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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Invasive Species and Pollinator Health » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #418363

Research Project: Integrated Weed Management and Restoration Strategies to Protect Water Resources and Aquatic and Wetland Ecosystems of the Far Western U.S.

Location: Invasive Species and Pollinator Health

Title: Mesocosm evaluation of growth differences between Vallisneria taxa

Author
item Beets, Jens
item SPERRY, BENJAMIN - Us Army Engineer Research And Dvelopment Center
item THUM, RYAN - Montana State University
item RICHARDSON, ROBERT - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Journal of Aquatic Plant Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/2/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Vallisneria is a genus of plants with a global distribution, and the native species Vallisneria americana has been pivotal to restoration efforts in the eastern US. Recently, two exotic taxa Vallisneria australis, and V. spiralis L. × V. denseserrulata (Makino) have been identified in the US and are becoming problematic, impeding navigation and competing with other aquatic macrophytes. This small-scale mesocosm study compared growth between the native and exotic Vallisneria taxa, as well as a well researched invasive species hydrilla to provide a basic understanding of the growth of these newly identified and poorly understood exotic macrophytes.

Technical Abstract: Growth between two native and two exotic Vallisneria taxa as well as hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata [L.f. Royle]) were compared in mesocosms. The exotic Vallisneria australis (S.W.L. Jacobs & Les) exhibited the greatest biomass among taxa. Aboveground biomass of V. australis was 20 to 78% greater than the other Vallisneria taxa. Vallisneria australis also had 7 to 78% more belowground biomass than the other taxa, followed by V. neotropicalis (Vict.) then V. americana (Michx.), then V. spiralis L. × V. denseserrulata (Makino) and hydrilla. Vallisneria americana and hydrilla had higher relative growth rates than other Vallisneria taxa.