Large quantities of an invasive plant of a water lettuce species that causes a decrease in water quality and the development of mosquitoes, are now found in Nahal Gadora
The invasive plant was discovered by the inspector at the Nahal Kishon Authority during a tour of the site. The plant is a species "Pistia floats" known by its popular name, Water lettuce. Watercress was brought to Israel about 15 years ago as an ornamental plant, and today it is recognized as a common invader in water bodies in the north of the country.
Competitive lettuce
The plant is a rosette of leaves with a very short stem. The leaves are thickened, very hairy, light green in color. The robustness of the plant and its impressive reproductive capacity means that within a short period of time a great density of plants is created in the body of water, which causes changes in the habitat and bothers the person: the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water decreases and the penetration of light into the body of water is prevented. As a result, animals die and other plants with which the water competes die.
Comfortable for mosquitoes
An increase in the concentration of organic matter in the water, as a result of the decay of the watercress plants, changes the quality of the water and causes a decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen. This causes the destruction of the habitat. In addition, it is known that the water table is a convenient habitat for the development of mosquitoes.
are working to eliminate the plant
The Kishon River Authority in cooperation with the Kishon Drainage Authority are working to remove the invasive plant from the Gadora River channel and dispose of it at the landfill site - approved.
Did the article interest you?CEO of the Kishon River Authority, Sharon Nissim:
The river authority is constantly working to eradicate invasive species in the Kishon River and its tributaries, including the Gadora River. Releasing living and plant species into nature, even if done in good faith, ultimately causes, unfortunately, a serious ecological hazard in the stream, as in the case of the water hyacinth in the fence.