Milfoil, an Unwanted Threat to American Lakes
Eurasian milfoil is a sensitive looking plant that was once a familiar plant to find in fresh water fish tanks.
However, It did not stay there. Now it is thought to be an invasive species that threatens The northern Us fresh water streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.
In its indigenous Eurasian surroundings it is a relatively innocent flora (but still a bit of a pest) but here, out of its regular waters, it takes over and destroys ecosystems, clogs water intakes and power plants, and makes them unwanted for recreational purposes.
Several theories are around that explain its foundation. One is that it caught a ride on the ballast of a ship coming from Europe or Asia. That is a good guess. When they tested boats departing invaded water, 25% carried some milfoil with it. The other main possibility is it was introduced by people throwing away fish tank plants or packing material used to ship live worms.
The most dangerous thing about this flora is that it can adapt to live in virtually every kind of marine habitat in North America. It can live in the cold of Washington State or the warmth of Florida. From pristine waters of the Rockies to the brackish waters of the salt marshes it can expand. To make its life easier, nothing seems to like eating it.
Once established it spreads quickly in waters that range from 2 feet to up to 30 feet, matting up just below the surface and clogging out the native vegetation. Some plants like millet are given little chance to grow, which causes problems because they are a food source for many and a home for small aquatic creatures. This tangled growth also causes trouble for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the huge mats keep the wind from properly oxygenizing the water and suffocating adult fish as well as assisting spawn algae blooms which further exacerbate the problem.
These plants are problematic to individuals as well. Not only does milfoil reduce water quality but the mats make shoreline swimming hopeless. Milfoil impedes fish breeding, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for sailors because it can become entangled on the engine, cause dangers for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the boatmen view.
Residential Areas and companies are also put at a disadvantage because of this small water flora. Water intakes or over flows can get blocked leading to deficits in some areas and flooding in others. Dykes and electrical energy output can also be touched if the water plant mats get caught up in the dams.
Milfoil control has been difficult. By And Large poisonous substances are out of the question as they demolish the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Manual removing the flora isn’t fully successful because the parts that break off can form new plants elsewhere. For that reason the large mechanical harvesters are only used in the worst cases and then only as a first step. Milfoil has been more successfully removed by vacuum dragging, which can pick up any broken pieces left behind. A weevil maybe the answer to the milfoil dilemma as it love to eat the water plant and is a natural way to battle the weed.
Milfoil is just one type of unwanted species that has outstayed its welcome; many other invasive aquatic plants are still thriving across the nation. When plants or creatures are introduced outside their natural environment, you can’t anticipate the significances.
This entry was posted on Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 4:53 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.