Weed Science Society of America Invasive Plant Spotlight: Algae-Harboring Hydrilla Causing Bald Eagle Deaths in the Southeast

The Weed Science Society of America brings acquaintance to the issues surrounding invasive plants. The amphibian invasive bulb hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) harbors a blue-green algae which is potentially baneful to birds. Birds--namely waterfowl--eat the algae-harboring hydrilla, become berserk and eventually die from a ache accepted as aerial vacuolar myelinopathy. Eagles that casualty on adulterated waterfowl arrangement the ache and perish as well. According to the research, aerial vacuolar myelinopathy was aboriginal accurate in 1994 at DeGray Lake in Arkansas Hydrilla is a lot of accustomed in the southeast but can be begin in beginning baptize lakes and rivers in a lot of bank states

Lawrence, Kan. -- The amphibian invasive bulb hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) not alone is a cher nuisance adverse waterways and recreational lakes, it aswell may accept baleful impacts on eagles and waterfowl. Its invasive attributes becoming it a atom on the Federal Noxious Weed account in 1979 and it is the affair of this Invasive Plant Spotlight from the Weed Science Society of America.

Hydrilla is a quick growing, invasive bulb that forms a close mat in lakes, ponds and reservoirs. It is a safe anchorage for the fast-growing epiphytic cyanobacterial algae, a blue-green algae, which grows on top of the hydrilla and is potentially baneful to birds. It is doubtable that if waterfowl, namely coots, eat the algae-harboring hydrilla, they become berserk by the algae's neurotoxins and after ache from a acoustic ache accepted as aerial vacuolar myelinopathy. The eagles, in turn, eat the adulterated coots and accede to the ache as well.

"According to the research, aerial vacuolar myelinopathy was aboriginal accurate in 1994 at DeGray Lake in Arkansas," says Susan B. Wilde, Ph.D., analysis assistant at the University of South Carolina and affiliate of the Weed Science Society of America. "Since then, added than one hundred baldheaded hawkeye deaths are believed to be associated with the disease. And it is estimated that the numbers of deaths are abundant higher, but because of scavenging animals, it generally is difficult to balance the carcasses of asleep eagles anon abundant to analysis for the disease. But in places area asleep eagles are found, invasive amphibian vegetation---primarily hydrilla---and the blue-green algae are consistently present," says Wilde.

Hydrilla is an invasive bulb that originated in India and Asia. It was aboriginal alien into the United States as an aquarium bulb aback in the 1950s. Improper auctioning of hydrilla from aquariums, administration through abominable acquaintance and the plant's adeptness to "hitchhike" on boats that accept been in assorted bodies of baptize and not bankrupt beneath afterwards anniversary use, has advance to its avid advance over the years. "Hydrilla is a lot of accustomed in the southeast but can be begin in beginning baptize lakes and rivers in a lot of bank states," says Wilde.

Hydrilla is just one archetype of a ambiguous invasive plant. The all-embracing accoutrement of invasive plants on the nation's agriculture, baptize quality, wildlife and amusement accept been estimated to amount the U.S. $34.7 billion annually, according to a contempo Cornell University report.

The Weed Science Society of America educates the accessible on the issues surrounding invasive plants. The advice and acquaintance the Society provides about the annihilative accoutrement of invasive plants, assists researchers, scientists, acreage administration professionals and the accepted accessible in attached their spread.

For added advice about invasive plants, acquaintance Lee VanWychen, Director of Science Policy for the Weed Science Society of America, at 202-746-4686 or appointment www.wssa.net.

About the Weed Science Society of America
The Weed Science Society of America, a non-profit able society, was founded in 1956 to animate and advance the development of ability apropos weeds and their appulse on the environment. The Weed Science Society of America, promotes research, apprenticeship and addendum beat activities accompanying to weeds; provides science-based advice to the accessible and action makers; and fosters acquaintance of weeds and their impacts on managed and accustomed ecosystems. For added information, appointment www.wssa.net.