Research Article

Water Hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach Dynamics and Succession in the Nyanza Gulf of Lake Victoria (East Africa): Implications for Water Quality and Biodiversity Conservation

Table 2

An inventory of the macrophyte vegetation and the proportions (%) observed at the sampled sites.

StationVegetationProportion (%)

Dunga beachHippo grass Vossia cuspidata (Roxb.) Griff.98
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach1.5
Nile cabbage/water lettuce Pistia stratiotes L.0.5

KibosWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 50
Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 50

Sondu Miriu at interface zoneWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 50
Hippo grass, Vossia cuspidata 50

Homa Bay at Samunyi—AWater hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes 90
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica Forsk.8
Enydra fluctuans Lour.1.5
Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 0.5

Homa Bay at Samunyi—BWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 90
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica 2
Enydra fluctuans Lour.8

Homa Bay at Samunyi—CWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 60
Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 30
Enydra fluctuans Lour.8
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica 2

Homa Bay (Floating mat)Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 85
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 10
Enydra fluctuans2
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica 1
Common papyrus Cyperus papyrus L.1
Ambach tree Aeschyonomene elaphroxylon (Guill. and Perr.) Taub.1

Homa Bay offshore (floating mat)Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 99
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica 1

Oluch river mouthHippo grass Vossia cuspidata 99
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 1

Lwanda Gembe—AWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatic 95
Swamp cabbage/water spinach1
Commelinaceae2
Enydra fluctuans2

Lwanda Gembe—BUnidentified macrophyte—B90
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 5
Polygonum setosulum Meisn.5

Lwanda Gembe—CWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 80
Enydra fluctuans15
Unidentified macrophyte—B4
Polygonum setosulum1

Lwanda Gembe—DWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 90
Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 5
Enydra fluctuans5

Asembo Bay—AHippo grass Vossia cuspidata 100

Asembo Bay—BHippo grass Vossia cuspidata 80
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica 20

Asembo Bay—CHippo grass Vossia cuspidata 80
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 20
Asembo Bay—DHippo grass Vossia cuspidata 90
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 9
Swamp cabbage/water spinach Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica 1

Asembo Bay—EWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 50
Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 20
Water fern, Water velvet Azolla pinnata 15
Enydra fluctuans 14
Duckweed Lemna sp.1

Asembo BayWater hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 90
Hippo grass Vossia cuspidata 10