Invasive cattail (Typha) threatens native plant diversity in Great Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCWs), including manoomin (northern wild rice, Zizania palustris), a culturally foundational species to the Anishinaabe people. Harvesting Typha is an effective strategy to reduce plant dominance, while collected biomass has the potential to be converted into biochar and applied as a wetland soil amendment. This project investigates how Typha harvest and biochar application influence native plant response and manoomin growth dynamics. Based on prior adaptive restoration management knowledge, this study will assess manoomin and plant community response to large-scale Typha harvesting and Typha-biochar application (0 T/ha, 10 T/ha, and 50 T/ha) in four Michigan GLCWs. We will collect pre- and post-treatment data on percent cover of all plant species, Typha and manoomin stem counts, and water and soil quality metrics, to explore the feasibility of onsite biochar production coupled with Typha harvest as a strategy for managing large-scale invasions and native plant communities. We expect these treatments will reduce Typha dominance, increase native plant diversity, and establish new manoomin stands at four GLCWs. These findings will contribute to the understanding of best practices for restoration of manoomin, a vulnerable but culturally valuable plant when done in conjunction with emerging wetland management activities like Typha harvest and biochar application on a regional scale.
