The presence of reeds, an exotic and invasive plant capable of altering the ecological balance in the natural environment, could have positive effects on fish populations in rivers. This is according to a study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment and led by Professor Alberto Maceda, member of the Research Group FORESTREAM from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) at the University of Barcelona.
Without underestimating the environmental impact of this grass on the natural environment, the study reveals the potential benefits that reeds can bring to river ecosystems under certain conditions. The study was also signed by experts from the UB's Water Research Institute (IdRA), the Austral University of Chile, the University of Melbourne and the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (Australia).
One of the world's hundred most harmful invasive species
The giant reed (Arundo donax), native to Asia and some Mediterranean areas, is listed among the world's hundred most harmful invasive species. It is one of the largest grasses known and is normally found in wetlands and lowlands, with shallow, slow-moving waters. When it forms extensive reed beds, it can alter the composition of the native vegetation and the surrounding natural environment.
