Invasive aquatic plants present in the Southern Cone of South America

Abstract

The objective of this study was to generate basic information about the invasive vascular- aquatic flora present in the Southerrn Cone of South America. The search for information was carried out on official websites supported by well known organizations in conjunction with the Web of Science database. 40 species with recognized invasive behaviour were identified. The richness of plants by country was: 34 in Argentina, 29 in Brazil, 27 in Chile, 26 in Paraguay and 24 in Uruguay. 17 species of all are present in all countries and 8 of them were recorded in one. According to their growth habit, the species are distributed in 16 emergent, 11 free floating, 9 submerged and 4 swimming. The gathering of information regarding invasive aquatic plants in South America will provide the necessary knowledge to help identify the action priorities.