-Nutria denudes natural levees - Damages sugarcane fields - Nutria has done a lot of damage to the wetlands, they gnawed through 800,000 acres of marshes in the past 70 years in Louisiana - Nutria has cost a lot of money in Louisiana, we pay a lot of money to rebuild our marshes but then the nutria destroys it again - Nutria eats the base of marsh plants and it permanently destroys the plant - Solution to stop Nutria, fishers get $5 for every Nutria tail

-Smaller than a beaver but larger than a muskrat - Forelegs are small compared to the body - Males are larger than females - Small black eyes - curved orange teeth - long rat looking tails

1930s Nutria was released either on accident or purposely, they were imported from fur farms to Louisiana. Nutria expanded throughout the Gulf Coast. 1940s The population grew quickly, many reports of damage were reported. Nutria started to control aquatic plants. 1950s By the 1950s nutria started destroying many things. Nutria damaged marshes, sugarcane fields, and levee systems. There were now about 20 million nutrias in Louisiana. In 1958, nutria was taken off the list of protected wildlife. 1960s to 1980s Nutria was promoted as a natural recourse. To manage nutria as a pest, people began to go against the fact that fur industry was growing. Nutria was later returned to the protected wildlife list.

-Places where Hydrilla is found- Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and many other states - Hydrilla was introduced to the US in the 1950s – 1960s - Hydrilla is a very hard plant to control - Hydrilla impacts aquatic ecosystems because making thick canopies that shade out vegetation - States pay million of dollars to control hydrilla - Forms dense mats in different freshwater habitats

-Grows in Aquatic plant beds - Rooted at the bottom of the lake and grows fast creating canopies - affects wildlife and fish population - The Eurasian Watermilfoil plant canopy at the water surface, blocks sunlight and reduces light penetration - This plant forms very thick at the waters surface, interferes with fishing and boating - Once it has established it growth it is almost impossible to remove

-The Eurasian Watermilfoil plant originates from Europe and Asia - It was introduced to North America through the aquarium industry - Eurasian Watermilfoil may have arrived in the 1800s - Was documented in North America in the 1940s

-The wetlands sustain more life than any other ecosystem - Wetlands help animals because it helps them to develop new adaption's and they can cope with life where the water is critical - Provide habitats for animals and plants - Perform natural cleansing functions - Remove pollutants from the surface by retaining - Protect us from Hurricanes

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