Water Hyacinth Research Paper

Water hyacinth is a beautiful plant native to South America. Its beauty has attracted and inspired people to introduce the invasive plant in different regions around the world. Though a lovely addition to an aquarium or small ponds, the plant has eradicated many countries and remains a serious ecological problem in modern day. Growing at an explosive rate, the invasive plant forms dense bed that floats on top of different bodies of water. Without its natural enemies, it is almost impossible to control. Ecologists around the world have labeled this species as the worst aquatic weed. The plant continues to outcompete native species while harming others living in the same environment. Expanding beyond ecological issues the plant brings, it has also brought about socioeconomic issues …show more content…
Today, 56 countries, including the United States, have reported the invader as a noxious weed. In the United States, it is currently occupying 32 states. The plant mostly occupies the southeastern part of the U.S., but it has been found in areas as north as Minnesota, New York, and Washington. In Florida, water hyacinth is a category 1 invasive exotic species, meaning that it is “capable of altering native plant communities by displacing native species and changing community structures or ecological functions,” (Masterson). The introduction of water hyacinth has created widespread complications for these countries. The powerful weeds is choking waterways so that boats cannot navigate through them. Additionally, the water loses nutrients when water hyacinth is in growth, and is then effected by nutrification when the plant dies. As the mats of water hyacinth continue to grow, more sunlight is blocked, oxygen levels in the water increasingly become depleted, and the availability of breeding habitats for mosquitos expand. The problem of the Water hyacinth will continue to grow if affective control measures are not

Show More