Vegetation Flashcards
Why is vegetation important to fish?
Aquatic macrophytes create microhabitats, renew detritus, screen fishes, store and release nutrients, intercept sunlight, and buffer water movements.
Diverse vegetation promotes diverse fish community.
Provides nursery habitat.
Submerged aquatic vegetation provides important habitat for most freshwater fishes at all stages of their life history.
(Jude & Pappas, 1992; Midwood & Doka, 2018)
Hydrophytes
Plants that occur in permanently wet places.
(Lacoul & Freedman, 2006)
Define emergent aquatic plants and describe where they are usually found?
Aquatic plants that are rooted in the bottom substrate but the plant extends above the water surface.
Mostly occur in shallow water.
Include species of sedges and bulrush (Cyperaceae), rushes (Junceae), grasses (Poaceae), cattails (Typhaceae), and others.
(Lacoul & Freedman, 2006)
Define floating-leaved hydrophytes and describe where they are usually found?
Aquatic plants that are rooted in sediment but have leaves that float on the water surface.
May occur at moderate depths and may be prominent in low-visibility water.
Include species of lotus (Nelumbonaceae) and water lily (Nymphaeaceae).
(Lacoul & Freedman, 2006)
Define submerged hydrophytes and describe where they are usually found?
Aquatic plants that are usually rooted in bottom substrate, but may be free-floating, and their foliage is normally underwater.
Occur at various depths.
Include species of water-starwort (Callitrichaceae), water-milfoil (Haloragaceae), pondweed (Potamogetonaceae), and elodea, wild celery, and frogbit (Hydrocharitaceae).
(Lacoul & Freedman, 2006)
Define free-floating hydrophytes and describe where they are usually found?
Aquatic plants that float on the water surface but do not have roots embedded in sediment.
They freely move with wind and water currents.
Include species of water-lettuce (Araceae), mosquito-fern (Azollaceae), water hyacinth (Pontederiaceae), and duckweed and watermeal (Lemnaceae).
(Lacoul & Freedman, 2006)
