Title: Viability of aquatic plant fragments following desiccation
Abstract: Desiccation following prolonged air exposure challenges survival of aquatic plants during droughts, water drawdowns, and overland dispersal. To improve predictions of plant response to air exposure, we observed the viability of vegetative fragments of ten aquatic plant species (fanwort, coontail, common elodea, Brazilian elodea, parrotfeather, variable-leaf watermilfoil, Eurasian watermilfoil, curlyleaf pondweed, Richardson's pondweed, and hydrilla) following desiccation. We recorded mass loss, desiccation rate, and plant fragment survival across a range of air exposures. Mass loss accurately predicted viability of aquatic plant fragments upon reintroduction to water. However, similar periods of air exposure differentially affected viability between species. Understanding viability following desiccation can contribute to predicting dispersal, improving eradication protocols, and disposing aquatic plants following removal from invaded lakes or contaminated equipment. [Matthew Barnes, Christopher L. Jerde, Doug Keller, W Lindsay Chadderton, Jennifer G. Howeth, and David M. Lodge (2013). Viability of aquatic plant fragments following desiccation. Invasive Plant Science and Management, on-line 17 Jan.] ${imageDescription} Comment