ABSTRACT
A reservoir will support varied types of vegetation. The major factors that determines the establishment of a species in one area of a reservoir are temperature, light, current, wave action, water depth, soil, and water chemistry. The competitive interactions between various species is also important in determining the development of a dominant species. The aquatic plant flora of a reservoir is determined by environmental and biological interactions with species that invade or occur in the system. Problems arise when the aquatic vegetation interferes with the human activities on the lake. The ecological study conducted in Lake Ocklawaha has the objectives to determine the distribution, composition, and density of the aquatic plant community and to determine the effect of water drawdown on growth and distribution of hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata. Then it determines the accumulation of organic debris on the lake bottom as related to growth and distribution of aquatic plants and their control.
