Editing Typha (section)

==General ecology==
[[File:Kälviä.vaakuna.svg|thumb|upright|''Typhas'' pictured in the coat of arms of [[Kälviä]], a former municipality located on the shores of the [[Gulf of Bothnia]]]]
''Typha'' are often among the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud, with their abundant wind-dispersed seeds. Buried seeds can survive in the soil for long periods of time.<ref>van der Valk, A. G., and Davis, C. B. (1976). The seed banks of prairie glacial marshes. ''Canadian Journal of Botany'' 54, 1832–8.</ref> They [[germination|germinate]] best with sunlight and fluctuating temperatures, which is typical of many wetland plants that regenerate on mud flats.<ref>Shipley, B., et al. (1989). Regeneration and establishment strategies of emergent macrophytes. ''Journal of Ecology'' 77, 1093–1110.</ref> The plants also spread by [[rhizomes]], forming large, interconnected stands.

''Typha'' are considered to be dominant competitors in wetlands in many areas, and they often exclude other plants with their dense canopy.<ref name=Keddy>{{cite book|last=Keddy|first=P. A.|title=Wetland Ecology: Principals and Conservation|year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-51940-3|pages=497}}</ref> In the bays of the [[Great Lakes]], for example, they are among the most abundant wetland plants. Different species of cattails are adapted to different water depths.<ref>Grace, J. B. and Wetzel, R. G. (1981). Habitat partitioning and competitive displacement in cattails (''Typha''): experimental field studies. ''The American Naturalist'' 118: 463–74.</ref>

Well-developed [[aerenchyma]] make the plants tolerant of submersion. Even the dead stalks are capable of transmitting oxygen to the rooting zone.

Although ''Typha'' are native wetland plants, they can be aggressive in their competition with other native species.<ref>Oudhia, P. (1999). Allelopathic TEMPeffects of Typha angustata on germination and seedling vigour of winter maize and rice. ''Agric. Sci. Digest'' 19(4): 285-286.</ref> They have been problematic in many regions in North America, from the Great Lakes to the [[Everglades]].<ref name=Keddy/> Native sedges are displaced and wet meadows shrink, likely as a response to altered hydrology of the wetlands and increased nutrient levels. An [[introduced species|introduced]] or hybrid species may be contributing to the problem.<ref>Boers, A. M., et al. (2007). ''Typha'' × ''glauca'' dominance and extended hydroperiod constrain restoration of wetland diversity. ''Ecological Engineering'' 29, 232–44.</ref> [[Control (management)|Control]] is difficult. The most successful strategy appears to be mowing or burning to remove the aerenchymous stalks, followed by prolonged flooding.<ref>Kaminski, R. M., et al. (1985). Control of cattail and bulrush by cutting and flooding. In: ''Coastal Wetlands'', eds. H. H. Prince and F. M. D’Itri, pp. 253–62. Chelsea, MI: Lewis Publishers.</ref> It may be more important to prevent invasion by preserving water level fluctuations, including periods of drought, and to maintain infertile conditions.<ref name=Keddy/>

''Typha'' are frequently eaten by wetland mammals such as [[muskrat]]s, which also use them to construct feeding platforms and dens, thereby also providing nesting and resting places for waterfowl.<ref>[http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=895 Global Invasive Species Database: "Uses"]- Retrieved 2017-03-20</ref>