Cattail Production – a Chance for Species Diversity?

27 Mar Cattail Production – a Chance for Species Diversity?

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Abstract

English Abstract

Cattail Typha sp. is a productive marsh plant which has been traditionally used for various purposes. Recently, additional usages of this plant have been developed, particularly regarding energy recovery. Therefore, a 1-ha cattail trial plot was established adjacent to a nature reserve in central Switzerland (Wauwilermoos, canton of Lucerne) in 2007. The plot is flooded every year to a height of 20–60 cm from April to the end of August and drained over winter. Since cattail fields are morphologically very similar to natural marshes, a two-year monitoring programme was started to investigate how such fields were used by wetland bird species. Supplementary data were drawn from the national wetland breeding bird census as well as the collection of opportunistic data, held in the databases of the Swiss Ornithological Institute. Various bird species benefited from the cattail field during migration, primarily smaller herons, Eurasian Teal, Garganey and rails. Marked differences were observed in the species spectrum between the first and second year of the study, as cattail had grown rapidly and the vegetation thus changed. The cattail field was used by 12 marsh and waterbird species during the breeding season, for eight of them (Mallard, Little Grebe, Spotted Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler and Common Reed Bunting) at least «probable breeding» was noted. Surveys on further groups of organisms revealed positive effects for dragonflies, frogs and the grass snake. Cattail can be cultivated on sites which are prone to re-wetting (mostly former moorland) where it is an interesting crop to grow as it combines characteristics of high-quality biodiversity promoting areas with those of agricultural production.