Ambio ( IF 6.5 ) Pub Date : 2020-07-28 , DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01360-6 Fritz Kleinschroth 1 , R Scott Winton 2, 3 , Elisa Calamita 2, 3 , Fabian Niggemann 4 , Martina Botter 5 , Bernhard Wehrli 2, 3 , Jaboury Ghazoul 1, 6, 7
Invasions of water bodies by floating vegetation, including water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), are a huge global problem for fisheries, hydropower generation, and transportation. We analyzed floating plant coverage on 20 reservoirs across the world’s tropics and subtropics, using > 30 year time-series of LANDSAT remote-sensing imagery. Despite decades of costly weed control, floating invasion severity is increasing. Floating plant coverage correlates with expanding urban land cover in catchments, implicating urban nutrient sources as plausible drivers. Floating vegetation invasions have undeniable societal costs, but also provide benefits. Water hyacinths efficiently absorb nutrients from eutrophic waters, mitigating nutrient pollution problems. When washed up on shores, plants may become compost, increasing soil fertility. The biomass is increasingly used as a renewable biofuel. We propose a more nuanced perspective on these invasions moving away from futile eradication attempts towards an ecosystem management strategy that minimizes negative impacts while integrating potential social and environmental benefits.
中文翻译:
生活在漂浮的植被入侵中。
浮动植被入侵水体,包括水葫芦(Eichhornia crassipes),对渔业、水力发电和运输来说是一个巨大的全球性问题。我们使用 LANDSAT 遥感图像超过 30 年的时间序列分析了全球热带和亚热带 20 个水库的浮动植物覆盖率。尽管进行了数十年昂贵的杂草控制,漂浮入侵的严重程度仍在增加。浮动植物覆盖率与流域内城市土地覆盖率的扩大相关,这表明城市养分来源是可能的驱动因素。浮动植被入侵具有不可否认的社会成本,但也带来了好处。水葫芦有效地从富营养化的水中吸收养分,缓解养分污染问题。当被冲上海岸时,植物可能会变成堆肥,从而增加土壤肥力。生物质越来越多地用作可再生生物燃料。