Slender False-Brome Research


Research Project Summary

Project Duration: July 10, 2017- July 9, 2020

April 22, 2018

Slender false-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) is a highly invasive bunchgrass native to Eurasia and North Africa. Byron-Bergen Swamp, a large wetland complex with unique habitats and high biodiversity, has several infestations of the grass. Three zones of B. sylvaticum infestation have been delineated in the swamp: 1) Monoculture zones, 2) Trail zones, and 3) Remote zones.

Project objectives include removing B. sylvaticum from the three zones, allowing for native vegetation to be restored to treated areas. We will use an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to remove B. sylvaticum from Byron-Bergen Swamp. Removal techniques will be site-specific.

All restoration activities will take place in Byron-Bergen Swamp, located in Bergen, Genesee County, NY, 14416 (43°05’29.8”N, 78°00’26W). Byron-Bergen Swamp is located in DEC Region 8. All work will be completed during daytime hours.


About Andie Graham

Principle Investigator of Slender false-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) control in Byron-Bergen Swamp research project

April 8, 2018

Andie Graham has a M.S. in Environmental Science and Biology with emphasis in wetland ecology. She currently works in the Department of Environmental Science and Ecology at The College at Brockport- State University of New York (SUNY Brockport) where she teaches courses in wetland delineation and environmental science and conducts research in wetland ecosystems. Andie’s research focuses on habitat restoration, which includes the removal of invasive plant species and restoring rare and native plant communities to wetland habitats. Specifically, Andie has worked on the restoration of a fen affected by acid mine drainage in central Pennsylvania and the restoration of a sedge-grass meadow wetland in Hilton, NY. She is currently a Co-principal Investigator on a fen restoration near Braddock Bay, NY that involves the cutting and herbicide of invasive cattail from a rare fen community. Andie has spent the past four years studying B. sylvaticum and has designed and conducted two studies on the plant in Bergen Swamp. She is currently the Principal Investigator of a restoration project in Bergen Swamp with the goal of reducing the invasive grass population in Bergen Swamp by 90% by 2021.

In addition to research, Andie has experience supervising field workers and volunteers on a wide variety of ecological projects. She has also mentored five students (four undergraduate, one graduate) on B. sylvaticum-related research and has taught four independent study classes at SUNY Brockport on the topic. She and her students have presented on B. sylvaticum research at local and regional conferences. Additionally, for the second consecutive year, Andie will be acting as the on-site supervisor for the NY DEC B. sylvaticum Survey and Monitoring Intern in Genesee County from May 2018 to August 2018.

Andie is active in the community and volunteers with the Bergen Swamp Preservation Society, Monroe County Conservation District, and the STEM program at Hilton High School. Additionally, she is serving her second term as a Board Member for the NY State Wetlands Forum.