Abstract In comparison to other major cycles such as those of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, the silicon cycle is less well understood. In this research, we quantified the amount of biogenic silica (ASi), that Phragmites australis sequesters in the form of phytoliths or other siliceous particles. The biogenic ASi content in surface sediment samples for five stands of Phragmites, three stands of willow, and three unvegetated sandbars was taken in the Platte River, Nebraska, which is located on the Great Plains in the Midwestern United States. Our data show that Phragmites has a significant impact on the uptake and storage of silica in comparison to willow and unvegetated sites. Phragmites sequestered 18,500 tons of silica in sediment over ~18,00 acres, while comparable areas of willow or unvegetated sediments would sequester, 4,625 and 1,541 tons, respectively.
