Eurasian Watermilfoil and Exotic Species

Summary:   The invasion of Watermilfoil as an Exotic Species. I had to do this for a biology project.

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Eurasian Watermilfoil

1. Exotic Species are often considered invasive or pollutants - why"

Exotic Species can be invasive or pollutant because they damage food webs, bring in diseases, and cause competition for food and nutrients.2. Describe how the organism spread to this non-native region.It is from Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. It came here from boating activities as the milfoil stuck to the boat, and became transported into a new region.3. State the biome in which your organism lives, and describe the habitat.It lives in the grassland biome. It lives in lakes on the East Coast and Midwest. The Eurasian Watermilfoil infects ponds, lakes, streams, reservoirs, estuaries, and canals.4. Describe the organisms' niche.Eurasian Watermilfoil has a type 2 niche, which means it always has an equal chance of survival. It can survive under ice, and in water with a pH between 5.4 and 11.5. What trends are they exhibiting in the environment in terms of population growth? Draw a model for this growth. Use a dotted line to project how the model will look after the next 100 years.There are not many ways to control the population of Eurasian Watermilfoil.

6. What limiting factors are present, what limiting factors are not present that are present in the organism's natural environment"

Limiting factors include predators, parasites, high water temperatures, and plant quality. There are more predators in the natural environment.

7. What is the effect of this organism on the other populations in the ecosystem? What is the effect on the other species in that ecosystem"

What is the effect on the physical environment"

a) Fish can get trapped in the milfoil.

b) It can effect humans who swim near the Eurasian Watermilfoil by creating a rash.

Birds can transport the milfoil into other bodies of water

It can kill other plants by using nutrients and limiting growth of other plants.

c) When the plant dies, it releases phosphorous into the water. It also limits oxygen and sunlight to other plants underneath the water.

8. How does the issue of carrying capacity enter into the problem for your species? For the environment which includes other species"

Carrying capacity is not an issue for the milfoil. It affects other species because the growth of the Eurasian Watermilfoil can hurt the growth of other plants.

9. What has been done so far to deal with this problem"

A herbicide called Sonan has been used to kill the milfoil. Hand rakes have also been used for smaller areas. The cost to kill the Eurasian Milfoil is approximately one million dollars a year.

10. What solution do you propose and why"

I have two propositions. First, divers should pull out the milfoil manually. Second, I infected areas should be sprayed with chemicals such as Sonan or Fluridone to kill the Eurasian Watermilfoil to the root.

11. What are the drawbacks to this solution"

Pulling out the Eurasian Watermilfoil manually can disturb animals and plants that live on the floor of the water. Also, seeds could spread by manual work.

Killing the Eurasian Watermilfoil with chemicals can hurt other plants ability to photosynthesize.