Restructuring littoral zones: A different approach to an old problem

Abstract

Dense carpets of submersed macrophytes in lakes restrict boating and swimming, limit movement of predator fishes, trap fish fry, and contribute to poor fishing. Eliminating plant beds, although good for boating and swimming, removes the plant cover, habitat diversity, and invertebrates needed to support a sport fishery. Fiberglass screens and selective plant harvesting have proven useful in breaking up continuous stands of plants, reducing summer biomass and stored nutrients, and forming boating lanes. The screens kept areas free of vegetation all summer when placed on the lake bed in spring and rapidly removed plants when spread over them in summer. Selective harvesting created islands of vegetation, gave predator fishes access to young fishes hiding among the remaining plants, and opened bottom areas for the spread of new plant species. Although intended to destroy vegetation, these and other methods can be used selectively and economically to rebuild littoral zones to benefit both people and lake biota. © 1984 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.