The loss to national economies resulting from excessive plant biomass has been appreciable and has put pressure on water managers to develop weed control procedures. The results from the most up-to-date research activities and field trials of leading aquatic plant scientists and managers in all five continents, aimed at resolving these weed problems, has been drawn together in this volume.

There is a growing need for appropriate management of aquatic plants in rivers and canals, lakes and reservoirs, and drainage channels and urban waterways. This management must be based on a sound knowledge of the ecology of freshwater plants, their distribution and the different forms of control available including chemical and physical, and biological and biomanipulation. This series of papers from over 20 different countries was generated from the tenth in the highly successful series of European Weed Research Society symposia on aquatic plant management, this being the tenth. It provides a valuable insight into the complexities involved in managing aquatic systems, discusses state-of-the-art control techniques and deals with patterns of regrowth and recovery post-management. Careful consideration is given to the use of chemicals, a practice which has come under scrutiny in recent years. Underpinning the development of such control techniques is a growing body of knowledge relating to the biology and ecology of water plants. The authorship of the papers represents the collective wisdom of leading scientists and experts from fisheries agencies, river authorities, nature conservation agencies, the agrochemical industry and both governmental and non-governmental organisations.