Death Doing Its Part

[Chris Calohan]

 

[Asher Kelman]

Chris,

What are we seeing?
Is it death or life?

Asher

 

[Chris Calohan]

A boat cut through a swath of these lovely water flowers, leaving behind in its wake, these broken beauties, left to drift away util they too become a part of the muck at the bottom of the lake.

 

[Asher Kelman]

A boat cut through a swath of these lovely water flowers, leaving behind in its wake, these broken beauties, left to drift away util they too become a part of the muck at the bottom of the lake.

Chris,

Won’t some of them repair?

Surely water plants must have such capabilities?

Or not?

Thanks for the b.g.

Asher

 

[Chris Calohan]

Not when their are ripped into pieces.

 

[Peter Dexter]

Despite the damage it is a lovely photo.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Not when their are ripped into pieces.

You would be surprised. One needs one root fragment on the stem and one meristem in the leaf axis. The photosynthesis is still active. Those leaves that got whacked the most are one way dead. I see so e possible root remnants. Life can be tenacious.

But I’d these are water Lillies, they can be very dependent on optimum water conditions!

We lost all our water Lillies and 20 years alter a citizen who had illegally taken a few sprigs to cultivate, kindly gave back enough to re plant the water garden!

Asher

 

[Chris Calohan]

These, save the one in the middle have seen their day. Like everything else in this world of ours, there just comes a time.

 

[Tom dinning]

I live in a community inter-twined with/by 8 lakes. They are home for water birds, turtles, native fish, barramundi, finches, parrots, snakes, the occasional croc. The plant life is also native and flourishes in the warm water.

Each year the Parks and Wildlife people will have the lillies and other water plants ‘harvested’ to allow light to enter the water and oxygen to dissolve readily. This prevents fish kills and dense algal growth.

They literally mow the water flora. They use a barge with a huge cutter at the front. Then the cut reeds are raked up and composted at the local dump.

Within weeks of this happening, the lillies and other water plants start appearing on the surface.

These plants can cope very well with damage since the growth comes from the bottom of the lake under the mud.

The lakes are not for recreation . No boats, swimming etc. they are for the birds and bees and the community to look at.

Without the regular cutting of plants the lakes would soon become lifeless swamps of choked waterway and devoid of anything but algae and rotting vegetation with a few worms and bacteria.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I live in a community inter-twined with/by 8 lakes. They are home for water birds, turtles, native fish, barramundi, finches, parrots, snakes, the occasional croc. The plant life is also native and flourishes in the warm water.

Each year the Parks and Wildlife people will have the lilies and other water plants ‘harvested’ to allow light to enter the water and oxygen to dissolve readily. This prevents fish kills and dense algal growth.

They literally mow the water flora. They use a barge with a huge cutter at the front. Then the cut reeds are raked up and composted at the local dump.

Within weeks of this happening, the lillies and other water plants start appearing on the surface.

These plants can cope very well with damage since the growth comes from the bottom of the lake under the mud.

The lakes are not for recreation . No boats, swimming etc. they are for the birds and bees and the community to look at.

Without the regular cutting of plants the lakes would soon become lifeless swamps of choked waterway and devoid of anything but algae and rotting vegetation with a few worms and bacteria.

View attachment 4678

Tom,

Interesting information. So what were the natural “predators” of water lilies to keep them in ecological check in evolutionary ancient past? Could it be that water dinosaurs gobbled up tons of it daily and thus fish got oxygen and there was food for other hunters?

In still artificial ponds, growing water lilies, at least in California, is considered requiring expertise as many attempts fail

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Tom,

Could it be that there is fertilizer run-off somewhere upstream and that accounts for the water-lily bloom?

We see that often in the Gulf of Mexico from the effluent of the Edison power plant. But here it’s a red algae bloom and then the dead fish rise to the surface!

Asher

 

[Tom dinning]

Tropical Waterlilies - Gardening Australia

Leonie learns about tropical waterlilies

www.abc.net.au

In a more natural habitat like Kakadu there is a flood time for 3 months at least when the lillies are pretty well chopped to the roots by the flood waters. That clears the waterways and prepares for new growth. It’s an annual event so there’s never a problem with buildup of plants.
They do provide food for some marine animals like turtles but they like the flowers. I’m sure a few bugs eat the leaves but not to notice. No dinosaurs.

The lakes we have near us are less likely to flood. Some flood mitigation has been put in place so we don’t get flooded ou, although during the wet season the lakes get a thorough flushing. The flow goes from a mere trickle to a raging torrent in a matter of minutes when the storms hit.

I’ve been living here for 30 years and all seems to be under control. It’s a very enjoyable place to live.

By the way, the water temperature varies between 15 C and 35 C. throughout the year

 

[Tom dinning]

And as I speak, the local news reports a fish kill in some of the lakes.

There has been a sudden change in temp causing the invasive introduced algal species to bloom.
This has covered the surface and stopped oxygenation.

Apparently the weed mower is on the blink.

 

[Asher Kelman]

So no dinosaurs in your adult life then? How about when you went to kindergarten, LOL?

I was actually thinking, not in your lifetime, but that during the 150 million years of dinosaurs, the excess vegetation would always be mowed by such giant voracious creatures!

In that condition, plants like the water lily would be in perfect balance and wouldn’t kill the fish!

Asher

 

[Chris Calohan]

I use a similar weed mower when the weeds begin to choke the area around my boat...nasty things will clog a propeller in no time. It's basically just an underwater scythe.

 

[Andy brown]

I use a similar weed mower when the weeds begin to choke the area around my boat...nasty things will clog a propeller in no time. It's basically just an underwater scythe.

Jeez Chris, you know you’re in the tropics when you have to mow your lawn...and your swamp.

 

[Chris Calohan]

My house would disappear in less than three years left untended.

 

[Andy brown]

My house would disappear in less than three years left untended.

My ideal home, I’m gonna bury myself in tropical foliage.