Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of interspecific competition on the growth and nutrient uptake of three macrophytes in nutrient-rich water

  • Published:
Aquatic Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nutrient uptake by plants in nutrient-rich water in competitive conditions was investigated with two mixed culture combinations of Limnocharis flava/Pistia stratiotes and Limnocharis flava/Ipomoea aquatica by using various initial planting densities. Further, the biomass production and other growth-related parameters were measured to understand the dominant competitive behavior. The effects of interspecific competition on influencing nutrient uptake were substantial. In both experiments, the superior competitor produced a higher biomass regardless of the initial density, which was the dominant factor in determining the total nutrient uptake from water. Both aboveground competition and belowground competition appeared to be important in influencing competitive outcomes. Optimal removal of nutrients was produced by a treatment ratio of 5.31: 5.31 Limnocharis flava/Ipomoea aquatica plants/m2, which gave the highest observed nutrient removal, of which approximately 52% of TN removal and 90% of TP removal were due to plant uptake.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agami M, Reddy KR (1990) Competition for space between Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms and Pistia stratiotes L. cultured in nutrient-enriched water. Aquat Bot 38:195–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aikio S (2000) Plant adaptive strategies in relation to variable resource availability, soil microbial processes and ecosystem development. Dissertation, University of Oulu

  • APHA (ed) (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. APHA, AWWA, and WEF, Washington DC

  • Bornette G, Puijalon S (2011) Response of aquatic plants to abiotic factors: a review. Aquat Sci 73:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chairuangsri S, Whangchai N, Jampeetong A (2014) Responses of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) on growth, morphology, uptake rate and nutrients allocation under high ammonium concentration. Chiang Mai J Sci 41:324–333

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clough KS, DeBusk TA, Reddy KR (1987) Model water hyacinth and pennywort systems for the secondary treatment of domestic wastewater. In: Smith WH, Reddy KR (eds) Aquatic plants for water treatment and resource recovery. Magnolia publishing Inc., Orlando

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly J, Wayne P, Bazzaz FA (2001) Interspecific competition in plants: how well do current methods answer fundamental questions? Am Nat 157:107–125

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Craine JM, Dubinsky R (2013) Mechanisms of plant competition for nutrients, water and light. Funct Ecol 27:833–840

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding W, He X, Chen W (2011) Runoff and sediment reduction by riparian buffer filters on steep slopes. In: IEEE international conference on computer distributed control and intelligent environmental monitoring (CDCIEM), pp 998–1001

  • Dipu S, Kumar AA, Thanga VSG (2011) Phytoremediation of dairy effluent by constructed wetland technology. Environmentalist 31:263–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans JR, Edwards E (2001) Nutrient uptake and use in plant growth. In Proceedings or net ecosystem exchange CRC workshop, pp 75–81

  • Gandhi N, Sirisha D, Chandra Sekrar KBC (2013) Phytoremediation of chromium and fluoride in industrial waste water by using aquatic plant Ipomoea aquatica. Pharm Bio Sci 1:1–4

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet CL, Keddy PA (1988) A comparative approach to predicting competitive ability from plant traits. Nature 334(242):243

    Google Scholar 

  • Gioria M, Osborne BA (2014) Resource competition in plant invasions: emerging patterns and research needs. Front Plant Sci 5:501

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) 2017 Species profile: Limnocharis flava. http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=620. Accessed 06 June 2017

  • Hong MG, Son CY, Kim JG (2014) Effects of interspecific competition on the growth and competitiveness of five emergent macrophytes in a constructed lentic wetland. Paddy Water Environ 12:193–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt R (1982) Plant growth curves: the functional approach to plant growth analysis. Edward Arnold Ltd., London

    Google Scholar 

  • Jampeetong A, Brix H, Kantawanichkul S (2012) Effects of inorganic nitrogen forms on growth, morphology, nitrogen uptake capacity and nutrient allocation of four tropical aquatic macrophytes (Salvinia cucullata, Ipomoea aquatica, Cyperus involucratus and Vetiveria zizanioides). Aquat Bot 97:10–16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin GD, Coetzee JA (2014) Competition between two aquatic macrophytes, Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss (Hydrocharitaceae) and Myriophyllum spicatum. Aquat Bot 114:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milne JM, Lang P, Murphy KJ (2007) Competitive interactions between Salvinia auriculata Aubl., Limnobium laevigatum (Humb. and Bonpl. ex Willd.) Heine, and other free-floating aquatic macrophytes under varying nutrient availability. Fund App Limnol 169:169–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mony C, Koschnick TJ, Haller WT, Muller S (2007) Competition between two invasive Hydrocharitaceae (Hydrilla verticillata(L.f.) (Royle) and Egeria densa (Planch)) as influenced by sediment fertility and season. Aquat Bot 86:236–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranawakage VP, Ellawala KC, Tushara Chaminda GG (2013) Preliminary study on the influence of water level on the growth and morphology of Limnocharis flava (L) Buchenau. Ann Limnol Int J Lim 49(4):249–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salt DE, Smith RD, Raskin I (1998) Phytoremediation. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 49:643–668

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smart MM, Rada RG, Donnermeyer GN (1983) Determination of total nitrogen in sediments and plants using persulfate digestion. An evaluation and comparison with the Kjeldahl procedure. Water Res 17:1207–1211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith VH, Tilman GD, Nekola JC (1999) Eutrophication: impacts of excess nutrient inputs on freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. Environ Pollut 100:179–196

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tanner CC (1996) Plants for constructed wetland treatment systems: a comparison of the growth and nutrient uptake of eight emergent species. Ecol Eng 7:59–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van TK, Wheeler GS, Center TD (1999) Competition between Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria americana as influenced by soil fertility. Aquat Bot 62:225–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2007) Removal of nutrients in various types of constructed wetlands. Sci Total Environ 380:48–65

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waterhouse BM (2003) Know your enemy: records of potentially serious weeds in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Papua (Indonesia). Telopea 10:477–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Y, Wang X, Dzakpasu M, Zhao Y, Ngo HH, Guo W, Ge Y, Xiong J (2016) Effects of interspecific competition on the growth of macrophytes and nutrient removal in constructed wetlands: a comparative assessment of free water surface and horizontal subsurface flow systems. Bioresour Technol 207:134–141

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Hapugala, Galle, Sri Lanka

    Champika Ellawala Kankanamge & Hasini Kodithuwakku

Authors
  1. Champika Ellawala Kankanamge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hasini Kodithuwakku
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Champika Ellawala Kankanamge.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Kevin Murphy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ellawala Kankanamge, C., Kodithuwakku, H. Effect of interspecific competition on the growth and nutrient uptake of three macrophytes in nutrient-rich water. Aquat Ecol 51, 625–634 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-017-9640-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-017-9640-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation