Linking phosphorus pools of water, sediment and macrophytes in running waters

Abstract

The aim of our paper was to study the space and time variations of phosphorus contents in the sediment, water and tissue of aquatic plants. Tissue Total Phosphorus of six aquatic plants (Callitriche platycarpa, C. hamulata, C. obtusangula, Elodea nuttallii, E. canadensis and Ranunculus peltatus) was analysed alongside the sediment Total Phosphorus (TP) and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus concentrations (SRP) in water, at the same site. Twelve sites were selected, and, samples were collected to test the seasonal and the annual patterns of phosphorus variation in 3 compartments. Streams ranged from oligotrophic to eutrophic waters. The sediments varied from mesotrophic to eutrophic states. A highly significant site effect was shown for water and for sediment. Water SRP varied with time (season, year), whereas no significant time effect was established for the sediment TP. Tissue TP varied according to year and season in Callitriche platycarpa, C. hamulata and E. nuttallii. The tissue phosphorus storage depended on the trophic level of sediment and water and varied according to species. The rank order of tissue TP content was C. obtusangula > R. peltatus ≥ E. nuttallii ≥ E. canadensis > C. platycarpa > C. hamulata. Removal of aquatic plants biomass with its accumulated phosphorus could be an alternative technique to other eutrophication control strategies. Further work is needed to improve our knowledge to estimate the ecological risk of harvesting on biodiversity and on ecosystem function.

Aquatic macrophytes as biological indicators of environmental conditions of rivers in north-eastern Spain

“…Moreover, aquatic macrophytes have been reported to improve water quality (Wilcock & Nagels 2001, Thiébaut & Muller 2003 and to affect algal growth (Nakai et al 1999) as well. Likewise, the diversity of macrophyte species can have an effect on the functioning of wetland ecosystems (Engelhardt & Ritchie 2001).…”

“…Aquatic macrophytes can obtain nutrients from the sediment as well as directly from the water itself (Denny 1972, Chambers et al 1989, Levin et al 2001, Schulz et al 2003, Thiébaut & Muller 2003. Consequently, the availability of sediment nutrients may limit the growth and distribution of macrophytes (Spencer & Ksander 2003), thus complicating interpretation of the data concerning them (Kelly & Whitton 1998).…”

Macronutrient (N, P, K) and Redoximorphic Metal (Fe, Mn) Allocation in Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cutgrass) Grown Under Different Flood Regimes

“…The mechanism for this source/sink response is not known but is likely related to seasonal changes in hydrology, direct nutrient sequestration and release by the plant, and plant-mediated changes in soil and water chemistry (Kröger et al 2007;Meuleman and Beltman 1993;Needelman et al 2007a, b;Jiang et al 2007;Sharpley et al 2007;Strock et al 2007;Thiebaut and Muller 2003). Determining the effect of hydroperiod on nutrient relations is of particular importance given the recently proposed approach of installing controlled drainage structures to increase retention time for water-quality remediation in ditches (Dunne et al 2007;Needelman et al 2007a;Kröger et al 2008) and the contrasting benefit of periodic soil oxidation (i.e., water drawdown) for P sequestration (Needelman et al 2007b).…”

Phosphorus concentration in sediment, water and tissues of␣three submerged macrophytes of Myall Lake, Australia

“…During their growing season, macrophytes accumulate nutrients from both water and sediment (Barko and Smart 1980;Ozimek et al 1993) and when they die, the decomposition process is set up, which releases the nutrients back into the water column thereby raising their concentration (Howard-Williams and Allanson 1981;Godshalk and Barko 1985;Wetzel 1996). The source of nutrients for aquatic macrophytes is primarily sediment (Prentki 1979; Barko et al 1991; Barko and James 1998) and secondarily water column (Thiebaut and Muller 2000). Efforts have been made to relate the nutrient concentration in plants tissues to the nutrient concentration present in environmental compartments such as sediment and water (Barko and James 1998;Kufel and Kufel 2002).…”

“…In order to understand the relationship between macrophytes and nutrients in aquatic systems, more research is needed to establish a spatial and temporal variability of macrophyte nutrient concentration. Thereafter, the findings can be linked to water column chemistry; and the nutrient relationship between sediment, water and macrophyte species be quantified (Thiebaut and Muller 2000;Clarke and Wharton 2001).…”