For us in Austin, hydrilla is our bane. So bad, they had to introduce (another
horrible mistake in my opinion) fish from China to eat the hydrilla.


On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 23:52:30 GMT, "David J Bockman" wrote:

From http://www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh/invinfo.htm:

"Invasive alien plants typically exhibit the following characteristics:

Rapid growth and maturity
Prolific seed production
Highly successful seed dispersal, germination and colonization
Rampant vegetative spread
Ability to out-compete native species
High cost to remove or control ...

An invasive plant infestation is like a slow motion explosion, which, if
left unchecked, may severely alter a site's natural, economic, aesthetic,
and other cultural values. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
illustrates this effect of invasive plants. An exotic introduction to North
America for
ornamental uses, purple loosestrife has invaded thousands of acres of
wetlands in the Northeast. The plant grows in high density and creates
substrate buildup around its roots that creates a drier site and allows the
plant to invade open water (Bender 2000). The resultant changes in substrate
and hydrology negatively impact native wetlands and the plants and animals
that inhabit these communities."

Very few things will **** off a naturalist faster than an introduced species
that alters wetlands.

Dave