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All alien species invasions start with humans moving individuals or propagules

beyond of their historical biogeographic bounds, whether on purpose or accidentally

(Turbelin et al., 2020). Invasive alien species are plants, animals, pathogens and other

organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or

environmental harm or adversely affect human health. In particular, they impact

adversely upon biodiversity, including decline or elimination of native species - through

competition, predation, or transmission of pathogens - and the disruption of local

ecosystems and ecosystem functions. Invasive alien species, introduced and/or spread

outside their natural habitats, have affected native biodiversity in almost every ecosystem

type on earth and are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity.

Research studies have revealed that numerous aquatic macrophyte species,

originating from diverse regions around the world, remain unassessed despite their

extensive distribution (IUCN., 2015). The classification of species as invasive is based on

specific criteria outlined by the GISD (2004). Aquatic plants can become invasive when

introduced to new ecosystems beyond their native range. Notably, invasive aquatic plants

often possess adaptive traits that enable them to thrive in a wide range of environmental

conditions. They demonstrate remarkable tolerance to varying temperatures, water

quality, light levels, and substrate types, giving them a competitive advantage over native

plants with more specialized requirements. The introduction and spread of invasive

species, coupled with the challenges posed by climate change and habitat degradation,

pose significant risks to global biodiversity (MEA, 2005).

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The comparison of the three heavy metal such as the copper, nickel and

manganese Tested in Kruskal Wallis and with values less than 0.05 were considered

statically significant. The two aquatic plant sample such as Hydrilla verticillata and

Vallisneria nana the Manganese, Copper and Nickel had a highest heavy metal

concentration in both sampling stations.

Macrophytes Manganese (Mn) Copper (Cu) Nickel (Ni)

Mean p-value Mean p-value Mean p-value

H. verticillata 1019.91 .200 35.64 .262 43.41 .522

V. nana 1104.33 .050* 30.62 .513 42.55 .825

Table 3: Comparison of heavy metal concentrations in submerged macrophytes across

the sampling stations.

The use of the Kruskal-Wallis test indicates that the comparison of heavy metal

concentrations among the studied aquatic plants and sampling stations yielded

statistically significant results. This suggests that the observed differences in heavy metal

concentrations between the plant samples and sampling stations are unlikely to occur by

chance alone. Further interpretation and analysis of these results could involve

investigating the potential sources of manganese, copper, and nickel in the sampled

environments. This could include heavy metal concentrations. The mean concentration

values of the metals in plants increased as well as there the P-values of concentration of

three metals (Mn, Cu and Ni) in two species of macrophytes. The results of the analysis

showed that the concentration of heavy metals is high limits set by the World Health

Organization.