1 / 31

Hydrilla: The need to know

This guide outlines the importance of knowing about hydrilla, a highly adaptable aquatic invasive plant, its identification, reproduction, spread, and actions to take if found. Learn how to differentiate it from look-alikes and report sightings to help control its impact.

sernestine
Download Presentation

Hydrilla: The need to know

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hydrilla: The need to know comicvine.com WISP Training May 24, 2018

  2. Outline • What is hydrilla? • And how does it reproduce? • How did it get here? • How can I identify it? • Look alikes • What do I do if I think I’ve found it? • Why is it important to know about hydrilla? • Hydrilla in New York • What you can do to help! • Resources

  3. What is Hydrilla? A “Most Wanted” Species • Federal Noxious Weed List • Noxious weed and/or banned in at least 17 states • Prohibited under NYCRR Part 575

  4. What is Hydrilla? • Hydrilla verticillatais an aquatic invasive plant • - two biotypes in U.S.: • Dioecious (male and female plants) – found in North Carolina and south (originally from India) • Monoecious (male and female reproductive parts on one plant) – found north of North Carolina (originally from Korea) • It is related to Brazilian elodea

  5. What is Hydrilla? • Highly adaptable • Does not do well with regular exposure to > 3 ppt salinity (some research suggests 9 ppt as the prohibitive level) • Grows in water depths of > 30 feet (depending on clarity) • Water clarity > 1.3 feet • Hydrosoil temperatures for tuber sprouting 52F - 59F • Hydrilla maintains vegetation at colder temperatures (40F)

  6. What is Hydrilla? • Turions (produced in early summer) • Tubers (after July 4th) – carbohydrate storage • Vegetative spread by fragments Chris Evans Robert Videki

  7. What is Hydrilla? • Rapid growth at 60F • Monoecious growth bottom to top • Most discoveries in August-October when it is near the water’s surface

  8. How does it reproduce? • Fragments that grow into new plants • Tubers (overwintering and food storage structures) • Turions (overwintering buds)

  9. How did it get here? • Aquaria dumping • Watercraft and associated equipment • Aquatic garden plant soil • Waterfowl?

  10. How do I identify it? • Whorls of three or more leaves with noticeable space between whorls • Leaves have serrated edges and mid-ribs • Leaves often curve downward

  11. How do I identify it?

  12. How do I identify it? • If you find turions and tubers that would confirm identity, but not always easy to do.

  13. Look alikes • Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa)

  14. Look Alikes • Native elodea (Elodea canadensis) Wikipedia

  15. Look Alikes • Key characteristics to remember • If it has more than three leaves per whorl it may well be invasive – either Brazilian elodea or hydrilla • If it has three leaves per whorl it is probably native elodea UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants - University of Florida

  16. What do I do if I think I’ve found it? • Take a photo • Take several photos with your phone or digital camera • The photos should be of plant samples out of the water on a light (preferably white) background

  17. What do I do if I think I’ve found it? • Take a sample • Place your sample in a ziploc bag with a moistened paper towel • Write out a label with location, data, collector information in pencil and put in bag • Put the sample in the refrigerator

  18. What do I do if I think I’ve found it? • Take coordinates of location found and record in an easily accessed location • Many cell phones or computers have GPS tracking ability • Could also put a pin on Google maps to get estimated coordinates

  19. What do I do if I think I’ve found it? • Tell your supervisor who can contact your PRISM AIS Coordinator and/or NYSDEC • Submit a report to iMapInvasives.org and include the coordinates and photos (also a good idea)

  20. Why is it important to know about hydrilla? • So you can keep a look out for it whenever you are on or near water • If detected early there is a better chance of controlling it • If controlled when it is only in a small area can reduce economic, ecological, and human health impacts

  21. Why is it important to know about hydrilla? • Impacts: • Dense mats of vegetation =  Water recreation and revenue • =  dissolved oxygen • =  fish habitat • =  native plants • =  near shore property values • = hazardous swimming conditions

  22. Hydrilla in New York • High priority species prohibited by 6 NYCRR Part 575 • Now found at 27 locations throughout New York • Often found near boat launches

  23. Hydrilla in New York • First discovered in 2008 • 2008 - Creamery Pond, Orange County • 2008 – Sans Souci Lake, Lotus Lake, Suffolk County • 2009 - Lake Ronkonkoma, Blydenburgh/New Mill Pond, Phillips Mill Pond, Suffolk County • 2009 – Frost Mill Pond, Suffolk County • 2011- Smith Pond, Great Patchoque Lake, Suffolk County; Cayuga Inlet, Tompkins County • 2012 – several private ponds, Broome County • 2012 – Cayuga Lake, Tompkins County; Tonawanda/Erie Canal, Niagara and Erie Counties • 2013 – Croton River, Westchester County • 2013 – Millers Pond, Suffolk County; Unnamed pond, Tioga County • 2014 – New Croton Reservoir, Westchester County • 2014 – Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Kings County • 2015 – Tinker Nature Park pond, Monroe County • 2016 – Aurora (Cayuga Lake), Tompkins County • 2016 – Spencer Pond, Tioga County • 2016 – Halsey Neck Road pond, Suffolk County

  24. Hydrilla in New York • More than $2.5M are spent each year to control and manage hydrilla • To protect the Hudson River • To protect the Erie Canal and Lake Erie • To protect the Upper Susquehanna River • To protect the Finger Lakes

  25. Fantasy biocontrol

  26. What can you do to help? • Know that as boat stewards you are the front line • Talk with people about AIS and help them understand the importance of prevention and what steps they can take • Keep a look out for AIS when you are recreating and when working • Sign up for iMapInvasives so you can make IS reports • Become aware of the species that are problematic in your region and track new arrivals

  27. What can you do to help? WISP • Top priority for New York State’s AIS Management Plan • establishing and maintaining WISPs throughout the State

  28. What can you do to help? Prevention • The best method for dealing with any invasive species is prevention • If you never give them the opportunity to be introduced and become established then you never have to spend time, energy, and funds to control and manage them

  29. Resources • Croton River Hydrilla Control Project webpage: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/106386.html • NYS Hydrilla webpage: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/104790.html • NYS Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Stewards webpage: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/107807.html

  30. Acknowledgments • Willow Eyres, NYSDEC • Hilary Mosher, FL PRISM • James Balyszak • Bob Johnson, Racine-Johnson Ecologists • Mike Greer, USACE • Scott Kishbaugh, NYSDEC • Mike Netherland, USACE • SOLitude Lake Management • SePRO • Nicole White www.wikipedia.org

  31. Thank you! • Cathy McGlynn • AIS Coordinator • Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health • NYSDEC • catherine.mcglynn@dec.ny.gov

More Related