The objective of the proposed systematic review is to clarify, from existing literature, the effectiveness of methods for eradicating or controlling invasive aquatic freshwater plant abundance and biomass to better inform decisions in invasive aquatic plant management. A systematic review of the effectiveness of invasive plant control methods in the Canadian context, paired with the identification of gaps in available evidence, will yield valuable information to inform ecosystem management for Canadian stakeholders.

This systematic review, with meta-analysis, will therefore consider the effectiveness of any 1) biological, 2) chemical, 3) habitat manipulation, 4) manual or mechanical method, and/or any other methods or combination of methods used to control or eradicate invasive aquatic plants found in North American and Canadian freshwaters. Species can include:

o Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
o Carolina fanwort (Cambomba caroliniana)
o Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa)
o Waterthyme (Hydrilla verticillate)
o European frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae)
o Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
o Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
o Non-native milfoils (parrotfeather, broadleaf, Eurasian water milfoil; Myriophyllum sp.)
o Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
o Starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa)
o European white waterlily (Nymphaea alba)
o Fragrant waterlily (Nymphaea odorata)
o Yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata)
o Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
o European common reed (Phragmites australis)
o Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
o Water hyacinth (Pontederia crasssipes)
o Curly pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
o Exotic bur-reed (Sparganium erectum)
o Non-native cordgrasses (Spartina sp.)
o European water chestnut (Trapa natans)
o Narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia)
o Hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca)

Project Collaborators

Meagan Harper – Carleton University, Canada

Trina Rytwinski – Carleton University, Canada

Steven J. Cooke – Carleton University, Canada

Joe Bennett – Carleton University, Canada

Jesse Vermaire – Carleton University, Canada

Courtney Robichaud – Carleton University, Canada

Robyn Irvine – Parks Canada, Canada

Chantal Vis – Parks Canada, Canada

Andrea Kirkwood – Ontario Tech University, Canada

Rebecca Rooney – University of Waterloo, Canada

Sam Cheng – WWF

Kate Schofield – US Environmental Protection Agency

Systematic Review ProtocolDownload

Project status – Ongoing

CEIC contact – meaganharper@cmail.carleton.ca