managing aquatic vegetation for waterfowl (& wading birds) · reasons for aquatic vegetation...
TRANSCRIPT
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Todd Sink, Ph.D.Associate Professor and Aquaculture Extension Specialist
Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries ManagementTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Improving Lives. Improving Texas.
Managing Aquatic Vegetation for Waterfowl
(& Wading Birds)
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Aquatic Vegetation Misconceptions
• No management DOES NOT = good management
• Uncontrolled aquatic vegetation growth is not good• Ponds are manmade environments
• Invasive vegetation needs control• Invasive NOT = non-native
• Herbicides are not bad, they are a tool
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Reasons for Aquatic Vegetation Management
• Reduce water loss – evapotranspiration• Cattails increase water loss by 75-80%
• Reduce breeding habitat for noxious insects – mosquitoes, midges, etc.• West Nile, Zika, equine encephalitis, etc.
• Improve fish & wildlife habitat • Increase size & condition of fish, wildlife food
• Too much inhibits food capture fish/birds
• Enhances recreational activities
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Aquatic Vegetation Management◦ AquaPlant Website - http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/
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Why does aquatic vegetation become a problem in small impoundments?
• What do plants need for growth?– Water– Sunlight– Nutrients
• Ponds are nutrient sinks – accumulate nutrients from watershed & groundwater over time!
• Healthy balance: 10-15% coverage
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Why are aquatic plants so proliferative?
• Propagate by:– Seeds
– Fragments
– Roots
– Vegetative offshoots
• Tolerate flooding & drought
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Aquatic Plants• First critical step….
• Identification• Algae - primitive, non-seed bearing plants &
no roots, stems, or true leaves
• Floating - all parts of plant floats
• Submerged - mostly underwater, rooted with flaccid stems
• Emergent - stiff or rigid stems with parts standing above the surface
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Algae• Planktonic - microscopic floating• Filamentous - stringy or hair-like• Macro-algae (look like plants)
• Chara• Nitella
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Filamentous algae Hinders recreational activitiesBirds, fish, wildlife do not eat, does not produce foodChelated copper complexes or copper sulfate plus diquat
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Chara – skunk grassConsumed by many species of ducksProduce many invertebratesPropagation – pick up whole plant & transfer
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Floating Plants• Best for waterfowl
• Duckweeds• Watermeal• Mosquito fern (Azolla)
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Duckweed & Watermeal• Reason duckweed called “duck”weed• Can become extremely problematic small, still ponds• Many “invasive” native & non-native species• Propagation – pick up & place in new water
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Azolla or Mosquito Fern• Extremely high protein, rich in vitamins• Many species of waterfowl and wildlife like to eat
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Submerged Plants• American pondweed• Illinois Pondweed• Variable-leaf
Pondweed• Coontail• Eelgrass• Widgeon grass• Bushy Pondweed
(Southern Naiad)
• No –bad• Eurasian Watermilfoil• Variable-leaf
Watermilfoil• Egeria• Hydrilla
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Hydrilla Elodea Egeria
Do not want!!!
If unsure diquat, endothall, fluridone, or penoxsulam
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Milfoils
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Native, good fish habitat – open growthWildlife food- tubers, seeds, leaves, new shootsInvertebrates
American pondweed
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Good fish habitat – dense growthWildlife food- tubers, seeds, leaves, new shootsHigh density invertebrates
Illinois pondweed
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Good fish habitat – dense growthWildlife food- seeds, leavesHigh density invertebrates
Eelgrass (Vallisneria)
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Dense growthWildlife food- seeds, leaves, shootsHIGH density invertebrates
Widgeon grass
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Coontail
Seeds & Fruiting Bodies
SeedsInvertebratesVery dense growthEasy transfer
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Dense growth
Wildlife food-seeds, leaves, shoots
Invertebrates
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Emergent Plants• Arrowhead• Buttonbush• Cattail• Common Reed• Giant Reed• Horsetail• Lizard’s-tail• Pickerelweed• Rushes & Sedges
• Smartweed• Southern watergrass• Torpedograss• Waterleaf• Waterlilies• Water Pennywort• Water Primrose• Water Shield• Willow
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Rushes are round & sedges have edges – NOTSeeds & nesting
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SmartweedSeeds, seeds, seedsCover & nesting
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White or Fragrant
Spatterdock or Cow LilyYellow or Mexican Lily
Banana or Floating Hearts
Water Lilies
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American Lotus
Mexican water lilyWater Shield
Floating Hearts Spatterdock
White water lily
Water lilies, lotus, & spatterdockWildlife food – seedsValuable wading bird hunting habitat