So what is happening to our lakes? Non-native aquatic plants are proliferating. These nuisance plants enter our lakes and begin taking over. Most of these non-native species grow faster than our native vegetation, choking it out. Some even grow so thick that boating, swimming, and fishing become more of a struggle than an enjoyment. Non-native plants such as Milfoil and Fanwort are slowly taking over a number of lakes in New Hampshire.
http://www.nhlakes.org/ed_aqu_exo.htm
*One of the goals of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs is to help educate our citizens about some of the environmental issues which affect the quality of life of each one of us.
NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS are of great concern now among environmentalists, gardeners, and others, "as they are taking over our wetlands and other areas where native plants have lived for many years. Without the native plants, many species of wildlife will perish." (Virginia Grandpre' in the Stoddard Garden Club's Alien Invaders informational flier.)
http://www.nhfgc.org/invasive.htm
Next to habitat lost to land development and transformation, invasive species pose the greatest threat to
the survival of native biota in the United States, and many other areas of the world. An "invasive species"
is defined as a species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose
introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
(Executive Order 13112). Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other organisms (e.g., microbes).
Human actions are the primary means of invasive species introductions.
http://www.nashuarpc.org/LMRLAC/docu...siveplants.pdf
It’s a matter of balancing nature and its habitats. Plants that live peacefully with natural controls in many parts of the world can be aggressive and invasive here. Purple Loosestrife may take over a wetland pushing out native species, leaving little or no room for wildlife to live and breed; Japanese knotweed may uproot a driveway or road; Buckthorn, Burning Bush and Barberry may invade a forest replacing native plants that once were the comfortable native habitat for mammals, amphibians and reptiles; Birds, turtles, deer, mink, and other wildlife that once used wetlands and forests must move on to less desirable habitat where they struggle to exist. Ultimately this change in plant life reduces natural biodiversity.
http://www.plcnh.org/invasivesguide.htm