Breaking Bad: Native Aquatic Plants Gone Rogue and the Invasive Species That Inspire Them

Abstract

Conventional wisdom suggests that native aquatic plants have evolved to fill a specific ecological niche, and that their growth is regulated by environmental conditions or the presence of natural enemies that limit the distribution or abundance of the species. However, it is becoming obvious that native species are not always well-behaved and can develop populations that quickly reach nuisance levels that require management to avoid negative ecological impacts. This work summarizes information presented at the American Society for Horticultural Science Invasive Plants Research Professional Interest Group Workshops in 2017 and 2018, and it highlights the phenomenon of species that are considered both native and invasive in the aquatic ecosystems of Florida. These “natives gone rogue” are compared with the introduced species they mimic, and the consequences of excessive aquatic plant growth, regardless of the origin of the species, are described.