Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is an herbaceous
species that has invaded riparian fringes and wetlands
throughout the USA and Canada. During the dormant
season, P. arundinacea often stores nonstructural carbohydrates
(e.g., fructose, glucose, sucrose, and starch) in its
rhizomes which allows for early and prolific tillering the
following spring (Lavergne and Molofsky 2004). As a
result of the shading created by these abundant tillers, P.
arundinacea generally eliminates most competing plant
species, leading to the formation of low-diversity vegetation
communities. Non-invasive species generally produce
lesser amounts of biomass and have shorter vegetation
growth periods than P. arundinacea (Kercher et al. 2004).
These physiological traits could contribute to greater SOC
stocks in areas invaded by P. arundinacea.