As summer turns to autumn, dotted ottelia acuminata spread out over the Erhai Lake. It is a plant species endemic to Yunnan, and can be served as food, usually flower from May to October. As an endangered aquatic plant, ottelia acuminata is regarded as an indicator for testing the quality of water, and mainly distributed in clear lakes in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Hainan. 

“In 1980s, there were many ottelia acuminata in Erhai Lake. It gradually disappeared due to water pollution and human activities. From 2006 to 2009, this kind of flower was absent from Erhai Lake.” Cao Te, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences introduced. 

Before 2018, Erhai Lake was surrounded by buildings, and sewage from villages flowed into the lake. After the closure of hotels and the environmental improvement works, the former farmland full of fertilizer has become clean water area today. White ottelia acuminata once scattered in the lake have also begun to grow. In 2018, the researchers planted 20,000 plants in five places along the Erhai bank, while the survival rate has reached 90% except for one place. 

There have been more and more ottelia acuminata in Erhai Lake in the past two years, which is a good signal showing that the water quality and ecosystem are developing in a positive manner. “However, the number of ottelia acuminata and aquatic plants in Erhai Lake are not enough. We are expecting more and more ottelia acuminata and a better Eco-system in Erhai.” Said Cao Te.

Click here to view Chinese report

(Editors: Christine, Alison)