Study the dynamics of changes in the nutritional value of wetlands for important waterfowl species after removing the invasive species Phragmites australis from the ecosystem in the Ramsar wetland and international birding area on the northern shore of Lake Ontario called Long Point

The availability of vegetative forage material is a crucial factor in determining the quality of habitat for waterfowl. During their migratory staging, waterfowl rely on consuming seeds and tubers of specific wetland plants to build their energy reserves. Phragmites australis, an invasive species, provides very little forage value, and is known to degrade wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl. While native plants differ in their forage value for migratory waterfowl, they are generally superior to Phragmites australis, whose rhizomes are tough and inedible. My study aims to assess whether the plant species that colonize wetlands after the removal of Phragmites australis can lead to an increase in forage value for migratory waterfowl in Long Point, a Ramsar Wetland and Internationally Important Bird Area located on the north shore of Lake Ontario.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rebecca Rooney

Student:

Partner:

National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Environmental Science and Technology; Biotechnology

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: