Effect of water quality and season on the population dynamics of Cabomba caroliniana in subtropical Queensland, Australia

Abstract

a b s t r a c tCabomba caroliniana is a submersed aquatic macrophyte that originates from the Americas and is currently invading temperate, subtropical, and tropical freshwater habitats around the world. Despite being a nuisance in many countries, little is known about its ecology. We monitored C. caroliniana populations in three reservoirs in subtropical Queensland, Australia, over 5.5 years. Although biomass, stem length, and plant density of the C. caroliniana stands fluctuated over time, they did not exhibit clear seasonal patterns. Water depth was the most important environmental factor explaining C. caroliniana abundance. Plant biomass was greatest at depths from 2-4 m and rooted plants were not found beyond 5 m. Plant density was greatest in shallow water and decreased with depth, most likely as a function of decreasing light and increasing physical stress. We tested the effect of a range of water physico-chemical parameters. The concentration of phosphorus in the water column was the variable that explained most of the variation in C. caroliniana population parameters. We found that in subtropical Australia, C. caroliniana abundance does not appear to be affected by seasonal conditions but is influenced by other environmental variables such as water depth and nutrient loading. Therefore, further spread will more likely be governed by local habitat rather than climatic conditions. Crown

Alien invasive macrophyte put into the shade: The native floating‐leaved macrophyte Nymphoides indica reduces Cabomba caroliniana growth performance through competition for light

“…Similar to reports in the literature (Mason & van der Valk, 1992), N. indica was limited to shallow water (<1.8 m) in Lake Kurwongbah, while C. caroliniana biomass increased linearly with water depth, which are most likely to be the results of stem elongation with increasing water depth. Depending on water clarity, C. caroliniana grew to 10-m depth in a lake similar to the study system, but the highest biomass was recorded in 2-3 m of water (Bickel & Schooler, 2015), mirroring the result of the survey in Lake Kurwongbah. Therefore, N. indica will be most useful as a restoration tool in gently sloping shallow freshwater ecosystems that will support a wide floating-leaved macrophyte belt.…”

A global review of the invasive aquatic weed Cabomba caroliniana [A. Gray] (Carolina fanwort): Current and future management challenges, and research gaps

“…Once germination occurs, roots will penetrate the muddy substrate of the aquatic environment and stems will begin to grow towards the surface of the water (Edmunds and Burrows, 2019). The active growth period of C. caroliniana occurs between spring and summer (Wilson et al, 2007), and during winter, its stems become tough being easily dislodged from the parent plant (Bickel and Schooler, 2015).…”

“…It grows best in waters with high nutrient levels, but nevertheless, it can still establish in oligotrophic systems (Bickel, 2012). Related research programmes have shown that C. caroliniana growth and establishment is often habitat‐specific (Bickel and Schooler, 2015) and prefers waters with a dissolved oxygen level between 1.23 mg/L and 7.32 mg/L (Yu et al, 2004), nitrogen level between 0.14 mg/L and 3.27 mg/L, pH level between six and seven (Bickel, 2012), phosphorus level between 0.044 mg/L and 0.838 mg/L and temperatures between 13°C and 27°C (Mackey and Swarbrick, 1997; Ørgaard, 1991).…”

“…Gray] (Cabombaceae), also known as Carolina fanwort, is a highly adaptable submerged macrophyte that currently threatens aquatic ecosystems across the world (Bickel, 2012; Bickel and Schooler, 2015). Whilst it is native to the freshwaters of South America, due to its quick reproduction cycle and aggressive invasive properties, coupled with the currently limited range of management strategies, it has now become abundant in more than 21 countries (Bickel and Schooler, 2015; Ørgaard, 1991; Wilson et al, 2007) (Table 2). Cabomba caroliniana is commonly used as an ornamental aquatic plant, and as a result of its popularity, it has been distributed into aquatic settings across the world (Matthews et al, 2013).…”

Classifying nuisance submerged vegetation depending on ecosystem services

“…See ESM 2 and reference list for actual references Limnology Schooler (2015 andHogsden et al (2007) [2] Cabrera-Walsh et al (2011) and Nelson et al (2002) Ceratophyllum demersum L.…”