Eurasian water-milfoil, or spiked water-milfoil is a submerged aquatic perennial of the Holoragaceae (Watermilfoil) family. Native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, it was introduced to the USA in the 1940s and has since become one of the most widespread and problematic aquatic invasive species in North America due to its competitive growth habits and ability to spread vegetatively by plant fragments. Once established, Eurasian water-milfoil is able to form dense underwater mats of vegetation that can negatively impact the ecosystem of a waterbody, including displacing native plant species, altering food-web structures, reducing macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity, and degrading the quality of fish habitat. These thick mats also reduce the aesthetic appeal of a water body, decrease property values and impact recreational activities such as swimming and boating, and can clog industrial and power generation water intakes.
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