Aldrovanda vesiculosa at Fort AP Hill, Virginia

摘要

Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., a free-floating aquatic carnivorous plant native to the Old World, has been documented from several ponds and connecting wetlands at U.S. Army Garrison, Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County, Virginia. This species is believed to have been introduced from a nearby cultivated population, and has spread rapidly throughout many of Fort A.P. Hill's acidic wetlands, which is surprising given Aldrovanda's extreme rarity in its native Old World habitats. The unusual biological vigor of this species at Fort A.P. Hill warrants closer attention from the regional scientific community because very little is known about this species' behavior in North America, the effects on local trophic dynamics, and its short-and long-term interactions with native species. With limited information available, it is difficult to predict to what extent Aldrovanda will influence the natural ecosystem and how this species should be managed. One of Fort A.P. Hill's early objectives is to raise regional awareness of this species, and provide early documentation of Aldrovanda within central Virginia.