The Productivity of Fish Pood in Oneida Lake ^t 



Bulrush and bordering the shore sometimes Smith's Bulrush. 

 On the rocky shore of the lake from Norcross Point eastward 

 the same condition prevails (see vegetation map, fig. 20). On 

 sandy, exposed shores, as at the west and east ends of the bay, 

 the Lake Bulrush and the Water Willow, with a few sub- 

 merged species like Elodea, Potainogeten interriiptus and rich- 

 ardsonii, grow more or less abundantly. 



5. Submerged Vegetation. The greater part of the bay is 

 filled with vegetation belonging to the submerged type. Among 

 these the Pond-weeds, Potamogeton, are the most abundant in 

 both species and individuals. Nine species are represented in 

 the collections, foliosus, friesii, interruptus, lucens, perfoliatus, 

 prcelongus, richardsonii, robbinsii, and zosterifolius. Vallis- 

 neria, Elodea, Najas, Eleocharis, Chara, Nitella and two spe- 

 cies of Myriophyllmn, verticiUatum and scabratum also occur 

 abundantly. The last group of plants forms vast subaqueous 

 forests in Lower South Bay, especially in the south part. The 

 submerged type of plants cover the bottom of Lower South 

 and Short Point Bay (see maps, figs. 18 and 19). 



Some idea of the abundance of the vegetation of Lower 

 South Bay may be obtained by the data given in the chapter 

 on quantitative values, brief mention of which is here made. 

 These data show that on an average nine plants occur in an 

 area of 64 square inches (about 400 square cm.), the number 

 in the unit areas examined ranging from one to 27. If this 

 average holds good for the entire territory within the 12-foot 

 contour, where there are 25,550,444 square feet, there are 

 upwards of 517,255,866 plants belonging to the submerged type 

 within the area bordering the shore. 



When it is remembered that each plant harbors a host of 

 animals (mollusks, crustaceans, worms, insects, etc.) it is at 

 once apparent that this abundant plant life forms a primary 

 food supply of great value. A sandy clay or clay bottom 

 produced the largest number of plants per unit area (64 square 

 inches) ; the maximum amounts being on clay bottom 27 plants 

 of six species; sandy clay bottom 26 plants of five species; 

 and sand bottom 17 plants of two species. The greatest num- 



