Lake Weeds Aquatic Biodiversity
Whether you are a regular person, an environmentalist, a fisherman, or a homeowner, the subject of lake weeds and aquatic biodiversity is important to you, whether you are aware of it or not!
Exotic lake weeds effect aquatic biodiversity, which not only effects marine life and the biodiversity of an area in general, but also recreational fishing and boating, water delivery systems, and the long term health and well being of your private pond or lake. Few elements of our environment effect so many areas of our lives from our recreation, to our industries, to our drinking water, and our property.
Lake weeds and water supply
With water shortages predicted for parts of the United States, planners are scrambling to figure out just exactly what our water needs will be for the future, and just exactly how to deal with them.
Preserving what we have.
One thing is for certain, we need to preserve the viability of the reservoirs we already have. With the continuing invasion of exotic weeds, and the persistence of the ones present, this has become a growing problem for water delivery systems across the country.
Environmental problems.
Aside from the problems with water delivery systems and transportation, that is, infrastructure, these lake weeds pose a potentially far more devastating problem, and that problem is environmental in nature, and has to do with biodiversity in particular.
Interdependence.
In any ecosystem, animals are dependent on plant life. Plants depend to some degree on the existence of other plants for proper shade, nutrients, and other, more complex, symbiosis. The removal of any one from the mix, is potentially destructive to flora and fauna. The removal of all except one, could completely alter life as we know it! The effect can be more wide spread than you might imagine, moving from one region to another rapidly, and effecting one species after another as parts of the whole dissolve, destroying the areas aquatic biodiversity.
What you can do
If the idea of a native species destroying, lake clogging, fish eliminating aquatic monoculture is something you don't want to see, there are a few things you can do to protect your lake and become part of the solution.
Lake owners
As a property owner, you play a large and important role. Protecting your own lakes and waterways from exotic lake weeds protects not only your property, but the property of others, as well as lakes in the public domain.
To protect your own lake or pond, make sure that anytime you travel to another lake or pond, your boat and all equipment is clean and weed free before you leave the body of water. This will help to assure that you don't bring any invasive exotic lake weeds back to your property. Sometimes, even the smallest fragments will reproduce in a new habitat, so make sure the cleaning is thorough and complete. Some aquatic weeds can double in number in a week. This goes on at a geometric rate!
Don't purposely plant exotic aquatic vegetation in your lake. Stories are told of folks who thought they needed a little extra cover for their bass fishing lake, and ended up destroying it in the process. Don't let that happen to you! If you need added encouragement to avoid such practices, remember that in most states, it is a crime to transport exotic lake weeds!
What should you look for?
The problem lake weeds may be different in different parts of the country, but there are a few which are destroying aquatic biodiversity here in the Southern United States. You may want to make your own list for your area.
Hydrilla
Hydrilla is a perennial plant from Europe and Asia, and was used as an aquarium plant. It now causes problems by clogging waterways, and preventing water intake to water supplies, and other equipment. It can form heavy mats, preventing fishing, swimming and boating, and can grow up from a depth of 20 feet or more. The problem has been increased due to the fact that bass seem to like a little hydrilla as cover, and some has been transplanted for that purpose, and much more damage has been done by boats and trailers transporting the plant from one lake to another accidentally. See also: Hydrilla
Giant Salvinia
Giant Salvinia reproduces so rapidly that one plant can become hundreds of thousands of plants in just a few months. This aquatic fern comes to us from South America, and causes many of the same problems as hydrilla. See also: Giant Salvinia
Water hyacinth
Water hyacinth is another invader from South America. It presents the same sort of problems as Giant Salvinia and Hydrilla, but has one survival mechanism that the others don't, it is a very attractive plant! The succulent looking foliage, and the attractive purple flowers cause people to want to take some home for their own pond! As a result, many otherwise nice ponds and lakes are bereft of almost any other form of life. See also: Water Hyacinth
All the plants listed above are invasive, create nearly impenetrable mats, and cause severe oxygen depletion which often results in fish kill.
These plants, and other exotic aquatic lake weeds should be prevented if possible, and destroyed if present. As a property owner, you should become familiar with the plants in your ponds and lakes, and keep a watchful eye out for invaders, for the sake of your own lakes aquatic biodiversity, and the well being of others.
The links given in this post are to Aquaplant, an excellent lake weed resource, and a very well structured website.
