Question

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is an invasive aquatic plant and one of the most serious aquatic pests in Florida. Hydrilla has already been introduced to hundreds of bodies of water throughout Florida. Hydrilla is difficult to control because it grows rapidly and survives in many different water depths and conditions.

Part A: Describe how hydrilla affects native plant and animal species. Include both a biotic and an abiotic limiting factor.

Part B: Suggest one biotic and one abiotic recommendation that could slow the spread of hydrilla.

Answer 1

Part A: Invasive species displace native species in their habitat hence reducing biodiversity that is necessary for a balanced ecosystem. This is because invasive species do not have a natural predator in their new environment and hence their growth is unchecked. They, therefore, take up much of the nutrients and other biotic factors utilized by the other species.

Part B; To deal with invasive species, one can introduce a predator of the invasive species into the environment. Another is the influencing a limiting factor (usually an abiotic factor) that affects the invasive species specifically. These will check the unregulated growth of invasive species and preserve the ecosystem’s biodiversity.