In Italy, and especially in Piedmont, the alarm has been raised for the so-called “water plague”, a plant that is infecting the waters of Lake Maggiore coming from the Corso. Tosethe great river that flows Osceola Valley, After the blue crab, in fact, this summer in Italian waters there is a danger of a new infection which, if not stopped in time, could cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem. It is not a real novelty, first observed months ago in Turin and which, in the last period, has become even more present and dangerous, especially with the arrival of extreme heat.
what is water plague
When we talk about water plague we refer toElodia Nuttally, a plant that is invading Italian waters with its great weeding power. He is doing this specifically in the Lake Maggiore region in Piedmont, where the waterways are infested with the Tose Corse.
It is an exotic aquatic plant for the unknown Italian ecosystem, which is rapidly taking hold in our country. In this region of Piedmont the plant may have come from the empties of domestic aquariums, in which it is used as an ornament.
It is a very harmful plant to the ecosystem, as explained by the management body of the protected areas of Ticino and Lake Maggiore, because it manages to adapt to environmental conditions and grow rapidly. In particular, it is a real threat because it takes away oxygen from native plants and replaces them.
It was only last year that the anomalous growth of this plant, which many have begun to nickname “alien algae”, became visible to all and caused them to immediately organize urgent campaign to end itEspecially in the first performances at Po. excessive proliferation, in fact, could have caused change river ecosystem and cause damage miles away from the infected site.
Beware of Alien Algae
Therefore, the goal is to defeat Elodia Nattalli as quickly as possible, which if not stopped in time can quickly spread and take control of the area, becoming anything but an alien. But be careful, because if you are faced with a water crisis, Management body suggests avoiding plant removal,
In fact, misplacing Elodia Nuttalli can have the opposite effect. that’s because Intervening in the wrong way can lead to more spread species, because even a small piece can, in fact, allow the plant to spread to another area.
Above all, we must be careful with high temperatures, because as mentioned, it is a plant of American origin, which tends to grow rapidly when the temperature rises, even in drought conditions.
The intervention to destroy the plant had already started last June and was coordinated by the management body of the protected areas of Piedmontese Po. The operation was also carried out in collaboration with ENIA, the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Development. The operations that had already been implemented, but which were rendered redundant due to the effects of climate change, brought the plant back to Italian waters.
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