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SLELO PRISM

ABOUT SLELO

SLELO PRISM

ST. LAWRENCE EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT

Fanwort

DESCRIPTION:

Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) is a submerged aquatic plant native to South America. Its name is derived from the fan-like appearance of its foliage.

DISTRIBUTION:

Fanwort has been found in the Hudson Basin, the Catskills, and Long Island. Fanwort has also been identified in Kasoag Lake in Oswego County.

IMPACTS:

Fanwort has the ability to overwinter and grow rapidly in the spring and summer, outcompeting and dominating the native vegetation. Fanwort’s dense foliage reduces light availability for benthic organisms and native plants. This results in a decline in populations of fish and other animals dependent on these native organisms. Dissolved oxygen is also depleted as fanwort decays in autumn, causing a reduction in animal populations. Below is a photo that shows how thick fanwort masses can become.

IDENTIFICATION:

Leaves are submerged, opposite and feathery and are “Y-shaped” at the end, often referred to look like a snakes tongue.

Stems are slender and commonly grow between 3-4 feet long.

Flowers have six white petals with yellow stamens

CONTROL/ MANAGEMENT:

Fanwort can be controlled using chemical treatment, mechanical and manual harvesting, water level manipulation, and benthic barriers. However, these methods have had limited success or have high fiscal and ecological costs.

Fanwort is easily spread by plant fragmentation. Be sure to Clean, Drain, Dry your watercraft and equipment, and avoid driving watercraft through established fanwort colonies.

Photo Credits:

Fanwort title photo, infestation photo, and  flower by Leslie J. Mehrhoff, invasive.org

Fanwort leaf with flower by Graves Lovell, Bugwood.org.

Resources:

Fanwort Fact Sheet

Fanwort Identification Video

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PREVENTION
Prevent the introduction of invasive species into the SLELO PRISM.

EARLY DETECTION & RAPID RESPONSE
Rapidly detect new and recent invaders and eliminate all individuals within a specific area.

COOPERATION
Share resources, including funding personnel, equipment, information, and expertise.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Collect, utilize, and share information regarding surveys, infestations, control methods, monitoring, and research.

CONTROL
Control invasive species infestations by using best management practices, methods and techniques to include: ERADICATION (which is to eliminate all individuals and the seed bank from an area), CONTAINMENT (which is reducing the spread of established infestations from entering an uninfested area) and SUPPRESSION which is to reduce the density but not necessarily the total infested area.

RESTORATION
Develop and implement effective restoration methods for areas that have been degraded by invasive species and where suppression or control has taken place.

EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Increase public awareness and understanding of invasive species.

INNOVATION
Develop and implement innovative technologies that help us to better understand, visualize, alleviate or manage invasive species and their impacts or that serve to strengthen ecosystem function and/or processes.

Rob Williams
PRISM Coordinator

Megan Pistolese
Outreach and Education

Brittney Rogers
Aquatic Invasive Species

Robert Smith
Terrestrial Invasive Species

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