Restoration in the Obtawaing Biosphere Region
Shane Lishawa, Obtawaing Biosphere Region Steering committee member and associate researcher at Loyola University Chicago, has been working on a invasive species and restoration work in the Obtawaing Biosphere Region for years. Using harvested invasive cattails to prevent further invasion, Lishawa’s team, also known as Team Typha, is working to preserve and promote native diversity in the Great Lakes region.
Much of this restoration work takes place in Cheboygan Marsh and other areas in the biosphere including Sault St. Marie using a large plant harvester to open up space for native plants to thrive. The harvested plant material is burned and the ash is used to make Biochar, which can be spread over an area to prevent invasion by invasive Cattails.
This project is funded by a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the EPA. Removing these cattails has already yielded positive results for diversity and ecosystem health.
A wetland plant harvester removes non-native cattails from Cheboygan Marsh. The project, based at the U-M Biological Station, is the first large-scale effort to restore a Great Lakes wetland by harvesting invasive plants. Image credit: Levi Stroud
To learn more about this work, read this article by Jim Erickson for University of Michigan News
Harvesting invasive cattails to restore marsh biodiversity | University of Michigan News (umich.edu)
And check out Shane Lishawa’s published research article on Wiley Online Library.