WetlandInfo

Wetland Pests and Weeds

Wetland pests
Pest species are commonly recognised, both nationally and internationally, as a threat to wetlands. In particular, pest animals can have a range of negative impacts on wetlands, including:

habitat degradation (for example, spreading weeds and reduced amount and quality of water available)
competition with native fauna for food and shelter
direct predation on native fauna
poisoning native animals (for example, by cane toads) and spreading disease
altering ecosystem function.

Pest animals are exotic animals that have a detrimental impact on the environment, industry or community activities. In Queensland, a pest animal may be a declared animal. Declared animals are pests under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 and land managers are responsible for control of them on their land. Some pests are wetland species (for example, water buffalo and the red-eared slider turtle) while others, such as feral pigs, are found particularly in association with wetlands and riparian ecosystems.

Another category of pest animal found in Queensland wetlands is noxious fish, listed in schedule 5A of the Fisheries Regulation 2008 . Eighteen species, genera or families of fish are declared noxious fish in Queensland. Three of these — carp, tilapia and gambusia — have established and become a significant pest. Noxious fish cannot be kept, hatched, reared or sold.

Wetland weeds

The invasion of wetlands by exotic species in a major threat to habitat values of wetlands. Many plants are declared weeds in Queensland and/or Weeds of National Significance. Many of the weeds declared under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 in Queensland are also wetland plants (and are listed on the hydrophytes list).

Many wetland weeds have been deliberately introduced for agriculture or domestic gardens and aquariums. For example the grass Hymenachne amplexicaulis is a wetland weed that has been used as a ponded pasture species for cattle production, but has escaped cultivation, invading waterways and other wetlands. Heavy infestations by this species affect wetlands by disrupting natural flood regime interfering with irrigation infrastructure and destroying wildlife habitats, fishing grounds and visual amenities. Hymenachne is now a declared weed in Queensland which means that it is a serious offence to introduce, keep or supply this species.

Wetlandcare Australia have compiled a fact sheet on wetland weeds that gives a general overview of impacts on wetlands by weeds and some ways of stopping weeds from invading wetlands.

Further information
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI) provides information on a range of weeds in Queensland, including plants declared under the Land Protection Act 2002 and fact sheets on selected weeds species.

Other general information on weeds and their management is available from sources such as the Commonwealth Department of Environmental and Water Resources, which includes the list Weeds of National Significance or the Cooperative Reseach Centre for Weed Management.

For more information on pests and weeds go to the Depatment of Primary Industries website page: Weeds and pest animals..

WetlandInfo

See also:

Wetland Pests and Weeds

Wetland weeds

Other relevent links