The diversity of the floating-plant community ('lemnids' in the jargon of aquatic ecologists) is massive here in the Netherlands. When the plant cover is scrutinised up close, a myriad of life forms are seen. The density packing is optimal as each specie has a different size and shape factor, thus allowing all available space to be utilised. This fact is demonstrated in a clear and concise manner in the grab shot I did today. There are no less than 6 different lemnids co-existing here. The largest fronds on the frame are around 7 mm and the smallest a mere 0.4 mm.
Lemnids are important as they interface the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and harvest nutrients from both. In combination with the efficient area density packing and an extremely fast growth rate, plus the fact their protein and mineral content are exceptionally high, make them a valuable resource for animal and human consumption, and as a measure in biological purification plants.
