ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how the pike deals with the environment it lives in, both the biotic and abiotic elements. It explores the role of vegetation for individuals during their lifetime and the interactions with other environmental factors, acknowledging the growing literature showing new aspects and underlining the large versatility in pike behaviour. The chapter reviews that how turbidity and water clarity affect the individual behaviour of pike and discusses the complexity. It discusses the importance of vegetation for spawning, nursery habitat, foraging, predator refuge and predation for larval, juvenile and adult pike. The chapter focuses on the importance of water visibility and how it influences pike foraging, predator avoidance, habitat choice and activity. To summarize, vegetation is essential for all life stages of pike, and anthropogenic habitat use and eutrophication can result in habitat destruction or even habitat loss, which can negatively impact pike.
