Macrophyte removal affects nutrient uptake and metabolism in lowland streams

Pastor, Ada; Holmboe, Cecilie M.; Pereda, Olatz; Giménez-Grau, Pau; Baattrup‐Pedersen, Annette; Riis, Tenna

doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2023.103694

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 44 publications

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“…Macrophytes are also known to provide foraging and reproduction habitats for fish, amphibia, and invertebrates [7,8], promoting aquatic biodiversity. Particularly in rivers, macrophytes can influence nutrient uptake and mediate downstream transport to the coastal zone [9], reduce sediment transport into the watercourse [10][11][12], and regulate flow characteristics within the channel [13][14][15]. Thus, macrophyte communities are a fundamental component of rivers that respond to both anthropogenic and natural disturbances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between Environmental Factors and Functional Traits of Macrophyte Assemblages in Running Waters of Greece

Stefanidis,

Oikonomou,

Dimitrellos

et al. 2023

Diversity

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The analysis of plant trait composition has raised significant interest among freshwater ecologists as a complementary approach for assessing the effects of environmental change on ecosystem functions. In this study, we investigated patterns of functional traits of the aquatic macrophyte assemblages of 74 lotic ecosystems of Greece, and we identified associations between species traits and environmental variables (hydromorphological and physicochemical parameters) through testing the hypothesis that the environmental features determine the spatial structure of traits. We allocated 12 traits to a total of 39 hydrophyte species, and we conducted RLQ and fourth corner analysis to explore relationships between species, trait composition, and environmental gradients. Based on the results of the RLQ, a hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to identify groups of plants that share common trait characteristics. Plants were discriminated into five discrete groups based mostly on their life form (e.g., free-floating, rooted submerged etc.) and their ecological preference for nitrogen levels. Hydromorphological parameters had a higher contribution than physicochemical variables in explaining the total variance of the trait data, with water abstraction, channel substrate, and hydrologic alteration being the most important. Our analysis did not reveal significant bivariate relationships between single traits and environmental parameters, although the five groups of macrophyte assemblages appeared to associate with certain environmental gradients. Free-floating and emergent plants were related to higher concentrations of nutrients, whereas rooted submerged plants were related to higher oxygen concentration and increased pH. In addition, free-floating plants were highly associated with metrics of hydromorphological change. Our findings showed clear discrimination of macrophytes based on their functional composition and association of traits with environmental gradients. Thus, further research could explore whether macrophyte functional groups can serve as indicators of environmental change and the overall ecosystem health.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between Environmental Factors and Functional Traits of Macrophyte Assemblages in Running Waters of Greece

Stefanidis,

Oikonomou,

Dimitrellos

et al. 2023

Diversity

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Drivers of seasonal water hyacinth dynamics in permanently eutrophic estuarine waters

Lakane,

Adams,

Lemley

2024

Biol Invasions

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Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment is one of the key global change pressures threatening the health of estuaries. This is evident at the persistently eutrophic Swartkops Estuary located along the warm temperate coast of South Africa. Augmented nutrient-rich baseflows (e.g., stormwater runoff, wastewater treatment work discharges) have resulted in the persistent growth of invasive alien aquatic plants (IAAPs), particularly water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), in the upper estuarine reaches. As such, the objective of this study was to investigate the temporal population dynamics of water hyacinth in the Swartkops Estuary to inform management options. Methods included five-weekly sampling campaigns in winter, spring, and summer, interspersed with monthly sampling over a year-long period. Physico-chemical variables and river inflow were measured in situ, while samples were collected for inorganic nutrients, phytoplankton biomass, and IAAP measurements (cover, biomass, and tissue nutrients). Model results indicated that increased water temperature and inorganic nitrogen (ammonium and NOx) levels promoted increased coverage of water hyacinth, while seasonal analysis highlighted reduced (p < 0.05) dissolved oxygen levels during the peak summer IAAP accumulation period. Notably, model results indicated declining IAAP tissue TN and TP concentrations with increasing water temperature, yet overall TN and TP storage was highest in summer due to the extensive water hyacinth cover observed during this period. Overall, the proportionally low and transient nature of nutrient storage by water hyacinth populations, together with the detrimental consequences they facilitate, highlights the need to integrate short-term control measures with catchment-scale management interventions geared towards mitigating the causative drivers.

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Local and species contribution of beta diversity of macrophytes in perspective of conservation and restoration of Ganga River, India

Dey,

Shruti,

et al. 2024

Hydrobiologia

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Macrophyte removal affects nutrient uptake and metabolism in lowland streams

Cited by 6 publications

References 44 publications

Relationships between Environmental Factors and Functional Traits of Macrophyte Assemblages in Running Waters of Greece

Relationships between Environmental Factors and Functional Traits of Macrophyte Assemblages in Running Waters of Greece

Drivers of seasonal water hyacinth dynamics in permanently eutrophic estuarine waters

Local and species contribution of beta diversity of macrophytes in perspective of conservation and restoration of Ganga River, India

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