Water Lily

Acadia National Park has many different kinds of ecosystems with a wide variety of plants within each ecosystem. Marshes and ponds, and wetlands are types of natural ecosystems in Acadia National Park. Within the wetlands, water lilies or Nymphaea odorata, can be found. Water lilies are beautiful, colorful, and native plants that are grown in marshes and ponds of Acadia National Park. Water lilies can be found easily within the park due to the conservation and abundance of them in streams, ponds, and lakes (Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 2013). Water lilies grow in depths up to 8 feet in smooth and calm waters. They serve as a habitat and protection to animals living in the water. Species that are attracted to the water lilies include many reptiles (Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 2013). The water lily doesn’t only serve a purpose for other species, but other species serve a purpose for the water lily. For example, beetles, bees, and other insects help pollinate the water lily (U.S. General Services Administration WDE, 2012). Through insect dispersal, insects will feed of the water lily and spread to other plants in the water environment. Through water and seed dispersal, the water lily disperses seeds through the water to reproduce (U.S. General Services Administration WDE, 2012). This is an important cycle because the pollination and dispersal of seeds in water keeps the plant alive and growing in Acadia National Park. There are some precautions to understand in order to keep the water lily in Acadia Park healthy. Some problems the plant species cross include runoff in the water that gives the water lily an over-abundance of nutrients and pollutes the water (Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 2013). Invasive species can affect the health of water lilies. Invasive species are plants that aren’t native to an ecosystem and cause harm to the environment. The water lily can have problems when invasive species because they take over the water that the lily produces naturally in (Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 2013). The Acadia National Park tries to keep these problems from arising in the environment through laws, policies and keeping pollution to a minimum (U.S. Department of the Interior NPS, 2016). You must visit Acadia National Park to have the opportunity to see the beautiful and blooming water lilies.

-Katie Smith

References:

Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Maine.gov. 2013. Maine Natural Areas Program: Open-water Marsh. Available: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/communities/openwatermarsh.htm. Accessed on 10-07-2016.

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS). 2016. Acadia National Park Natural Features and Ecosystems. Available: https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/nature/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm. Accessed on 10-07-2016.

U.S. General Services Administration, Washington Department of Ecology (WDE). 01-2012. Non-native Invasive Freshwater Plants. Available: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/weeds/aqua005.html. Accessed on 10-07-2016.

Image Reference:

Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Maine.gov. 2013. Maine Natural Areas Program: Open-water Marsh. Available: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/communities/openwatermarsh.htm. Accessed on 10-07-2016.