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Assessing the Aquatic Plant Community within the Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael C. Cox
Affiliation:
Geosystems Research Institute, Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762
Ryan M. Wersal
Affiliation:
Geosystems Research Institute, Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762
John D. Madsen*
Affiliation:
Geosystems Research Institute, Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762
Patrick D. Gerard
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, Clemson University, Box 0303, Clemson, SC 29634
Mary L. Tagert
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Box 9632, Mississippi State, MS 39762
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Alligatorweed, waterhyacinth, and hydrilla are three nonnative aquatic species of concern in the Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson, MS. Point-intercept surveys were conducted on the reservoir from 2005 to 2010 to monitor native and nonnative species' distributions and assess herbicide treatment efficacy across the reservoir. Foliar applications of 2,4-D, glyphosate, imazapyr, and diquat were made during summer months for emergent and free-floating vegetation, whereas submersed applications of liquid copper and granular fluridone were applied in spring and late summer for subsurface hydrilla populations. American lotus is the native species that has been observed the most throughout the survey years, with occurrence frequencies averaging between 17 and 27%. Alligatorweed populations significantly decreased from 21% in 2005 to 4% in 2006; however, they consistently increased in the next 4 yr to 12% occurrence in 2010. Waterhyacinth occurrence has remained relatively constant over the study period, averaging below 10% occurrence. Hydrilla was discovered in the reservoir in late 2005 and has remained below 2% in frequency of occurrence since 2006. Suppression of these nonnative species has been attributed to rigorous monitoring and herbicide applications conducted on the reservoir since 2005. A logistic regression model indicated that as native species richness increased, the likelihood of a nonnative species occurring also increased.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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Footnotes

Current address: Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061

Current address: Aquatic Plant Scientist, Applied Biochemists, Arch Chemicals, Inc. (now part of Lonza, Alpharetta Innovation and Technology Center), 1200 Bluegrass Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30004

References

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