Infestation of aquatic Weeds: A serious threat

The present paper deals with infestation of aquatic weeds in different aquatic habitat of Jamtara district in Jharkhand state which is rich reservoir of thick forest cover and large number of water bodies like ponds, rivers, dams, canals and ditches. These water bodies harbors a number of aquatic plants which are important to maintain the aquatic ecosystem. But gregarious and excessive growth of such plants adversely influences physical, chemical and biological properties of water bodies affecting the environment and aesthetic value. Among a number of weedy flora, the infestation of water hyacinth extends the largest area in association with some other plant species like Hydrilla sp., Ipomoea sp., Pistia sp., Nymphaea sp., Nelumbo sp., Ceratophyllum sp. and several marginal grasses and sedges adversely affecting the fish pond and agricultural field. The present work includes compilation and documentation of 41 aquatic weeds belonging to 29 families along with their floristic study.