A global review of the invasive aquatic weed Cabomba caroliniana [A. Gray] (Carolina fanwort): Current and future management challenges, and research gaps

Abstract

Cabomba caroliniana [A. Gray] (Cabombaceae), also known as Carolina fanwort, is a native of South America which has now become a serious invasive threat to aquatic systems across the world. Its capacity to inundate a water column with active fragments and seeds makes the containment and management of C. caroliniana a challenging task and an ecological and economic necessity. Previous and current management efforts have been largely focussed on biological control, drawdown methods, herbicide application, manual removal, shading and the use of a concentrated urea solution. Although these methods have shown some success in reducing large infestations, they are generally considered to be unreliable when used alone since they are unable to contain or reduce the species in the long term with a single‐use treatment protocol. It is feared that, without effective, improved and integrated management strategies, C. caroliniana will continue to invade aquatic ecosystems beyond its already wide current distribution, thus causing increased global economic and environmental damage. This review will therefore explore the biology and distribution of C. caroliniana and examine the current and previous attempts for its global management. It will also evaluate the most successful current treatments and clarify where research efforts are urgently needed for the improved long‐term extirpation of this aquatic invader.

Climate change may exacerbate the risk of invasiveness of non-native aquatic plants: the case of the Pannonian and Mediterranean regions of Croatia

“…This species is established in Serbia (Vojvodina, near the Croatian border), where it has expanded from Hungary probably through the canal network of the hydrosystem Danube-Tisa-Danube (Anđelković et al 2016). In Europe, C. caroliniana is still not regarded as invasive and is mostly found in localised and scattered populations (Roberts and Florentine 2022), though in The Netherlands, it has been declared as high risk (Matthews et al 2013). The species' high invasiveness has been reported in its non-native distributional range, primarily due to its high competitiveness, dense and persistent growth, asexual reproduction through stem auto-fragmentation and tolerance of extreme pH ranges from 4.0 to 8.8 (Matthews et al 2013).…”

“…The species' high invasiveness has been reported in its non-native distributional range, primarily due to its high competitiveness, dense and persistent growth, asexual reproduction through stem auto-fragmentation and tolerance of extreme pH ranges from 4.0 to 8.8 (Matthews et al 2013). The species' population expansion in connected waterways, as occurring in the Pannonian Region, may be facilitated by its long fragments that can get wrapped in boat motors, boating or anglers' equipment (Roberts and Florentine 2022). In addition, vectors like fish re-stocking and spread by birds cannot be ruled out as potential pathways of introduction into the Mediterranean Region.…”

Underwater light attenuation inhibits native submerged plants and facilitates the invasive co‐occurring plant Cabomba caroliniana

“…Under these conditions, the photosynthesis of submerged plants is strongly affected; therefore, their growth is substantially reduced, as reflected in changes in their morphological and physiological traits (Chen et al, 2016). In addition, underwater growth (total biomass and relative growth rate Carolina fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) originated in South America (McCracken et al, 2013;Roberts & Florentine, 2022).…”

“…Carolina fanwort ( Cabomba caroliniana ) originated in South America (McCracken et al, 2013; Roberts & Florentine, 2022). Because of its beautiful fan‐shaped dissected leaves, it was introduced as an aquarium plant and soon escaped as a serious invasive threat to freshwater ecosystems worldwide (Lima et al, 2014; Lu et al, 2018; Roberts & Florentine, 2022).…”

Ecology and Ecosystem Impacts of Submerged and Floating Aquatic Vegetation in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta

“…Invasions by non-native species are considered one of the greatest global threats to ecosystems (Pyšek et al 2020), and the challenges non-native FAV and SAV present to aquatic systems are not unique to this estuary. Many, if not all, of the same species that currently dominate the Delta's FAV and SAV communities have created similar management challenges and degraded ecosystem services in wetlands across the world (e.g., Yarrow et al 2009;Bunch et al 2010;Villamagna and Murphy 2010;Tanveer et al 2018;Roberts and Singarayer 2022). As growth of non-native FAV and SAV species has substantially changed vegetation communities in the Delta, highly altered, "novel" ecosystems have emerged (sensu Hobbs et al 2006).…”