State 1 Colonising reedbed

New reedbed will develop where ever there is a source of material close by and where the conditions are suitable for colonisation. The margins of water bodies, including brackish to freshwater lagoons, drainage ditches and the upper limits of tidal influence (where salinity levels are low) or freshwater seepage onto saltmarsh, are some of the areas in coastal locations where it occurs. At this stage of development the value of the reedbed depends on the stage in the successional sequence.

Caption: Colonising reedbed with open water (Taken from the RSPB web site's Guide to Establishing and managing reedbeds.) The guide is available at http://www.rspb.co.uk/wildlife/ click on nature reserves; reserves management; habitats.