Bio Energy Dome

Stalking The Wild Duckweed    I was here in the summer of 2008 with a friend of mine who wanted to come and take photos of all the waterfowl, alligators, turtles, etc. At that time, Heron Pond had a healthy layer of duckweed on its surface. Over two and one half years later, there is no duckweed to be found on this pond. It is possible that when Hurricane Ike's flood surge inundated the pond, the salinity level is still too high for duckweed to flourish here. Duckweed seems to grow best in water that is fresh or very minor levels of salt.    Duckweed is the smallest flowering plant in the world. The tiny fronds are usually from about one sixteenth of an inch to one eighth of an inch in length. Their root systems consist of tiny hair-like roots that grow to about three quarters to an inch and a half in length. Due to their tiny size, duckweed prefers more calm and still waters. The fact that the SouthEast wind has been blowing at about twenty to twenty five knots for the past two weeks may be another contributing factor for its absence here. I will continue to search until I can find some growing in its natural habitat. One of the best species of duckweed for growing in a Bio Energy Dome is the Lemna Minor species.