Eurasian milfoil is a delicate looking flora that was once a everyday plant to find in fresh water aquariums.
Still, It did not stay there. Now it is considered an predatory species that threatens The northern Us fresh water streams, rivers, pools and lakes.
In its domestic Eurasian environment it is a relatively harmless plant (but still a bit of a pest) but here, out of its normal waters, it takes over and destroys ecosystems, clogs water intakes and power plants, and makes them unsuitable for recreational purposes.
A Number Of hypotheses 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 occupied 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 North America. 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 thrive. 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 floras 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 animals. This matted growth also causes difficulty 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 helping spawn algae blooms which further aggravate the problem.
These plants are problematic to people as well. Not only does milfoil reduce water quality but the mats make shoreline swimming impossible. Milfoil impedes fish reproduction, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for boaters because it can become entangled on the engine, cause risks for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the boatmen view.
Residential Areas and businesses are also put at a disadvantage because of this small water flora. Water intakes or over flows can get blocked leading to shortages in some areas and flooding in others. Dikes and electricity output can also be affected if the water plant mats get caught up in the dams.
Milfoil control has been challenging. In The Main poisonous substances are out of the question as they destroy the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Physically removing the plant isn’t fully productive because the bits that break off can form new plants somewhere else. 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 dredging, which can pick up any damaged 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 overstayed its welcome; many other invasive aquatic plants are still thriving across the nation. When plants or creatures are introduced outside their natural surroundings, you can’t anticipate the implications.