Harvesting reed (Phragmites australis): Possibilities, challenges, and considerations for coastal ecosystems and feed production

William Ashworth

doi:10.54612/a.6kbnd8pm1g

Harvesting reed (Phragmites australis): Possibilities, challenges, and considerations for coastal ecosystems and feed production

Bidragets översatta titel: Skörd av vass: Möjligheter och utmaningar för kustnära ekosystem och foderproduktion

William Ashworth

Institutionen för akvatiska resurser

Publikation: Avhandling › Doktorsavhandling

107 Nedladdningar

Sammanfattning

Vass (Phragmites australis) är en emergent (framväxande) makrofyt med global
utbredning som bildar täta bestånd som erbjuder föda och skydd för många olika
organismer. Dock har mänsklig påverkan, såsom introduktioner i nya områden och
övergödning, lett till förhållanden där vass antingen är invasiv eller expanderar inom
sitt naturliga utbredningsområde vilket kan minska den biologiska mångfalden.
Åtgärder för att begränsa och kontrollera vassens utbredning är därför önskvärda.
En vanlig åtgärd är fysisk borttagning av vass, vilket dessutom har fördelen att
vassen kan nyttjas som en biprodukt samtidigt som näringsämnen avlägsnas från
potentiellt eutrofa miljöer. Utnyttjande av denna biprodukt skulle kunna täcka
kostnader för borttagning av vass och därmed öka genomförbarheten för åtgärder.
Vass som foder till boskap nyttjas idag lite trots lämplig näringsprofil. Efterfrågan
på foder ökar medan utbudet kan komma att begränsas av mer förekommande
översvämningar och torka. Vass som är tolerant mot översvämningar och torka, och
ökar i utbredning, skulle därför kunna bidra till att möta den ökande efterfrågan på
foder. Det finns endast ett fåtal studier av intag och smältbarhet av vass som foder,
vilket kan förklara den låga användningen. Även om miljöeffekterna av åtgärder mot
vass generellt är välstuderade, undersöker få studier effekterna av vasskörd specifikt
för resursproduktion. Denna avhandling syftar till att fylla dessa kunskapsluckor.
Resultat från denna avhandling indikerar att habitatheterogenitet är en central
faktor för nyttan av vassförvaltning för kustnära ekosystem. Även om vasskörd
skapar ett homogent habitat hade det inte några negativa effekter på biodiversiteten.
Vidare indikerar resultaten att vassensilage har potential att vara ett lämpligt
foder för hästar med lågt energibehov och sinkor. Vass som skördades tidigare på
sommaren var mer lämpligt som foder än vass som skördades senare på sommaren.
Ett system där efterfrågan på foder kan subventionera kustnära åtgärder verkar
möjligt, även om framtida studier behövs för att förbättra intaget eller avvägningar
mellan avkastning och habitatheterogenitet för att åtgärda befintliga flaskhalsar.

Bidragets översatta titel	Skörd av vass: Möjligheter och utmaningar för kustnära ekosystem och foderproduktion
Originalspråk	Engelska
Kvalifikation	Doktor i filosofi
Tilldelande institution	Institutionen för akvatiska resurser
Handledare	Östman, Örjan, Handledare Berkström, Charlotte, Handledare Müller, Cecilia, Handledare Rustas, Bengt Ove, Handledare
Tilldelningsdatum	21 aug. 2026
Utgivningsort	Uppsala
Förlag	Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Tryckta ISBN	978-91-8124-257-7
Elektroniska ISBN	978-91-8124-287-4
DOI	https://doi.org/10.54612/a.6kbnd8pm1g
Status	Publicerad - 2026

FN:s SDG:er

Detta resultat bidrar till följande hållbara utvecklingsmål:

SDG 2 – Ingen hunger
SDG 12 – Hållbar konsumtion och produktion
SDG 14 – Hav och marina resurser
SDG 15 – Ekosystem och biologisk mångfald

Nyckelord

Fiskar
Fåglar
Näringsutvinning
Svenska röda kor
Islandshäst

SLU-serie

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae

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title = "Harvesting reed (Phragmites australis): Possibilities, challenges, and considerations for coastal ecosystems and feed production",

abstract = "Reed (Phragmites australis) is an emergent macrophyte with a global distribution. Reed stems form beds which provide food and shelter to many different organisms. However, symptoms of anthropogenic development such as species introductions and eutrophication have led to conditions in which reed is either invasive or expanding within its native range at the expense of biodiversity. Solutions are therefore desirable by which reed invasion and expansion can be controlled. One common solution is the physical removal of reed, which has the added benefit of producing a usable material as a by-product and removing nutrients from potentially eutrophic environments. Utilisation of this by-product could offset costs, increasing management feasibility. One use, as a feed for livestock, is uncommon despite the suitable nutritional composition of reed. Demand for livestock feed is rising while supply can be limited by increasingly common floods and droughts. Reed is flood and drought-tolerant, and increasing in supply, and so could help meet increasing demands. Limited studies of reed intake and digestion may explain why it is not a common feed. Furthermore, while the effects of reed management on the environment are well studied, few studies investigate the effects of reed harvesting specifically for resource production. This thesis aims to fill these knowledge gaps. Results suggest that habitat heterogeneity is a key determinant of reed management benefit to coastal ecosystems, although harvesting that creates a homogenous habitat did not have any detrimental effects on biodiversity. Further results indicate that reed silage has the potential to be a suitable feed for horses with low energy requirements and dry cows, although measures to improve intake may be required. Reed harvested earlier in the summer was seemingly more suitable for livestock feed than reed harvested later in the summer. A system in which demand for livestock feed can subsidise coastal management seems plausible, although future studies of methods to improve intake, or optimal yield-habitat heterogeneity trade-offs would address the existing bottlenecks.",

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author = "William Ashworth",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.54612/a.6kbnd8pm1g",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-91-8124-257-7",

series = "Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae",

publisher = "Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences",

number = "2026:40",

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school = "Department of Aquatic Resources",

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T1 - Harvesting reed (Phragmites australis)

T2 - Possibilities, challenges, and considerations for coastal ecosystems and feed production

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N2 - Reed (Phragmites australis) is an emergent macrophyte with a global distribution. Reed stems form beds which provide food and shelter to many different organisms. However, symptoms of anthropogenic development such as species introductions and eutrophication have led to conditions in which reed is either invasive or expanding within its native range at the expense of biodiversity. Solutions are therefore desirable by which reed invasion and expansion can be controlled. One common solution is the physical removal of reed, which has the added benefit of producing a usable material as a by-product and removing nutrients from potentially eutrophic environments. Utilisation of this by-product could offset costs, increasing management feasibility. One use, as a feed for livestock, is uncommon despite the suitable nutritional composition of reed. Demand for livestock feed is rising while supply can be limited by increasingly common floods and droughts. Reed is flood and drought-tolerant, and increasing in supply, and so could help meet increasing demands. Limited studies of reed intake and digestion may explain why it is not a common feed. Furthermore, while the effects of reed management on the environment are well studied, few studies investigate the effects of reed harvesting specifically for resource production. This thesis aims to fill these knowledge gaps. Results suggest that habitat heterogeneity is a key determinant of reed management benefit to coastal ecosystems, although harvesting that creates a homogenous habitat did not have any detrimental effects on biodiversity. Further results indicate that reed silage has the potential to be a suitable feed for horses with low energy requirements and dry cows, although measures to improve intake may be required. Reed harvested earlier in the summer was seemingly more suitable for livestock feed than reed harvested later in the summer. A system in which demand for livestock feed can subsidise coastal management seems plausible, although future studies of methods to improve intake, or optimal yield-habitat heterogeneity trade-offs would address the existing bottlenecks.

AB - Reed (Phragmites australis) is an emergent macrophyte with a global distribution. Reed stems form beds which provide food and shelter to many different organisms. However, symptoms of anthropogenic development such as species introductions and eutrophication have led to conditions in which reed is either invasive or expanding within its native range at the expense of biodiversity. Solutions are therefore desirable by which reed invasion and expansion can be controlled. One common solution is the physical removal of reed, which has the added benefit of producing a usable material as a by-product and removing nutrients from potentially eutrophic environments. Utilisation of this by-product could offset costs, increasing management feasibility. One use, as a feed for livestock, is uncommon despite the suitable nutritional composition of reed. Demand for livestock feed is rising while supply can be limited by increasingly common floods and droughts. Reed is flood and drought-tolerant, and increasing in supply, and so could help meet increasing demands. Limited studies of reed intake and digestion may explain why it is not a common feed. Furthermore, while the effects of reed management on the environment are well studied, few studies investigate the effects of reed harvesting specifically for resource production. This thesis aims to fill these knowledge gaps. Results suggest that habitat heterogeneity is a key determinant of reed management benefit to coastal ecosystems, although harvesting that creates a homogenous habitat did not have any detrimental effects on biodiversity. Further results indicate that reed silage has the potential to be a suitable feed for horses with low energy requirements and dry cows, although measures to improve intake may be required. Reed harvested earlier in the summer was seemingly more suitable for livestock feed than reed harvested later in the summer. A system in which demand for livestock feed can subsidise coastal management seems plausible, although future studies of methods to improve intake, or optimal yield-habitat heterogeneity trade-offs would address the existing bottlenecks.

KW - Fishes

KW - Birds

KW - Nutrient extraction

KW - Swedish red cows

KW - Icelandic geldings

KW - Fiskar

KW - Fåglar

KW - Näringsutvinning

KW - Svenska röda kor

KW - Islandshäst

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DO - 10.54612/a.6kbnd8pm1g

M3 - Doctoral thesis

SN - 978-91-8124-257-7

T3 - Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae

PB - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

CY - Uppsala

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