Convergent relationships between flower economics and hydraulic traits across aquatic and terrestrial herbaceous plants

Maintaining open flowers is critical for successful pollination and depends on long-term water and carbon balance.Yet the relationship between how flower hydraulic traits are coordinated in different habitats is poorly understood.Here,we hypothesize that the coordination and trade-offs between floral hydraulics and economics traits are independent of environmental conditions.To test this hypothesis,we investigated a total of 27 flower economics and hydraulic traits in six aquatic and six terrestrial herbaceous species grown in a tropical botanical garden.We found that although there were a few significant differences,most flower hydraulics and economics traits did not differ significantly between aquatic and terrestrial herbaceous plants.Both flower mass per area and floral longevity were significantly positively correlated with the time required for drying full-hydrated flowers to 70%relative water content.Flower dry matter content was strongly and positively related to drought tolerance of the flowers as indicated by flower water potential at the turgor loss point.In addition,there was a trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and the construction cost of a flower across species.Our results show that flowers of aquatic and terrestrial plants follow the same economics spectrum pattern.These results suggest a convergent flower economics design across terrestrial and aquatic plants,providing new insights into the mechanisms by which floral organs adapt to aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

The Ability of Some Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants to Purify Domestic Wastewater

The study aimed to evaluate the ability of some terrestrial and aquatic plants for wastewater purification.Aquatic plants can remove pollutants from wastewater by consuming and accumulating various contaminants in different parts of plants.Different aquatic and terrestrial plants(Rosa sinensis,Typha latifolia,Ocimm bacilicum,Azolla pinnata,and Salvinia molesta)which have the ability to decrease water pollution were utilized in this study.The capability offive different species of plants was investigated by measuring chemical oxygen demand(COD),biological oxygen demand(BOD),electrical conductivity(EC),total dissolved solids(TDS),and pH of the medium.In this research,some aquatic and terrestrial plants were transplanted in wastewater plastic pots containing domestic wastewater with different ratios of 50%and 100%.Then,after 30 days,the physiological and biochemical parameters of plants were calculated to observe the effect of wastewater on plants.Results revealed higher chlorophyll and carotenoids in typha plants treated with 100%wastewater.The highest percentage of elimination in BOD(65%),COD(27%),TDS(72%),EC(83%),and pH(6.8%)was noted with the use of typha and azolla.Intriguingly,total soluble sugars,total free amino acids,and total proteins were found maximum in the hibiscus plant as compared to the other plants under 100%and 50%domestic wastewater treatment,while typha and ocimum showed lower values of these parameters irrespective of wastewater treatments.Moreover,the COD,BOD,TDS,EC,and pH trend was higher in 100%wastewater as compared to 50%wastewater.Taking into account the accumulation capacity of the tested plants especially typha can be efficiently used for the treatment of domestic wastewater.

Analysis of Plant Diversity Characteristics in Jiangxia Wetland

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore the characteristics of plant diversity of Jiangxia Wetland in Lhasa River basin.[Methods]Based on the survey data of 37 plant community in three types of sample plots of Jiangxia Wetland in the Lhasa River basin,this study analyzed the diversity of plant community in different habitats of Jiangxia Wetland from Pielou evenness,Margalef richness,Simpson and Shannon Wiener diversity indexes of different types and levels.[Results]The Pielou index,Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson diversity index of dry land was higher than those of other plots,while the Margalef species richness index of the ecotone of seasonally flooded and dry land was higher than that of other plots.The Pielou index,Shannon-Wiener index,Simpson diversity index and Margalef species richness index of composite plants were higher than those of other herbaceous plants.The Shannon-Wiener index,Simpson diversity index and Margalef species richness index of hygrophytes were higher than those of other plants,while the Pielou index evenness index of aquatic plants was higher than that of other plants.Annual or perennial herbaceous plants occupied the primary position in the study area,and shrub plants occupied a secondary position,and floating plants took the lowest position.[Conclusions]The results of this study can provide theoretical support or reference basis for the scientific management of comprehensive wetland systems such as wetland ecosystem restoration and plant diversity protection in Jiangxia Wetland.

Effects of Aquatic Plants on the Feature of Sediment Resuspension in Lake Taihu

[Objective] The aim was to study effects of aquatic plants on resuspen- sion of sediment in Lake Taihu. [Method] New resuspension simulator was used in the research. Elodea nuttalli, submerged plant, and Phragmites australis, emergent aquatic plant, were grown in substrate sludge with varied planting density set. Study of simulation experiment on the feature of sediment resuspension was carried on under shearing stress of 0.2-0.5 N/m2 and agitation of 1-30 min. [Result] Aquatic plant growing would effectively reduce seston concentration in water. Concentrations of final Suspended Particulate Matter （SPM） in experimental groups and control groups were as follows： water without plant〉coverage of 30% of Elodea nuttalli〉cov- erage of 60% of Elodea nuttalli〉Phragmites australis with concentration of 50 stock/m2〉 coverage of 90% of Elodea nuttalli〉Phragmites australis with concentration of 80 stock/m2〉Phragmites australis with concentration of 150 stock/m2; SPM concentration showed a tendency from increasing to stable with change of stirring time under dif- ferent shearing stresses： SPM concentration was of severe change at early stage in barrel without aquatic plant while change of SPM concentration in barrel with aquatic plant was quite mild and grew smaller with concentration increasing; SPM concentration was reduced much more if Phragmites australis planted compared with that of Elodea nuttalli; under different shearing stresses, reduction of SPM concen- tration by increase of Phragmites australis area was much more than by increase of Elodea nuttalli area. [Conclusion] It would provide powerful scientific reference for control on aquatic environment through comprehensive research on the feature of sediment resuspension.

Water Quality Purifying Effect of Five Kinds of Aquatic Plants in Winter

[Objective] The aim was to compare the water quality purifying effect of five kinds of aquatic plants.[Method] Model of surface flow wetlands was constructed in the river bank of Jialu River in Zhengzhou City,and five kinds of aquatic plants which could grow normally in winter were selected and introduced for screening experiment of aquatic plants.[Result] Five kinds of plants were growing well,and they showed strong cold resistance.However,there were some differences on water quality purifying ability among five kinds of aquatic plants,in which Oenanthe javanica and Elodea canadensis performed better on removing the TN,the removal rate was 44% and 41% respectively; Iris sibirica and O.javanica showed better performance on the removal of TP,the removal rate was 41% and 37% respectively; there was little difference on the removal effect on NH4^＋-N among five kinds of plants,in which E.Canadensis performed best with the removal rate of 73%,followed by O.javanica （the removal rate was 71%）,and the removal rate of I.sibirica,Rumex acetosa and Potamogeton crispus were 70%; there was no significant purification effect of five kinds of plants on CODCr,in which I.sibirica and R.acetosa performed better,and the removal rate was 14% and 13% respectively.[Conclusion] The emerging plants and submerged plants hydrophytes could be used to construct floating aquatic macrophyte-based treatment system （FAMS） in wetland vegetation allocation to improve the purification effect of wetlands of North China in winter.

Evaluation of Potential Extracts Antioxydant (Aqueous, Hydro-Ethanolic and Ethanolic) of an Aquatic Plant from the River Djoue (<i>Ledermanniella schlechteri</i>)

The aim for this present study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts (AE), hydro-ethanolic extracts (HE) and ethanolic extracts (EE) obtained from an aquatic plant (L. schlechteri) using a simple and fast method that is the CCM. This method revealed the presence of phenolics and flavonoids at different levels but with higher antioxidant activity in EE compared to AE. Among the two families of antioxidants evaluated, the phenolic compounds were found to be higher on the EE (5.85 mgEAG/MS) followed by the HE (5.06 mgEAG/MS) and less and less important on the AE (3.661 mgEAG/MS). While the less significantly elevated flavonoids showed values of 1.146 mgECa/MS for EE, 0.406 mgECa/MS for HE et 0.181 mgECa/MS for AE. However, the anti-free radical activity was also evaluated. Unlike the antioxidant activity, the ant-free radical activity with a greater IC50 was observed on AE with a rate of 66.66 mg/mL, then less on the hydro-ethanolic and ethanolic extracts, respectively at levels of 26.15 mg/mL et 19.18 mg/mL.

Effects of Eichhornia crassipes Growth on Aquatic Plants in Dianchi Lake

[Objective] The aim was to study the effects of Eichhornia crassipes as an invasive plant on aquatic plants in Dianchi Lake. [Method] Based on the determination of chlorophyll content of phytoplankton and submerged plant (Potamogeton pectinatus) in Dianchi Lake in different months, the effects of E. crassipes on aquatic plants in Dianchi Lake were studied, and the allelopathy effect of root culture solution of E. crassipes on Microcystis aquaticum was discussed. [Result] The growth of E. crassipes in Dianchi Lake reduced the chlorophyll content of phytoplankton and submerged plant (P. pectinatus), and it showed that E. crassipes had certain inhibitory effect on their growth; the culture solution of E. crassipes root inhibited M. aeruginosa growth obviously. [Conclusion] The study could provide scientific references for the prevention and control of ecological safety of E. crassipes.

Native Aquatic Plant Establishment Efforts in a High-Herbivore, Central Texas Reservoir

Maintaining beneficial, native plant structure and diversity while reducing invasive, nuisance species dominance is an important management domain for natural resource managers. One such vegetation component in North American lakes and reservoirs is submerged aquatic vegetation—a valuable aquatic resource which serves as productive habitat for fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and other wildlife. Reservoirs in the southern parts of the United States have experienced varying aquatic plant dominance dynamics due to historical water resource management actions, including drawdowns and introduction of herbivorous fish for the purpose of controlling invasive aquatic vegetation. Some of these management options have also been detrimental to native submerged aquatic vegetation. This paper explores an adaptive management research effort by installing herbivore-protected, fenced-pen submerged aquatic vegetation sites in a high-herbivore reservoir to determine effectiveness of protecting habitat and serving as founder colony sources for propagule spread. Four experimental sites with three management treatments each were planted with American eelgrass. Each site utilized one un-fenced treatment and two treatments with varying mesh sizes for protective fencing-pens. Site integrity, species survival and spread, and grazing were documented. One additional site was installed and planted with other native submerged aquatic vegetation species for nominal species performance descriptions. No plants survived unprotected in the high-herbivore system and plants, in general, performed consistently better within the smaller mesh size. These test planting results were ultimately used to inform adaptive management decision making for plant installation and expansion designs for managing reservoirs invested with Hydrilla, considered one of the most serious invasive aquatic plants in the United States.

Investigation and Configuration Analysis of Aquatic Plants in Chengdu Wetland Parks

To find out the current situation and configuration of aquatic plants in landscape water of Chengdu wetland parks,sample-plot survey of aquatic plants in landscape water in the built wetland parks of Chengdu and urban parks was conducted.The results showed that there are 41 kinds of aquatic plants in the research region,belonging to 23 families.They are mainly hygrophyte and emergent plants,while floating and submerged plants are rarely used.Configuration of aquatic plants is mainly composed of emergent plants,supplemented by floating-leaved and submerged plants,and water landscape is rich.Then,configuration of aquatic plants in wetland parks was analyzed from the ecological function,landscape construction and other aspects,to provide the reference for plant configuration of urban wetland parks.

Seagull Lake,Western Eyre Peninsula,South Australia:A Saline Lake to Benefit from Climate Change? Ⅱ. Hydrology and Plants

Seagull Lake is an unusual saline lake,having a marine spring connected to a large continental ecosystem.With climate change the balance between marine,meteoric and groundwater inputs to,and evaporitic and groundwater

Genetic diversity and inferred ancestry of Asian lotus(Nelumbo nucifera) germplasms in Thailand and Vietnam

Tropical lotus(Nelumbo) is an important and unique ecological type of lotus germplasm.Understanding the genetic relationship and diversity of the tropical lotus is necessary for its sustainable conservation and utilization.Using 42 EST-SSR(expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeats) and 30 SRAP(sequence-related amplified polymorphism) markers,we assessed the genetic diversity and inferred the ancestry of representative tropical lotus from Thailand and Vietnam.In total,164 and 41 polymorphic bands were detected in 69 accessions by 36 EST-SSR and seven SRAP makers,respectively.Higher genetic diversity was revealed in Thai lotus than in Vietnamese lotus.A Neighbor-Joining tree of five main clusters was constructed using combined EST-SSR and SRAP markers.Cluster Ⅰ included 17 accessions of Thai lotus;cluster Ⅱ contained three Thai accessions and 11 accessions from southern Vietnam;and cluster Ⅲ was constituted by 13 accessions of seed lotus.Consistent with the results from the NeighborJoining tree,the genetic structure analysis showed that the genetic background of most Thai and Vietnamese lotus was pure,as artificial breeding has been rare in both countries.Furthermore,these analyses indicate that Thai and Vietnamese lotus germplasms belong to two different gene pools or populations.Most lotus accessions are genetically related to geographical distribution patterns in Thailand or Vietnam.Our findings showed that the origin or genetic relationships of some unidentified lotus sources can be evaluated by comparing morphological characteristics and the data of molecular markers.In addition,these findings provide reliable information for the targeted conservation of tropical lotus and parent selection in breeding novel cultivars of lotus.

Comparative analysis of 12 water lily plastid genomes reveals genomic divergence and evolutionary relationships in early flowering plants

The aquatic plant Nymphaea,a model genus of the early flowering plant lineage Nymphaeales and family Nymphaeaceae,has been extensively studied.However,the availability of chloroplast genome data for this genus is incomplete,and phylogenetic relationships within the order Nymphaeales remain controversial.In this study,12 chloroplast genomes of Nymphaea were assembled and analyzed for the first time.These genomes were 158,290-160,042 bp in size and contained 113 non-repeat genes,including 79 protein-coding genes,30 tRNA genes,and four rRNA genes.We also report on codon usage,RNA editing sites,microsatellite structures,and new repetitive sequences in this genus.Comparative genomics revealed that expansion and contraction of IR regions can lead to changes in the gene numbers.Additionally,it was observed that the highly variable regions of the chloroplast genome were mainly located in intergenic regions.Furthermore,the phylogenetic tree showed the order Nymphaeales was divided into three families,and the genus Nymphaea can be divided into five(or three)subgenera,with the subgenus Nymphaea being the oldest.The divergence times of nymphaealean taxa were analyzed,with origins of the order Nymphaeales and family Nymphaeaceae being about 194 and 131 million years,respectively.The results of the phylo-genetic analysis and estimated divergence times will be useful for future evolutionary studies of basal angiosperm lineages.

The root structures of 21 aquatic plants in a macrophyte-dominated lake in China

Aims Aquatic plants play an important role in freshwater ecosystems.Previous works have largely focused on the functional significance of plant above ground parts,with much less attention on the root structures of aquatic plants.In this study,we divided 21 aquatic plants(including five introduced plants)into multiple plant groups(different life forms,monocot/eudicot and introduced/native)with the goal of addressing two questions:(i)what root structures do aquatic plants exhibit,and(ii)are there differences among these plant groups?Methods Twenty-one aquatic plants belonging to four life forms(free-float-ing,emergent,floating-leaved and submerged)were collected at the near flowering stage from a typical macrophyte-dominated lake in the yangtze River Basin,China.The following root topological parameters were quantified:altitude(a),path length(pe),magnitude(M),mean topological length(b),topological index(TI)and normed indices qa and qb.Important Findings The root topological indices TI,qa and qb for the 21 aquatic plants were 0.724±0.013,0.290±0.031 and 0.152±0.024(means±S.E.),respectively,revealing a general pattern of dichotomous branching,except for the aquatic root of Myriophyllum aquati-cum(Vell.)Verdc.,which displays herringbone branching.All three topological indices were significantly lower for monocots(TI=0.700±0.130,qa=0.191±0.149 and qb=0.086±0.236)than eudicots(TI=0.752±0.206,qa=0.405±0.569 and qb=0.229±0.393),indicating that the roots of monocots are typi-cally more dichotomous-like than those of eudicots.Among the four life forms,the three topological indices for emergent plants(TI=0.832±0.006,qa=0.616±0.018 and qb=0.381±0.014)were significantly higher than those of the other three life forms.Overall,there was no difference between the topological indices of introduced and native aquatic plants,but the introduced species M.aquaticum and Alternanthera philoxeroides(Mart.)Griseb.had both aquatic and edaphic roots as well as unusual functions,which may help explain their strong viability.

Phytoremediation of engineered nanoparticles using aquatic plants: Mechanisms and practical feasibility

Certain plants have demonstrated the capability to take up and accumulate metals,thus offering the potential to remediate metal-contaminated water and sediment.Several aquatic species have further been identified which can take up metal and metal oxide engineered nanoparticles(ENPs).It is important to evaluate if aquatic plants exhibiting potential for metal phytoremediation can be applied to remediation of metallic ENPs.Understanding the interactions between ENPs and aquatic plants,and evaluating possible influences on metal uptake and phytoremediation processes is therefore essential.This review article will address the feasibility of green plants for treatment of ENP-affected aquatic ecosystems.Discussion will include common types of ENPs in current use;transformations of ENPs in aquatic systems;the importance of microorganisms in supporting plant growth;ENP entry into the plant;the influence of microorganisms in promoting plant uptake;and recent findings in phytoremediation of ENP-affected water,including applications to constructed wetlands.

Translocation and biotoxicity of metal (oxide) nanoparticles in the wetland-plant system

Engineered nanoparticles(ENPs)threaten the environment through wastewater discharging.Generally,constructed wetlands(CWs)are efficient methods for ENPs removal.However,the biotoxicity of ENPs on plants in CWs is unclear.Here,we investigated the distribution and bio-impacts of different ENPs(Ag NPs,TiO_(2) NPs,and CeO_(2) NPs)in plants under 5-and 60-day exposure to 1 and 50 mg/L concentrations.Results showed that ENPs appeared in the vascular bundle and mesophyll cell space,which induced the variation in antioxidase activities(e.g.,superoxide dismutase[SOD],peroxidase[POD],and catalase[CAT]activities)as well as overproduction of malondialdehyde(MDA).Additionally,Ag NPs inhibited photosynthesis rate and root activity during two exposure phases.CeO_(2) NPs had positive and negative impacts on plants in 5-and 60-day exposure,respectively.Inversely,TiO_(2) NPs enhanced photosynthesis and root activity under 60-day exposure.Finally,the contents of the C,N,and P elements in plants fluctuated in response to ENPs stress.All results have a positive correlation with the wetland performance under ENPs exposure except for TiO_(2) NPs treatment.Overall,our study systematically reveals aquatic plants'responses to ENPs and provides a reference for building ecological treatment systems to purify wastewater containing ENPs.

Equilibrium and kinetics of copper(Ⅱ) biosorption by Myriophyllum spicatum L.

The potential use of Myriophyllum spicatum L. biomass as a biosorbent for the removal of copper（ Ⅱ ） from aqueous solution was investigated in laboratory condition. The sorption experiments were undertaken to obtain copper（ Ⅱ ） biosorption properties of M. spicatum L., i.e. equilibrium time, the maximum capacity, and rate constants. Copper（ Ⅱ ） biosorption was fast and equilibrium was attained within 35 min at initial copper（ Ⅱ ） concentration of 6 mg/L. Different isotherm models including the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Redlich-Peterson model, were used to investigate the sorption capacity and isotherm. These models showed an excellent match with the experimental data except for the Freundlich model. According to the Langmuir coefficients, the maximum sorption capacity of copper onto M. spicatum L. was 10.80 mg/g. The kinetics of copper（ Ⅱ ） sorption was also analysed and rate constants were derived. It was found that the overall sorption process was best described by the pseudo second-order equation, and that intraparticle diffusion was not the rate determining step. The results of this study showed that M. spicatum L. can be considered as useful vehicles for the removal and recovery of copper（ Ⅱ ） from aqueous solutions.

Influence of aquatic plants on the hydrogen isotope composition of sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes in the Lake Qinghai region, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The hydrogen isotopic composition(δD) of leaf wax long-chain n-alkanes(C27, C29, and C31) from lacustrine sediments has been widely applied to reconstruct terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleohydrological changes. However, few studies have addressed whether the aquatic-derived n-alkanes can affect the δD values of lake sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes, which are usually regarded as a recorder of the terrestrial hydrological signals. Here we systematically investigated δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from modern aquatic plants, both near-shore and off-shore surface sediments, surrounding terrestrial plant litters, as well as river water and lake water in Lake Qinghai and its satellite lakes on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our data showed that(i) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from aquatic plants varied from-184‰ to-132‰ for n-C27, from-183‰ to-138‰ for n-C29, and from-189‰ to-130‰ for n-C31, respectively, with no significant differences among the three n-alkanes homologues;(ii) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from aquatic plants were generally more positive than those from surrounding terrestrial plants, possibly because that they recorded the D-enrichment of lake water in this semi-arid region;(iii) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from surface sediments showed significant differences among the three n-alkanes homologues, due to the larger aquatic input of n-C27 to the sedimentary lipid pool than that of n-C31, and(iv) n-C27 δD values of near-shore aquatic plants and near-shore sediments are more negative than those from off-shore as a result of lower δD values of near-shore lake water. Our findings indicate that in this region(i) the offset between sedimentary n-C27 and n-C31 δD values(ΔδDC27-C31) could potentially be used to evaluate if sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes are derived from a single source;(ii) while δD values of n-C27 may be influenced by lake water hydrological changes, sedimentary n-C31 is derived predominantly from terrestrial plants and thus its δD can serve as a relatively reliable indicator for terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleohydrological reconstructions.

Heavy metals in sediments and their bioaccumulation in Phragmites australis in the Anzali wetland of Iran

Accumulation of metals in both sediments and Phragmites australis organs was studied. Samples were collected from seven stations located in Anzali wetland, Iran. The samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). The results showed that concentration of the studied metals(except As and Cd) were higher in sediments than in P.australis organs. Metal accumulation was found to be signifi cantly(P <0.05) higher in roots than in above-ground organs of P.australis. The bioaccumulation factor(BAF) and the transfer factor(TF) also verifi ed the highest rate of metal accumulation in roots and their reduced mobility from roots to the above-ground organs. Pearson correlation coeffi cient showed signifi cant relationships between metal concentrations in sediments and those in plant organs. It should be pointed out that sediment and plant samples exhibited higher metal concentrations in eastern and central parts than in western and southern parts of the wetland. The mean concentrations of all studied elements(except for Fe, V and Al) were higher in these sediment samples than in the Earth's crust and shale. High accumulation of metals in P. australis organs(roots and shoots) is indicative of their high bioavailability in sediments of the wetland. The correlation between metal concentrations in sediments and in P. australis indicates that plant organs are good bioindicators of metal pollution in sediments of Anzali wetland.

Local-scale patterns of genetic variation in coexisting floating-leaved Nymphoides peltata and submerged Myriophyllum spicatum in Donghu Lake

Coexisting floating-leaved and submerged plants experience similar environmental changes but may evolve different patterns of genetic variation.To compare local-scale genetic variation,we collected samples of floating-leaved Nymphoides peltata and submerged Myriophyllum spicatum coexisting in a disturbed urban lake in China.At the subpopulation level,using microsatellites,M.spicatum had higher clonal diversity than N.peltata.M.spicatum had 28.4%multilocus genotypes(MLGs)shared between subpopulations,but N.peltata had only one MLG shared between two adjacent subpopulations.N.peltata displayed more genetic variation between subpopulations than within subpopulations,but the reverse was true for M.spicatum.Principal components and Bayesian cluster analyses showed that individuals from each subpopulation of N.peltata tended to have relatively close genetic relationships.For M.spicatum,individuals from each subpopulation were genetically scattered with those from other subpopulations.Our results imply that in unpredictable adverse environments M.spicatum may be less subjected to local-deme extinction than N.peltata because of genetically diverse clones at the subpopulation level.This characteristic means that following adverse events,M.spicatum may rapidly restore subpopulation distributions via recolonization and intense gene flow among subpopulations.

Effect of the filling season on aquatic plants in Mediterranean temporary ponds

Aims Pond environmental conditions may differ among years with regards to the season in which ponds begin to fill.We experimen-tally evaluated how seedling emergence,plant growth and phe-nology differed among years in which filling occurred in winter,autumn or spring.Methods We collected sediments from a natural temporary pond and located them in aquariums.They were placed in a climatic chamber that simulated annual variation in field environmental temperatures and light conditions.Aquariums were assigned to one of three treat-ments,which differed in the date on which they were filled with water(autumn,winter and spring).We counted the number of seed-lings of different species emerged and recorded data about the pres-ence of flowers,seeds or spores every week.The experiment was finished in June,when we harvested the plants and estimated their biomass.Important Findings In most species,seedling emergences were primarily related to time after filling,and thus synchronized their life cycles with the unpre-dictably timed wet phase of the ponds.Autumn filling resulted in the highest numbers of seeds/spores.However,winter filling pro-moted plant growth the most.In the spring filling treatment,more terrestrial plant seedlings emerged and fewer seeds/spores were produced.When ponds are flooded earlier,plants may produce a higher number of propagules.However,in years when inundation is delayed to spring and hydroperiods are short,seedling emergence deplete the seed bank and there is little to no seed production,while terrestrial monocots are able to colonize pond basin.