Transplanting Submerged Native Aquatic Macrophytes to Restore the Littoral Pant Community after Carp Removal

To promote the expansion of native macrophytes after the removal of carp from a shallow hypereutrophic lake, six native taxa were transplanted from Lake Ann (Carver County, Minnesota) into nearby Lake Susan in 2010. Twelve shallow (0.5m-1.0m) and ten deep (1.0m-1.5m) plots of five taxa were transplanted: Chara spp., northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum), bushy pondweed (Najas flexilis), wild celery (Vallisnaria americana), water-stargrass (Zosterella dubia; shallow only), and flat-stem pondweed (Potamogeton  zosteriformis; deep only). At each plot, ten rooted stems of each taxon were planted into a 0.25 m²area. Chara was transplanted as ten,500cm³clusters. Overwintering success (% survival) at the shallow plots in 2011 was: water-stargrass 100%, wild celery and bushy pondweed 92%, Chara 58% and northern milfoil 50%. Bushy pondweed and water-stargrass coverage averaged 90.2±34.4m²and 80.5±16.6m² respectively. Wild celery and northern milfoil covered 7.0±4.8m² and 7.1±4.9m² respectively. Chara had a mean coverage of 0.28±0.1m² showing no significant expansion. With the exception of a few individual stems, plants failed to establish in the deep sites. Transplants can be successful in shallow water with bushy pondweed, water-stargrass and wild celery surviving two years and expanding well. The other species were less successful.