Todd Sink, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Aquaculture Extension Specialist Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Improving Lives. Improving Texas. Managing Aquatic Vegetation for Waterfowl (& Wading Birds)
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Managing Aquatic Vegetation for Waterfowl (& Wading Birds) · Reasons for Aquatic Vegetation Management • Reduce water loss – evapotranspiration • Cattails increase water loss
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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)
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
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
• Submerged - mostly underwater, rooted with flaccid stems
• Emergent - stiff or rigid stems with parts standing above the surface
Algae• Planktonic - microscopic floating• Filamentous - stringy or hair-like• Macro-algae (look like plants)
• Chara• Nitella
Filamentous algae Hinders recreational activitiesBirds, fish, wildlife do not eat, does not produce foodChelated copper complexes or copper sulfate plus diquat
Chara – skunk grassConsumed by many species of ducksProduce many invertebratesPropagation – pick up whole plant & transfer
Floating Plants• Best for waterfowl
• Duckweeds• Watermeal• Mosquito fern (Azolla)
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
Azolla or Mosquito Fern• Extremely high protein, rich in vitamins• Many species of waterfowl and wildlife like to eat
Submerged Plants• American pondweed• Illinois Pondweed• Variable-leaf