Water soldier

4. Water Soldier in pond

1. How to identify water soldier:-Looks like an aloe plant, a spider plant, or the top of a pineapple-It is bright green-Has sharp, serrated leaf edges-Sword shaped leaves are 40cm long and form a group of leaves arranged in a circle-Submerged under water, and only becomes buoyant in the summer-Can be found growing in depths of up to five metres

3. When the plant was first reported by a waterfront resident, a team focused on fixing this problem was created. The team is made up of The Provincial Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, The Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, The Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada, The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and Lower Trent Conservation. This team decided that applying a herbicide to the plant, and manualy removing the plant out of the water would be the best way to get rid of the water soldier speices.

1. Citizens of Ontario should contribute to the control of this spieces because it can and will fill our water bodys with its dense, floating masses. Citizens can do many things to help decrease the chances of the spreading of this plant, such as: they can avoid planting water soldier in their water garden or aquarium, they can inspect their boat and remove of any mud, plants or animals after each use, they can avoid infested areas, they can slow down their boat when passing infested areas because wake can dislodge it from the bottom and let offsets spread to new areas. If citizens did these few things, it would have a large impact on controlling this invasive species.

2. Water soldier is native to Eurasia. Water soldier perfers a small habitat, neutral lakes, or sheltered bays in large lakes.

3. Water soldier is native to Eurasia. Since it is used as an ornamental plant in water gardens and aquariums, it is sold around the world, and that is the cause of its existence in Ontario. A water garden or an aquarium using water soldier somehow spread this invasive species into trent river. There are approximately 2200 in the Trench river.

1. Water soldier is very successful in its new environment because it crowds out native plants with its dense mats of floating vegetation. This invasive species also has many negative impacts. Since water soldier crowds out native plants, it decreases plant biodiversity. Water soldier can also alter water chemisty, which can harm aquatic organisms. This species can also harm humans with its sharp, serrated leaf edges, which can cut swimmers and water animals.

Megan Simpson

1. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@biodiversity/documents/document/stdprod_104417.pdf2. http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/water-soldier3. http://www.communitypress.ca/2009/08/17/water-soldier-the-newest-recruit-in-army-of-invasive-species4. http://www.aquapage.eu/Plants.php?detail=2495. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf13a1_fico6. http://prezi.com/7eek6batxhec/water-soldier/

5. Video of removing water soldier from river

Water Soldier/ Stratiotes Aloides

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