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What happens in Vegas, better stay in Vegas: Phragmites australis hybrids in the Las Vegas Wash

  • PHRAGMITES INVASION
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Abstract

While hybridization between Native and Introduced Phragmites australis has not been documented across much of North America, it poses an ongoing threat to Native P. australis across its range. This is especially true for native populations in the biologically rich, but sparsely distributed wetlands of the southwest United States, which are among the most imperiled systems in North America. We identified multiple Hybrid P. australis stands in the Las Vegas Wash watershed, NV, a key regional link to the Colorado River basin. Rapid urbanization in this watershed has caused striking changes in water and nutrient inputs and the distribution of wetland habitats has also changed, with urban wetlands expanding but an overall reduction in wetland habitats regionally. Native P. australis has likely been present in the Wash wetland community in low abundance for thousands of years, but today Hybrid and Native plants dominate the shoreline along much of the Wash. In contrast, Introduced P. australis is rare, suggesting that opportunities for novel hybridization events remain uncommon. Hybrid crosses derived from both the native and introduced maternal lineages are widespread, although the conditions that precluded their establishment are unknown and we did not find evidence for backcrossing. Spread of Hybrid plants is likely associated with flooding events as well as restoration activities, including revegetation efforts and construction for erosion control, that have redistributed sediments containing P. australis rhizomes. Downstream escape of Hybrid plants to Lake Mead and wetlands throughout the lower Colorado River basin is of management concern as these Hybrids appear vigorous and could spread rapidly.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Clark County Parks and Recreation for funding this project, and R. Long and T. Dudley for assistance with sample collection and preparation. Two reviewers provided helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama

    Kristin Saltonstall

  2. Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, USA

    Adam M. Lambert

  3. Southern Nevada Water Authority, 100 City Parkway, Suite 700, Las Vegas, NV, 89106, USA

    Nick Rice

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  1. Kristin Saltonstall
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  2. Adam M. Lambert
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Correspondence to Kristin Saltonstall.

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Guest editors: Laura A. Meyerson and Kristin Saltonstall/Phragmites invasion.

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Saltonstall, K., Lambert, A.M. & Rice, N. What happens in Vegas, better stay in Vegas: Phragmites australis hybrids in the Las Vegas Wash. Biol Invasions 18, 2463–2474 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1167-5

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