Good question. No good answer. I would start by describing the hydrology: 1.frequency of inundation, 2. type of water source (surface, groundwater, precipitation only), 3. height of water level change over the year (very important to establish your species dominance). Then perhaps I would try and see if there are distinctions that can be made using classical phyto-sociological techniques (Braun-Blanquet abundance-dominance). You may well find a limited number of reed assemblage types within your studied ecoregion (i.e. the land surface defined according to the objectives of your specific study). I am not sure that you should try to establish a more general terminology that would be valid worldwide. Further distinctive parameters could comprise: biomass, productivity, leaf/area index and evapotranspiration per m2, but I would not base reed type on such criteria.

Hi Theo,

Differences in reed phenology and productivity sound very interesting to me. You might have different lineages of Phragmites, not necessarily associated with the soil.

There is a book by Rodewald-Rudesco about biotopes associated with reed types (Das Schilfrohr - 1974, E. Schweizerbart´sche Verlagsbuchhandlung) but you should look also at more recent literature (Lambertini et al., for example :) ).

If you can send me leaf samples of the stands with different phenology, I would be very grateful and could tell you more about the Phragmites types in your area.

Carla

And I'm looking for a typology of reed land. In my work on wetlands in Albania we find very diverse reed lands, with huge differences also in area extent, reed phenology and biomass production, but it is beginning of it.

In Albania there are some watlands in coast, in Mediterranena zone, but and in continental zone, so we are looking for a typology of reed land. We have a stady for ecotourism and tourism in these zones.

There is a five-class reed typology based on reed stem density per m2, stem thickness and height, percentage of accompanying species and some other criteria for reed stands in Hungary. This system is mainly used for evaluating the economic importance of reed stands, e.g. for thatching roofs (therefore, the most homogenous, thick-stalked, dense stands get the best grades). I only found a site decribing it in Hungarian, I don't know, how far google-translator might get you:

http://www.hidrologia.hu/vandorgyules/28/dolgozatok/pomogyi_piroska2.html

@ Carla:

We have finished the field work -besides, I prepared the inventory scheme and monitoring protocol, I did some training of staff from Poltava, but I wasn't involved myself in the inventory and monitoring. So, unfortunately, I can't collect materials.

I used Rodewald-Rudesco, I will check the other publication. Thanks!