Book

Description

To some extent, the natural aquatic plant population is healthy for any aquatic ecosystem as it serves as fish feed, plays an important role in nutrient cycling, purifies the water, controls unwanted algal growth, and supports fauna including birds. However, aquatic weeds can wreak havoc on the environment, elbowing other plants and animals out of the picture. It can end up starving water plants of light, sucking up the oxygen fish need to breathe, and once they have completed their lifecycle, these weeds can decompose, starving the water of even more oxygen. Invasive aquatic weeds have been known to be a nuisance to fishing, navigation, aquaculture, hydropower production, and other agricultural practices in the area. This book therefore reviews common aquatic weeds worldwide, their environmental, socio-economic, and ecological impacts, and methods of controlling them.