Zijn er nog ondergedoken waterplanten in de Molenpolder bij Tienhoven? : Onderzoek naar de vitaliteit van de zaadbank in waterbodems van de Molenpolder bij Tienhoven in de provincie Utrecht

Summary

The water quality and ecological value in the Molenpolder has deteriorated sharply in recent years from clear water with a well-developed underwater vegetation to turbid water where submerged aquatic plants are completely lacking. The fish stock has also changed from a limnophilic fishing community to an eurytope fishing community. During the same period, red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) has increased in numbers. Although no causal research has been conducted between the increase in crayfish numbers and the decline of the aquatic ecosystem in the Molenpolder, the ecological profile of this crayfish indicates that that it very likely plays a role in maintaining the poor state of the ecosystem. To investigate whether the characteristic underwater vegetation of the Molenpolder can easily recover, the province of Utrecht has asked Wageningen Environmental Research to investigate the vitality of the seed bank in the sediments of the Molenpolder.