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Cattail Management Symposium

Chemical Treatment of Monodominant Cattail Stands in Semipermanent Wetlands: Duck, Invertebrate, and Vegetation Response

Kent Solberg
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Hinckley, MN

and

Kenneth Higgins
South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Brookings, SD

ABSTRACT
The feasibility and effectiveness of glyphosate herbicide to create openings in dense monodominant stands of cattail in semipermanent wetlands and the response of breeding and over-water nesting ducks and aquatic invertebrates to the chemical treatments were studied in northeastern South Dakota. Four wetlands were treated with glyphosate in 1985 by fixed-wing aircraft and were compared to cattail-dominated wetlands and wetlands with a neutral interspersion of cattail and open water in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Pre, post-, and between-treatment comparisons were made between 2 application patterns treated in 1986. Breeding duck use, overwater nest densities and success, aquatic invertebrate abundance and diversity, and vegetational changes were compared between the wetland categories.

Glyphosate effectively controlled cattail, however, treatment duration was related to the water regime. Aquatic invertebrate abundance was neither enhanced nor adversely affected by glyphosate treatments, however, aquatic invertebrate diversity was greater in 1987 in the glyphosate-treated wetlands. Breeding duck use was greatest in glyphosate-treated wetlands, particularly the treated wetlands with the highest cattail-open water interspersion. Overwater duck nest densities were greatest in glyphosate-treated and cattail-dominated wetlands and lowest in wetlands with a natural cattail-open water interspersion. Variations in nesting success were primarily influenced by weather.

Creation of openings in dense monodominant stands of cattail with aerial application of glyphosate increased available breeding duck habitat and enhanced access to overwater nesting cover. Recommendations are presented for improving breeding duck habitat in cattail-dominated wetlands with glyphosate.

LITERATURE CITED

Solberg, K. L.  1989.  Chemical treatment of monodominant cattail stands 
     in simipermanent wetlands:  duck, invertebrate and vegetation response.  
     M.S. Thesis, South Dakot State Univ., Brookings.  105pp.

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