At the edge of change: Native Phragmites persistence and nonnative arrival along the dam‐regulated Colorado River
Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Claudia DiMartini, Tayan Benson, Brooke Damon, Helen Fairley, Bradley J. Butterfield · 2026
Read At the edge of change: Native Phragmites persistence and nonnative arrival along the dam‐regulated Colorado River by Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Claudia DiMartini, Tayan Benson, Brooke Damon, Helen Fairley, Bradley J. Butterfield (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13595465.txt.
Description
Emily Palmquist and co-authors present a study the catalog lists under 2026. Common reed, called Phragmites, lines the dam-regulated Colorado River. The native subspecies holds ecological and cultural value and may be declining. A nonnative subspecies is expanding across the Southwest. Glen Canyon Dam erased habitat upstream yet grew reed stands downstream. Recent growth tracks dam operation changes and the nonnative arrival.
Gene tests at eighty-three sites from southern Utah to northern Arizona sort the stands. Diversity and structure patterns are mapped across the corridor. Managers cannot protect the native reed without knowing which stands are native. Genetic sorting gives them that map. Restoration plans along a working river must juggle water, power, and habitat. A clear native census makes those trade-offs honest and targeted.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Claudia DiMartini, Tayan Benson, Brooke Damon, Helen Fairley, Bradley J. Butterfield |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 85 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |