Herbicide control, with or without burning, can reduce Phragmites abundance and increase plant biodiversity temporarily. These changes do not necessarily lead to a more diverse animal community. Moreover, unless Phragmites is eradicated and further human disturbance is prohibited, it will likely eventually re‐establish dominance.