Effects of benthivorous fish disturbance on chlorophyll a contents in water and the growth of two submersed macrophytes with different growth forms under two light regimes

Chen, Jianfeng; Liu, Zugen; Xiao, Shuifusheng; Chen, Ruizhen; Luo, Congqiang; Zhu, Tianshun; Cao, Ting; Ni, Leyi; Xie, Ping; Su, Haojie

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135269

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…These contrasts the findings in several other studies (e.g., Badiou and Goldsborough, 2015;Chen et al, 2020a) but it may reflect the high biomass of macrophytes, buffering the effect of fish disturbance and nutrient excretion (Kaldy, 2014). Previous studies have showed that fish disturbance has positive (He et al, 2017;Gu et al, 2018), neutral (Parkos et al, 2003;Chen et al, 2020b) and negative effects (Wahl et al, 2011;Badiou and Goldsborough, 2015) on the content of Chl a in the water column. In our study, the content of Chl a was not affected by fish disturbance, which may be explained by the following mechanisms: 1) the rather dense submersed macrophytes may control phytoplankton by producing allelochemicals that suppress phytoplankton growth rates (Vanderstukken, et al, 2014), and 2) submersed macrophytes may control phytoplankton by competing for nutrients (Jeppesen et al, 1998;Declerck et al, 2007).…”

Section: Effects Of Fish Disturbance and Ammonium Loading On Water Qu...contrasting

confidence: 63%

Interactive effects of benthivorous fish disturbance and ammonium loading on two submersed macrophytes of contrasting growth forms based on a mesocosm study

Wang

Liu

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Benthivorous fish disturbance and nitrogen loading are two important factors that influence the community structure of submersed macrophytes, but their interactive effect is not well elucidated. We conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment to examine the individual and combined effects of these two factors on the growth of two submersed macrophytes of different growth forms, i.e., the rosette-forming Vallisneria natans and the canopy-forming Myriophyllum spicatum. The treatments involved two levels of fish (Carassius auratus) disturbance crossed with two levels (0 and 12 g NH4Cl per month) of ammonium (NH4+-N) loading. For M. spicatum, we found that maximum height (MH) was reduced by 30.7%, 26.4%, and 51.0% in fish addition alone (F) and nitrogen addition treatments (N, F + N), respectively, compared with the control (C) treatment. The density of M. spicatum declined by 20%, 62% and 68.8% in the F, N and F + N treatment. The above-ground biomass (AGB) of M. spicatum respectively reduced by 56.7%, 94%, and 96.5% in the F, N and F + N treatments, and the roots/shoots ratio (R/S) increased by 114%, and 176% in N and N + F treatments, respectively. Regarding V. natans, only the MH in the N treatment was reduced (71.9%), and the density exhibited a reduction of 59.1% and 64.5% in the N and F + N treatments, respectively. The AGB of V. natans was significantly lower in the N (90.3%) and N + F (78.4%) treatments compared with the C treatment, while increased by 60.3% in F treatment. The R/S of V. natans increased by 227%, and 74.4% in the N and F + N treatments compared with the C treatment. The interactive effect of fish disturbance and high N on MH and AGB of V. natans and density of M. spicatum were antagonistic. However, the interactive effect on density and BGB of V. natans and AGB of M. spicatum were negatively synergistic. Moreover, fish activity significantly increased the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) in the water, while total nitrogen (TN), ammonium, total phosphorus (TP), light, pH and salinity were unaffected. When fish and nitrogen were combined, TN, TP, TSS and salinity increased significantly, while pH decreased. Our study reveals that the interactive effects of fish disturbance and high N are synergistic and/or antagonistic, suggesting that the same stressor interaction may vary from synergistic to antagonistic depending on the response variables and growth forms of the macrophytes examined. Our study contributes to the understanding of how different factors can interact with each other and affect submersed macrophytes in aquatic ecosystems. This is timely and relevant knowledge, considering the range of multiple stressors involved in the decline of aquatic ecosystems worldwide at present.

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Section: Effects Of Fish Disturbance and Ammonium Loading On Water Qu...contrasting

confidence: 63%

Interactive effects of benthivorous fish disturbance and ammonium loading on two submersed macrophytes of contrasting growth forms based on a mesocosm study

Wang

Liu

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…Higher ISS concentration in the presence of juvenile crucian carp indicated that juvenile crucian carp caused sediment resuspension, thereby directly reducing the underwater light intensity (Chen, Su, et al., 2020; Gu et al., 2016; He et al., 2017; Lorenz et al., 2013). Previous research has reported decreased (Badiou & Goldsborough, 2015; Kyeongsik et al., 2001; Wahl et al., 2011), unchanged (Chen, Liu, et al., 2020; Chen, Su, et al., 2020), and increased Chl a concentrations in the presence of fish disturbance (He et al., 2017; Roozen et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2016). In the present study, the significant increase in Chl a concentration in the presence of juvenile crucian carp may be explained by a combination of three factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Submerged macrophytes, such as V. natans , Hydrilla erticillate , Myriophyllum spicatum , and Potamogeton malaianus , are usually transplanted to re‐establish submerged macrophytes during the restoration of tropical and subtropical lakes, so as to improve water quality (Donk & Bund, 2002; Jeppesen et al., 1998; Levi et al., 2015; Li et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2018, 2020). However, ongoing excessive exterrnal nutrients loads, low water transparency, and the presence of omni‐benthivorous fish could delay the re‐establishment of submerged macrophytes (Chen, Liu, et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020; Søndergaard et al., 2017; Yu et al., 2015). In cases where omni‐benthivorous fish cause turbid water and hamper the re‐establishment of submerged macrophytes, such as V. natans , adding LMB could provide sufficient support to the plants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present study, low biomass, RGR, ramet number, and leaf number but high height of V. natans were recorded in the presence of crucian carp. It is likely that low light availability, which was the combined result of high suspended solids and Chl a concentrations in the overlying water and the overgrowth of periphyton, indirectly affected morphology and physiology of V. natans (Chen, Liu, et al., 2020; Su et al., 2004; Yuan et al., 2016). Higher height implied that submerged macrophytes could overcome low light stress by reducing leaf number and increasing leaf length or elongating stem to reach into the water column where the light intensity was higher, expanding the area of photosynthesis to accelerate the harvesting of light (Barko et al., 1991; Fu et al., 2012; Gu et al., 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, the re‐establishment of submerged macrophytes has not always been successful due to abiotic and biotic factors, e.g., ongoing excessive nutrients loads, low light conditions, sediment‐disturbing fish, etc. (Chen, Liu, et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020; Søndergaard et al., 2017; Yu et al., 2015).…”

Section: Introdutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Submerged macrophytes benefit from lanthanum modified bentonite treatment under juvenile omni‐benthivorous fish disturbance: Implications for shallow lake restoration

Han

You

et al. 2021

Freshwater Biology

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The re‐establishment of submerged macrophytes is crucial in shallow lake restoration transforming a turbid into a clear water system, but it might be inhibited by juvenile omni‐benthivorous fish. These fishes disturb the sediment, and even uproot new sprouts, creating turbid water through sediment resuspension and release of nutrients stored in the sediment. Lanthanum modified bentonite (LMB), an in‐situ capping material, can immobilise phosphate and consolidate sediments, potentially weakening the negative effects of juvenile omni‐benthivorous fish. We hypothesised that applying LMB would improve water quality and promote the growth of submerged macrophytes by eliminating or weakening the increase of suspended solids, nutrient concentration, and algal reproduction due to juvenile omni‐benthivorous fish disturbance. To test our hypothesis, a two‐by‐two factorial mesocosm experiment with two densities of juvenile crucian carp (absence and 10 g/m3) and two doses of LMB (absence and 800 g/m2) was conducted. Juvenile crucian carp significantly inhibited the growth and reproduction of the macrophyte Vallisneria natans by reducing the underwater light and direct effects such as uprooting. No significant inhibition or promotion by LMB on the growth of V. natans in the absence of juvenile crucian carp was observed. However, LMB significantly inhibited the fish‐induced sediment resuspension and nutrients increases. Consequently, algal production was reduced and underwater light conditions were improved, which promoted the growth and reproduction of V. natans, e.g., more ramets, biomass, and leaves of V. natans. Our results indicated that submerged macrophytes could benefit from LMB application under high intensity disturbance by juvenile omni‐benthivorous fish, thereby conducive to the maintenance of a clear water state in shallow lakes.

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Adaptive responses and transgenerational plasticity of a submerged plant to benthivorous fish disturbance

Li,

Zuo,

Zhao

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Submerged macrophytes play a key role in the restoration of shallow eutrophic lakes. However, in some subtropical lakes, benthivorous fishes dominate the fish assemblages and influence the growth of submerged plants. A comprehensive understanding of the direct and indirect effects of benthivorous fishes on submerged plants is important. We conducted mesocosm experiments to examine the effects of three densities of benthivorous fish, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, on the water properties, the growth, asexual reproduction, and the germination of turions of Potamogeton crispus L. Our results showed that fish disturbance increased TN, TP, PO4–P, NH4–N, and NO3–N of the water, raising the extinction coefficient K, Chl a, and the periphyton biomass. Benthivorous fish disturbance reduced the total biomass, root length, relative growth rate (RGR), and branching number while increasing the plant height of P. crispus. The P stoichiometric homeostasis coefficient (HP) (except turions) and HN was lower in plant tissues due to fish disturbance. Benthivorous fish disturbances promoted turions formation (e.g., increased turions total numbers and biomass) of P. crispus. Moreover, P. crispus exhibited transgenerational plasticity for benthivorous fish affecting turion emergence. The maximum final germination rate occurred only when fish density in the mother plant grow experiment matched that in the turion germination experiment. Turions generated by P. crispus disturbed by low‐density fish exhibited increased germination rates. Our findings suggest that controlling benthivorous fish reduces its indirect and direct effects on submerged vegetation, facilitating the successful restoration of these plants.

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Effects of benthivorous fish disturbance on chlorophyll a contents in water and the growth of two submersed macrophytes with different growth forms under two light regimes

Cited by 27 publications

References 32 publications

Interactive effects of benthivorous fish disturbance and ammonium loading on two submersed macrophytes of contrasting growth forms based on a mesocosm study

Interactive effects of benthivorous fish disturbance and ammonium loading on two submersed macrophytes of contrasting growth forms based on a mesocosm study

Submerged macrophytes benefit from lanthanum modified bentonite treatment under juvenile omni‐benthivorous fish disturbance: Implications for shallow lake restoration

Adaptive responses and transgenerational plasticity of a submerged plant to benthivorous fish disturbance

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