Effects of depth and season on the population dynamics of Cabomba caroliniana In south-east Queensland

摘要

Cabomba caroliniana is an invasive aquatic weed that is becoming a problem in many water bodies throughout Australia. There is currently no effective method to manage this weed. In 2003 CSIRO began a project to identify and test biological control agents. In conjunction with surveys for biological control agents in their native range, we are conducting ecological studies of the weed in Australia. We found that cabomba exhibits no clear seasonal patterns in biomass at three locations in south-east Queensland. The plant has greatest biomass in 2-3 m depth of water (mean = 185.6 g m~(-2), stdev = 118.8 g m~(-2)) but rooted plants were found down to depths of 6 m. This study indicates that host plant resources will be available for biological control agents throughout the year, which is likely to result in more stable, and ultimately more effective, biological control.