Why Some Lakes Resist Invasive Species Better Than Others
From: WorldAtlas.com
The Great Lakes are sometimes described as the most heavily invaded freshwater system in the world, with about 188 documented non-native aquatic species established in the basin and roughly a third of those classified as invasive by environmental scientists. The damage runs through fisheries, water-supply infrastructure, native biodiversity, and recreation. The same pattern shows up across many other North American lakes, but with significant variation: some lakes have been overwhelmed, while others have remained largely intact even when nearby waters are heavily invaded. The reasons are not arbitrary. Three factors do most of the work: water temperature and chemistry, the strength of the native ecological community, and the level of human activity, especially shipping and recreational boating. The lakes that have held the line tend to score well on all three.