Association of Aquatic Weed Abundance and Water Quality, Gezira Scheme Canals, Sudan

Water weeds are notorious for causing various troubles. Gezira Scheme in Sudan is being choked by the increasing proliferation of aquatic weeds. This study aimed to look at the association between aquatic weed abundance and water quality in some canals in Sudan's Gezira Scheme in the year 2018. The study area included 18 sites, i.e. 6 canals classified into 3 parts (beginning, middle, and end). The abundance of aquatic weed species was evaluated visually at each site using a scale of (0-5), and water quality was examined by assessing physical, chemical, and biological properties. Descriptive statistics and variance analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that community structure was comprised of significant changes in the abundance of aquatic weed species throughout the year, as follows: floating (1.7-2.1), emergent (0.2-0.3), submergent (0.3), and bank aquatic weeds (1.5-2.2). In winter and summer, the most abundant species were Vossia cuspidata (4.0) and Cynodon dactylon (3.0-3.7). Temperature and turbidity were shown to be the most critical elements in restricting the development and abundance of aquatic weeds, along with alkalinity, salinity, and nutrients. The canals are habitat to a diverse range of living organisms, including animals, bacteria, fungi, and algae, which indicates the water's appropriateness for the presence and development of aquatic weeds. All of these insights will be valuable in the management of aquatic weeds in Gezira scheme's canals.