The explosive development of a floating weed vegetation on lake Kariba

Abstract

The occurence on Lake Kariba of floating weed mats, formed in the first instance by the introduced water-fern Salvinia auriculala, is described.A further colonisation of these weed mats by 40 species of vascular plants in a process of sudd formation is illustrated.The implications of this waler infestation on the lake and its possible origin and future behaviour are discussed.