how did water hyacinth get to south africa
It was introduced in Africa around 1879, and 110 years later, established itself on the continent’s largest lake, Lake Victoria. Water Hyacinth is the worlds worst invasive According to the University of Florida, water hyacinth was introduced from South America into the US in 1884. The floating water-hyacinth was introduced into Florida in the 1880s and covered more than 120,000 acres of public lakes and navigable rivers by the early 1960s. In Africa, the first introduction of water hyacinth was in Egypt in about 1880 (Warnimont, 1965). 20 cm high and has beautiful lilac blue flowers with yellow markings. In the 1990s, the world reportedly spent US$3 billion a year just to control the weed, for the most part with little or no success. AN Egyptian-funded initiative to remove water hyacinth on lakes Victoria and Kyoga is to be expanded to Rwanda and Burundi. The effects of introduced water hyacinth on habitat structure, invertebrate assemblages, and fish diets. B ACKGROUND — Water hyacinth was first reported in Natal, South Africa, in 1910, and from there it has spread throughout South Africa. Some species float in shallow water; others are rooted in muddy stream banks and lakeshores. The alternative supply of biogas from the water hyacinth could replace the unsustainable use of firewood for cooking, which is a particular problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Zhang, Y., D. Zhang, and S.C. Barrett. removing oxygen from the water when the It can be found between 38°N and 38°S and is referred to as a noxious weed in more than 50 countries on five continents (). The hanging roots of the plant feathery and purplish-black in color. parts of estuaries rather than near the estuary mouth. quickly and can flower within three or four months. In 1974, a shorter life span weevil, the chevroned water hyacinth weevil (Neochetina bruchi) was released. Here, water hyacinth will be artificially grown in tanks and used to produce biogas for cooking and fertiliser to grow flowers. A number of different biocontrol species have been tested on water hyacinth here in the US. Only vaccines can eliminate virus, says NCDC. By Jacques Breytenbach. Water hyacinth is native to South America, but has naturalized much of the Southern U.S. It was brought to South Africa as a decorative water plant because of its beautiful flowers. bodies with high levels of. water plant because of its beautiful flowers. Since then it has spread into many lakes and rivers of the southern US, making it one of the most troublesome aquatic plants in the country. well as to remove the invasive weeds. It grows in ponds, streams, and ditches. In North Africa water hyacinth causes serious … Water hyacinth was first documented in South Africa in the early 1900s in the Cape Flats and has since spread countrywide as South Africa’s eutrophic (mineral & nutrient rich) water bodies and temperate climate make for the ideal environment for the aquatic weed to spread and thrive. The leaf stalks have air sacs that enable the It is an aggressive invader especially in water After its introduction to Africa and Asia, the water hyacinth mass-developed in many bodies of water and became a major obstacle to navigation and fishing. underwater plants cannot grow. Water hyacinth originated from Amazonia and spread naturally throughout South America. Site and Date of Introduction: The Water Hyacinth was introduced from its native home in South America to various countries by well-meaning people as an ornamental plant; to the US in the 1880's. baskets and paper, fodder for livestock, compost, and to remove excess Water hyacinth, any aquatic plant of the genus Eichhornia of the pickerelweed family (Pontederiaceae), consisting of about five species, native primarily to tropical America. Water Hyacinth is a floating perennial plant that is native to the Amazon and has spread to much of the southern united states. Water hyacinth is a problem in the US as well. In 1988 it … Two biological control agents have been introduced to control populations Spread has been especially rapid during the last 10-15 years with exceedingly serious problems developing in the equatorial zone. No one's sure how the South American water hyacinth invaded Africa's Lake Victoria but there's little doubt as to the damages it has caused. disease-carrying mosquitoes can breed amongst Many large hydropower schemes are suffering from the effects of water hyacinth. Control depends on the specific conditions of each affected location such as the extent of water hyacinth infestation, regional climate, and proximity to human and wildlife. Water Hyacinth comes from tropical South It is currently covering more than 30% of the surface of the Hartbeespoort (Harties) Dam in South Africa’s North West Province. animals to move away. The main areas where it occurs vary from low-lying, subtropical zones to high-elevation zones where frost is common in winter. It is a floating water plant that grows about Water hyacinth is a floating, flowering plant, native to South America. water weed! plants die, sink to the bottom and rot; this causes fish and other Molecular Ecology 19(9):1774-1786. the plants. Reusing shower water, limiting toilet flushing and night-time irrigation were among measures that saved South Africa’s second city from running dry Krista Mahr Fri … Water hyacinth is an environmental menace and threat to biodiversity.” ... New rules for UK, South Africa travellers. It was introduced to the United States in 1884 at an exposition in New Orleans. Nearly two months after the department of water affairs and forestry (DWAF) contracted a helicopter to spray herbicide over the hyacinth … plant to float, and the long feathery roots hang down into the water. Now the plant has grown out of control causing havoc in South African water systems and killing marine plants. of Water Hyacinth. Now, let us take a look at a pair of ten-year-old girls who live in two separate countries and circumstances in Africa. First introduced into the Cape area in the early years of the 1900’s the plant has spread aggressively, choking waterways of nutrients and life forms wherever it grows. It spread to the Congo, the Nile and Lake Victoria in … an animal or plant which is introduced into a new area where it does not occur naturally Water hyacinth was first recorded in South Africa on the Cape flats in the early 1900s and since then, has spread throughout the country. Water hyacinth is a very aggressive invader and can form thick mats. Water hyacinth originated in tropical South America, but is naturalized in warm areas of the world: Central America, California and southern states, Africa, India, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, the latter where it is illegal so eat it fast. Ogwang: "...by integrating use of biocontrol agents in pest management, Planet Earth will remain a healthier environment with a relatively intact biodiversity for generations present and future...". Water Hyacinth is a problem for people because: it blocks waterways and interferes with transport, irrigation, Water hyacinth mats clog waterways, making boating, fishing and almost all other water activities impossible. Water Hyacinth threatens biodiversity by: changing the ecosystem so that it no longer suits indigenous plants To control Water Hyacinth it is important both Range Water hyacinth is native to the upper Amazon River basin in South America, but its distribution is now widespread around tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This plant appeared in Lake Kyoga in Uganda in the early 1980s and it also occurs in Lake Kwania and down the Kyoga Nile. Water hyacinth is non-native to North America. Once growth is sufficient to cause crowding of individual plants, these petioles elongate and interweave, forming dense self-supporting mats that can cover the entire surfaces of dams and slow flowing rivers. Water hyacinth was introduced in South Africa as an ornamental plant. Is it Invasive? Small amounts of Water Hyacinth can be removed Water Hyacinth is a successful invader because: Once a seed germinates, the plant grows very Estuaries 26(3):746-758. and animals, forming thick mats that stop light getting into the water, so that All have slender rootstocks, wetlands. The Water Hyacinth is quite easily the most damaging water invader in South Africa. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an aquatic plant native to South America, first appeared in countries in Africa in the early 1900s. to reduce nutrients (e.g. Water Hyacinth comes from tropical South America, where it grows in rivers and lakes in the Amazon basin. 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