Growth and turion formation of Potamogeton crispus in response to different phosphorus concentrations in water

• Published in: Aquatic ecology Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 87 - 97
• Main Authors: Wang, Lei, Yang, Tewu, Zhu, Duanwei, Hamilton, David, Nie, Zhongnan, Liu, Liangqing, Wan, Xiaoqiong, Zhu, Congming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic ecology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carotenoids; Chlorophyll; Ecosystems; Eutrophication; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Growth; Life Sciences; Phosphorus content; Physiological aspects; Plant growth; Plants; Potamogeton crispus; Water; China; China, People's Rep; Submersed macrophyte; Phosphorus; Turion formation; Carbohydrate; Growth
• ISSN: 1386-2588; 1573-5125
• DOI: 10.1007/s10452-012-9427-7

The vegetative growth and turion formation of Potamogeton crispus , a submersed aquatic macrophyte, was investigated under a range of phosphorus (P) concentrations (0.025, 0.25, 2.5 and 25 mg P L −1 ) in the ambient water free of algae, aiming to identify the responses of submersed aquatic macrophytes to nutrient enrichment, a common eutrophication problem in China and worldwide. Plant growth was not affected by different P concentrations in terms of biomass accumulation of stems and leaves. However, the contents of chlorophyll a and starch in plants decreased with increasing water P levels, whereas chlorophyll b and carotenoids declined with P level ranging from 0.025 to 2.5 mg P L −1 . The soluble sugar content decreased when water P concentration increased up to 2.5 mg L −1 . The P content in plants increased with increasing water P levels, whereas plant N content decreased and soluble protein increased when water P concentration increased over 0.25 mg L −1 , implying that P. crispus may have modified its metabolism to adapt to water P availability. When P concentration increased to 25 mg L −1 , the number and dry matter production of turions per plant decreased significantly. Meanwhile, there was a significant reduction in turion weight and the accumulations of soluble sugar and starch in turion, when water P concentration was over 0.25 mg L −1 . The results suggest that turion formation in P. crispus is sensitive to P concentration in the ambient water, and high P levels may lead to decreases in P. crispus populations due to the decline in turion production.