Have grass carp driven declines in macrophyte occurrence and diversity in the Vaal River, South Africa?

The Vaal River, South Africa, historically had a rich diversity of native submerged macrophytes with at least 13 species from 5 families recorded. Over the past 10 years there has been a noticeable reduction in the occurrence and diversity of submerged macrophytes in the river. It is possible that t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAfrican journal of aquatic science Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 241 - 245
Main Authors Weyl, PSR, Martin, GD
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Grahamstown Taylor & Francis 27.05.2016
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
aquatic ecosystem
Aquatic plants
Biodiversity
Ctenopharyngodon idella
Cyprinidae
Ecosystems
Fish
fresh water
Freshwater
impact
invasion
River ecology
South Africa, Vaal R
South Africa
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Summary:The Vaal River, South Africa, historically had a rich diversity of native submerged macrophytes with at least 13 species from 5 families recorded. Over the past 10 years there has been a noticeable reduction in the occurrence and diversity of submerged macrophytes in the river. It is possible that this is linked to the recent increase in the populations of invasive alien grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella Cuvier & Valenciennes (Cyprinidae) in the river, where populations have been a concern since 2005. Grass carp invasions worldwide have been shown to have severe impacts on macrophyte biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This fish is an aggressive feeder on submerged macrophytes, as well as being an ecosystem engineer that can change water and sediment chemistry.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:1608-5914
1727-9364
DOI:10.2989/16085914.2015.1137856