Water Hyacinth - Beautiful Troublemaker

Water hyacinth has become the most serious weed in many tropical, warm and temperate freshwater habitats worldwide. It can be found in every continent except Europe. It has the highest growth rate of any saltwater, freshwater or land based plant. The water hyacinth is often called an "ecosystem engineer" or an invasive habitat modifier. In certain water bodies it is especially problematic because it forms thick mats which often weigh up to 200 tons per acre. These mats cause lower dissolved oxygen levels in the water, which cause fish kills to occur; they also alter river flow and increase organic sediment. These mats disrupt native aquatic plant and animal communities, dramatically affecting the ecosystem and putting native habitats and wildlife at risk.

The water hyacinth originated in the Amazon basin, it was believed to have been introduced into the United States during an exposition in New Orleans, LA in 1884. It was originally brought to Florida in 1890 as a decorative aquatic plant, likely for someone's pond. Water hyacinth is an aggressive spreader, which adapts easily to most environments, a hard freeze is the only natural enemy, but it recovers from this usually. It has one of the highest reproduction rates of any plant known to man; it is capable of doubling its own size within 6 - 18 days due in part to its ability to reproduce by sending off runners and by its seed being spread via fish, birds, current, wind, etc. The water hyacinth encompassed as many as 125,000 acres of water within 70 years of its introduction.

In an article printed in Harper's Weekly in 1898 referring to water hyacinth mats, the author stated "I have seen vessels going at full speed brought to a complete standstill." Water hyacinths can cause damage to boats and fishing equipment. It can also clog waterways, limiting or preventing access to boats and fisherman altogether. This clogging can form dams which can in turn cause flooding and soil erosion to occur. The thick mats prevent sunlight from entering the water which deprives the water oxygen, which causes fish to die and also crowds out other native species of plants which many animals depend on for food and or shelter. The hyacinth mats provide the perfect habitat for mosquitoes which are notorious for the spread of diseases such as malaria, and West Nile virus. As the lower portions of the water hyacinth die, as well as the plants in its shadow, proper decomposition cannot take place due to the blockage of sunlight; this allows a build up of organic matter in the sediment. One acre of water hyacinth can generate as much as 500 tons of rotting material each year. Natural water flow can be blocked by the dense root system and this can alter the entire flow of a waterway. The dense mats can grow large

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