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Aquatic Invasive Weed Species
There are a number of Aquatic Invasive Species which are becoming a problem in the UK. They have generally been introduced more recently than their terrestrial peers but are increasing rapidly and so it is important to catch them now to prevent further spread.
They were introduced as plants for contained aquatic environments to do specific jobs such as oxygenation; however they are released in to the wild by the public due to lack of knowledge.
The key species that the Environment Agency is concerned with at present are:
- Australian Swamp Stonecrop (Crassula helmsii)
- Parrots Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
- Floating Pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides)
Why are they a problem?
Aquatic environments are fragile ecosystems and our options for control are severely limited, so protection of these environments from aggressive invasive species can be difficult.
They are a threat to biodiversity, monopolising local environments and out competing native species.
They disrupt the ecosystems degrading them severely and impeding flow in vital drainage channels thus causing flooding.
How to identify them?
Links to third-party websites that provide detailed information on Aquatic Invasive Species