fresh-water plants. Local distribution is further enhanced by the actions and 

 activities of other types of animal life, such as amphibians, reptiles and small and 

 large mammals. Seeds of some species that are eaten by various bird and animal 

 life pass through their alimentary tract essentially unharmed. These are often 

 dropped at some distance from their intake, thus adding to the distribution of the 

 species. 



Our area lies in two of the flyways known to exist for migratory birds in North 

 America. Arizona is in the Pacific Flyway while Texas, Oklahoma and New 

 Mexico lie in the Central Flyway. Any kinds of water bodies found along these 

 flyways are of importance to migratory birds for resting, feeding and protection. 

 There is little doubt that north-south dissemination of some plant species occurs 

 as a result of the activities of these migratory birds. 



III. Economics and Control of Aquatic and Wetland Vascular 

 Plants 



Except for their aesthetic value in natural settings or as ornamentals, and their 

 value to wildlife, strictly aquatic vascular plants, as such, have very little economic 

 value in the modern-day world. They are, however, more or less involved in the 

 general economics of such facets as wildlife, sports fishing, water utilization and 

 weed control. Rice, which we consider to be a wetland or subaquatic plant, is 

 undoubtedly the most important cereal plant grown by man. This plant would 

 have to be an exception to the above statement. 



The ultimate goal to be obtained in the treatment or handling of vegetation in 

 a water body depends upon the interest of the individual or organization con- 

 cerned. Those interested in waterfowl and bird life, generally, would hope to 

 maintain submerged and floating species of Potamogeton, Najas, Zannichellia and 

 other important food plants of like nature as well as many of the erect emergent 

 species, such as in Scirpus, Sparganium, Typha and Sagittaria. Those interested 

 solely in fish and fish production might wish to exterminate aU plant life except 

 plankton. And so it goes. 



Our making various statements in the text, such as this or that plant provides 

 excellent protection for fish, does not imply that this is a good thing. It is merely 

 a statement of fact or an observation. Perhaps the fish needs no protection or 

 should not be protected! 



According to knowledgeable wildlife personnel the signficance of hydrophytic 

 environments in relation to wildlife scarcely can be over-emphasized, and studies 

 such as this that will lead to a better knowledge of the kinds and distribution of 

 plants of aquatic and wetland habitats are of great interest and usefulness to all 

 personnel involved in wildlife management. For instance, wildlife management 

 personnel will want to know the identity of the plants under which waterfowl, fish, 

 mammals, invertebrates, and other inhabitants of marsh and aquatic habitats feed 

 and use for nesting and resting sites, coverage and protection. Also, wildlife 

 personnel need to know the plant species to help them better assess a particular 

 area in regard to the types and abundance of plant foods present and to be able 

 to create conditions that will control and improve the food supply. A similar need 

 is present for the health engineer, who, for instance, may want to know the 

 identity of the plants that are associated with the breeding grounds of such pests 

 and disease-carriers as mosquitoes, and for the hydrologist who needs to know 

 what plants contribute to water-pollution and -contamination, and those that 

 contribute to its clarification and potability. 



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