Eurasian Milfoil, an Invasive Threat to U.S. Lakes
Eurasian milfoil is a sensitive looking flora that was once a familiar flora to find in fresh water fish tanks.
Still, It did not stay there. Now it is thought to be an invasive species that threatens North American fresh water streams, rivers, pools and lakes.
In its indigenous Eurasian surroundings it is a relatively innocent plant (but still a bit of a pest) but here, out of its normal waters, it takes over and demolish ecosystems, clogs water intakes and power plants, and makes them unsuitable for recreational purposes.
A Number Of 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 percent carried some milfoil with it. The other main possibility is it was introduced by individuals throwing out aquarium plants or packing material used to ship live worms.
The most hazardous thing about this flora is that it can adapt to live in about every kind of marine habitat in the Northern states. It can live in the cold of Washington State or the warmth of Florida. From clear waters of the Rockies to the brackish waters of the salt marshes it can flourish. To make its life better, nothing seems to like eating it.
Once established it propagates rapidly in waters that range from two feet to up to 30 feet, matting just below the surface and choking out the native vegetation. Some floras like millet are given small chance to grow, which causes problems because they are a food source for many and a home for small aquatic animals. This tangled growth also causes trouble for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the vast mats keep the wind from properly oxygenizing the water and suffocating adult fish as well as assisting spawn algae blooms which further aggravate the problem.
These plants are problematic to individuals as well. Not only does milfoil decrease water quality but the mats make shoreline bathing impossible. Milfoil impedes fish breeding, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for boatmen because it can become entangled on the engine, cause dangers for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the sailors view.
Residential Districts and companies are also put at a disadvantage because of this small water flora. Water intakes or over flows can get clogged leading to shortages in some areas and flooding in others. Dykes and electrical energy output can also be affected if the water flora mats get caught up in the dams.
Milfoil control has been challenging. Mostly 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 somewhere else. For that reason the large automatic 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 solution 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 unwanted aquatic plants are still thriving across the country. When plants or animals are inserted outside their natural environment, you can’t anticipate the significances.