Thursday, April 11, 2019

Endangered Waterwheel

Image result for pollution plantsThe Waterwheel is listed as endangered on the IUCN red list. Pollution is driving this species towards extinction through domestic/urban waste water, agricultural effluents, and industrial effluents. This plant species is rootless but resides in the water, so eutrophication can cause a decrease in this population because of the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. They have an optimal growth pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Acidification of the body of water they live in can have a negative impact on this species. Zooplankton is a requirement for their growth and reproduction, so if pollution kills the zooplankton supply, the Waterwheel cannot populate successfully. Their temperature growth range varies based on the plant's geographic location. Climate change would have more of an impact in this aspect because if the temperature goes out of range the plant will not be able to reproduce. Other than pollution, this species is affected by invasive species and agriculture factors. Habitat degradation also plays a smaller role in the decrease of the Waterwheel. The carnivorous character of the plant can cause physical pollution to become trapped in the plant and then the species would no  longer be able to function properly. 
Image result for eutrophication pollution

Bibliography: IUCN Red List Information for Waterwheel, Web Source: IUCN
Waterwheel Species Identification, Web Source:  USGS
Image Information: Eutrophication, Web Source: Wikipedia
Trash Pollution in Water, Web Source: Sciencing

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