02/22/2023
It’s another day of and we’re invading your Instagram once again (get it? invading?)
Once introduced, Zebra mussels reproduce quickly and are extremely difficult to eliminate, making them a priority for prevention and education outreach. However, many water users are unable to name any other AIS- especially any invasive aquatic plants! Here’s 5 you should know:
1) Curly leaf pondw**d forms dense coverage that crowds out native species, impedes water flow, alters oxygen levels, and restricts recreational activities. It’s often spread by boats, boat trailers, fishing gear, and waders that aren’t clean-drain-dried post-use.
2) Eurasian watermilfoil aggressively outcompetes native aquatic plants. It forms dense coverage that restricts recreation, clogs pipes, and smothers other plants that native animals rely on for food, nesting, and predator evasion.
3) Flowering rush was introduced for ornamental purposes (aka “it looks pretty, let’s plant it”). It’s a very hardy plant, making it capable of invading a wide variety of ecosystems and displacing native vegetation. It grows along the shores, making it hard to access the water.
4) Starry stonewart grows at the bottom of lakes and ponds, creating dense coverage that outcompetes other native plants and impedes the movement and survival of native animals. It is also very unsettling to look at close-up, which is another point against it.
5) Finally, fragrant water lily, while native to some parts of the US, can cover acres of lake water and easily outcompete native vegetation where introduced. It also interferes with oxygen exchange- impacting both native aquatic plants and animals- and can cause flooding.
If you’ve made it through this entire post, you deserve a reward! So if you share this to your story and drop a comment below saying whether or not you knew about these AIS plants, you’ll have a chance to win a guide to MT’s freshwater aquatic plants 🌱
