Vegetation Knowledge get a rooted foundation in
By jen edgar
Story & Photos
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t is tough to weigh the benefits against prob- lems when it comes to aquatic vegetation. i guess the discussion would end evenly, maybe with the tiebreaker lying with personal prefer- ence. aquatic vegetation is not well understood in most cases. it is a huge part of aquatic ecosystems and the more you know the more rounded your bass fishing knowledge is. Yes, algae stinks, literally, and is mostly annoying, but just keep in mind; where there’s vegetation…there are bass.
all plants photosynthesize, with oxygen being the end product. Microscopic plants such as algae are at the base of the aquatic food chain. Basically, phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton and in turn eaten by smaller fish, then bigger fish. larger algae and flowering plants, macrophytes provide habitat and shelter for fish; however, bass do not eat macrophytic vegetation. rooted plants stabilize shorelines and bottom sediments. They also absorb nutrients and filter pollutants from runoff, which improves overall water quality.
excessive amounts can impair fishing, provide too much shelter for small fish and reduce predation. This leads to an overpopulation of prey fish. an overabundance of vegetation can reduce oxygen
BENEFITS
levels and can contribute to fish kills, mostly occurring in summer or winter. during the day, vegetation produces oxygen through photosynthesis, at night (as well as day) oxygen is consumed through respiration. if growth is excessive, they can use up most oxygen at night. oxygen stressed fish mostly die just before dawn when oxygen levels are at their lowest. decomposing vegetation also contributes to oxygen depletion. oxygen depletion also occurs when free- floating plants like duckweed or watermeal and algae completely cover the waters surface. This reduces light penetration, inhibiting photosynthesis beneath the mats.
two types of algae are mat-forming algae and filamentous. algae usually begins to grow around the edges of bodies of water in spring due to warmer temperatures and increased sunlight. This is often incorrectly called moss. Chara or stone wort is a rooted algae; leaves are arranged along the stem in whorls. This grows completely underwater with a distinctive musky smell. low growing vegetation provides habitat for fish and stabilizes sediments. in shallow water, stone wort can grow to surface and be considered troublesome. There are four types of flowering plants: rooted submersed, free-floating, rooted floating and emergent. rooted submersed plants are rooted in
TYPES
PROBLEMS
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