Characteristics of Photosynthetic Fluorescence of Dominant Submerged Plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake in Winter

Based on the investigation of the species and frequency of submerged plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake in the winter of 2013,chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic fluorescence characteristics of the dominant submerged plants were studied using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging method. The results indicate that the major submerged plants of Nanjishan Wetland in Poyang Lake in winter included Hydrilla verticillata,Vallisneria natans,Najas minor,Potamogeton pectinatus,Nymphoides peltatum,Myriophyllum verticillatum and so on,and the dominant species were mainly H. verticillata and V. natans in different submerged plant communities. The chlorophyll content of H. verticillata is higher than that of V.natans,and the photosynthesis intensity of H. verticillata is stronger than that of V. natans. The value of Ca / Cb of H. verticillata is not large,which shows that the light-harvesting capacity of H. verticillata＇s chlorophyll is considerable in different sampling sites. The highest value of QY-max of V.natans is up to 0. 732,while the lowest value is only 0. 465; the highest value of QY-max of H. verticillata is 0. 677,while the lowest value is 0. 556.All values of QY-max of the submerged plants were lower than 0. 8,which shows that the submerged plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake may be subjected to certain external stress,which indicates that the external stress might cause some damage for the PSII reaction centers.

Analysis of Steady-state Characters of Aquatic Environment and Dynamic Changes in the Biomass of Submerged Plants in Dongqian Lake

To study the eutrophic status of Dongqian Lake,the contents of total nitrogen（ TN）,total phosphorus（ TP） and chlorophyll（ Chla） and the biomass of submerged plants in Dongqian Lake were monitored from April to September 2014,and their correlations were discussed. The results showed that there were regular changes in the TN,TP,and Chla content,and the biomass of submerged plants in Dongqian Lake,that is,the water quality of the lake was inferior in the early growth period of submerged plants and phytoplankton. The correlation analysis showed that the biomass of submerged plants correlated with TP and TN content negatively. In a word,the increase in the biomass of submerged plants was a key factor leading to the shift of water quality in Dongqian Lake in the later period,indicating that submerged plants played an important role in the steady-state shift of aquatic environment in Dongqian Lake.

Synergistic effect of vermiculite and submerged plants on lake sediments

The synergistic effect of vermiculite and the submerged macrophytes Vallisneria spiralis and Hydrilla verticillata on lake sediment was studied using diffusive gradients in thin films(DGT)technology.The dynamics of phosphorus(P)fractions in sediment,the labile-P and labile-S in the water-sediment continuum,and the microbial community in the rhizosphere were studied.Vermiculite effectively promoted reproduction of microorganisms in the sediments Microbial abundance in treatments containing V.spiralis with sediments containing 10%added vermiculite,and H.verticillata containing 50%added vermiculite being 1.7 and 3.5 times higher than the controls which contained no added vermiculite.Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria populations,which are both beneficial for the sediment microenvironment,were higher in treatment groups containing vermiculite.The bioavailable-P in treatment groups containing added vermiculite was lower at the sediment-water interface,with a correlating decrease of TP by between 63%and 91%in the overlying water.This suggests that vermiculite can affect the release of labile P and facilitate the assimilation of nutrients by macrophyte roots.Additionally,vermiculite can improve the Oxidation-Reduction potential and further reduce sulfide toxicity to plants.These results provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the application of vermiculite combined with submerged plants for the remediation of eutrophic lakes.

Metagenomic insights into the effects of submerged plants on functional potential of microbial communities in wetland sediments

Submerged plants in wetlands play important roles as ecosystem engineers to improve self-purification and promote elemental cycling.However,their effects on the functional capacity of microbial communities in wetland sediments remain poorly understood.Here,we provide detailed metagenomic insights into the biogeochemical potential of microbial communities in wetland sediments with and without submerged plants(i.e.,Vallisneria natans).A large number of functional genes involved in carbon(C),nitrogen(N)and sulfur(S)cycling were detected in the wetland sediments.However,most functional genes showed higher abundance in sediments with submerged plants than in those without plants.Based on the comparison of annotated functional genes in the N and S cycling databases(i.e.,NCycDB and SCycDB),we found that genes involved in nitrogen fixation(e.g.,nifD/H/K/W),assimilatory nitrate reduction(e.g.,nasA and nirA),denitrification(e.g.,nirK/S and nosZ),assimilatory sulfate reduction(e.g.,cysD/H/J/N/Q and sir),and sulfur oxidation(e.g.,glpE,soeA,sqr and sseA)were significantly higher(correctedp<0.05)in vegetated vs.unvegetated sediments.This could be mainly driven by environmental factors including total phosphorus,total nitrogen,and C:N ratio.The binning of metagenomes further revealed that some archaeal taxa could have the potential of methane metabolism including hydrogenotrophic,acetoclastic,and methylotrophic methanogenesis,which are crucial to the wetland methane budget and carbon cycling.This study opens a new avenue for linking submerged plants with microbial functions,and has further implications for understanding global carbon,nitrogen and sulfur cycling in wetland ecosystems.

Effects of P-Cd-Zn Interactions on the Absorption and Accumulation of Submerged Macro-phytes to P,Cd and Zn

[Objective] This study was to explore the effects of P-Cd-Zn interactions on the absorption and accumulation of submerged plants to P,Cd and Zn.[Method]Employing the hydroponic culture to simulate the Cd,Zn heavy metal contamination and P eutrophication environment,we studied the effects of P-Cd-Zn interactions on the absorption and accumulation of submerged plants to P,Cd and Zn.[Result]For Hydrilla verticillata,in the presence of 0-1 mg/L P,it showed a synergy relationship with low concentrations of Cd and Zn,suggesting that P could promote the absorption and accumulation of plants to Cd and Zn.For Elodea nuttallii,in the presence of 5-50 mg/L P,it showed an antagonistic relationship with high concentrations of Cd and Zn.The contents of both Cd and Zn in plants showed a declining trend with the increase of P concentration.H.verticillata and E.nuttallii had an equilibrium threshold of absorption and accumulation to P（20-23 mg/g）.[Conclusion]When the heavy metals and eutrophication pollutions both existed in the lake environment at the same time,the stress of heavy metal on plants is the major cause of pollution,while eutrophication can to some extent alleviate the toxic effect of heavy metals to plants.

Interactions between a cyanobacterial bloom (Microcystis) and the submerged aquatic plant Ceratophyllum oryzetorum Kom.

In aquatic ecosystems, macrophytes and phytoplankton are main primary producers, in which macrophyte plays an important role in maintaining clear water state, while phytoplankton often dominates in turbid waterbodies. In the present study, the growth and photosynthetic activity of the submerged aquatic plant Ceratophyllum oryzetorum Kom. in different cell densities of cyanobacterial bloom are studied. The results show that the plant length and fresh mass of C. oryzetorum are promoted by low cyanobacterial cell densities. Medium and high cyanobacterial cell densities, on the contrary, act as inhibitory. Furthermore, the photosynthetic activity of C. oryzetorum is strongly inhibited by high cyanobacterial cell densities. To a certain extent, the growth of cyanobacteria is inhibited by C. oryzetorurn, but no significant effect is found in this study.

Beyond hypoxia: Occurrence and characteristics of black blooms due to the decomposition of the submerged plant Potamogeton crispus in a shallow lake

Organic matter-induced black blooms （hypoxia and an offensive odor） are a serious ecosystem disasters that have occurred in some large eutrophic shallow lakes in China. In this study, we investigated two separate black blooms that were induced by Potamogeton crispus in Lake Taihu, China. The main physical and chemical characteristics, including color- and odor-related substances, of the black blooms were analyzed. The black blooms were characterized by low dissolved oxygen concentration （close to 0 mg/L）, low oxidation-reduction potential, and relatively low pH of overlying water. Notably higher Fe^2＋ and ∑S2- were found in the black-bloom waters than in waters not affected by black blooms. The black color of the water may be attributable to the high concentration of these elements, as black FeS was considered to be the main substance causing the black color of blooms in freshwater lakes. Volatile organic sulfur compounds, including dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide, were very abundant in the black-bloom waters. The massive anoxic degradation of dead Potamogeton crispus plants released dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide, which were the main odor-causing compounds in the black blooms. The black blooms also induced an increase in ammonium nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus levels in the overlying waters. This extreme phenomenon not only heavily influenced the original lake ecosystem but also greatly changed the cycling of Fe, S, and nutrients in the water column.

Restoration of hyper-eutrophic water with a modularized and air adjustable constructed submerged plant bed

A modularized and air adjustable constructed submerged plant bed(CSPB)which can be used to restore the eutrophic water is introduced in this paper.This plant bed helps hydrophyte grow under poor conditions such as frequently changed water depth,impaired water transparency,algae bloom and substantial duckweed in summer,which are not naturally suitable for growing hydrophyte.This pilot study in Waihuan River of Tianjin,China,revealed that reduction of Chemical Oxygen Demand(COD),Total Nitrogen(TN)and Total Phosphorus(TP)by the use of CSPB could be reached 30%-35%,35%-40%,30%-40%respectively in the growing season(from March to October)and 5%-10%,5%-15%,7%-20%respectively in the winter(from November to February)when the detention time was 6 d.The relationships between the concentration of COD,TN,TP and the detention time fit the first-order kinetic equation well and the coefficients of determination(R^(2))were all above 0.9.The attenuation coefficients k of the kinetic equation were a function of the water temperature.When the water temperature was quite low or quite high,k was not significantly changed with increasing or decreasing water temperature.While when the temperature was in a moderate range,an increase or decrease of water temperature would lead to a rapid increase or decrease in k.

The effects of water depth on the growth and reproduction of Potamogeton crispus in an in situ experiment

Aims Water level is one of the most important determinants of the distri-bution and composition of submersed aquatic vegetation in shal-low lakes.Without changes in nutrient loading,large-scale declines in submerged macrophytes in shallow lakes are largely attributed to strong external or internal forces,including changes in water level.As a winter-active submerged macrophyte,Potamogeton crispus has important functions in aquatic ecosystem.The objec-tives of our study were to reveal the effects of water depths on the germination,growth,reproduction and morphological changes of P.crispus under natural environmental conditions;identify the optimum water depth range for colonization of P.crispus;and pre-dict the succession course for P.crispus in Lake Taihu.Methods A long-term in situ experiment was performed to study the effects of water depth on the growth and morphology of P.crispus across the entire life cycle.Plants were grown in the improved cross type of rhizotrons for 30 weeks at three different water depths(60,120 and 200 cm)in Dongtaihu Bay of Lake Taihu.We measured the plant height,root length,the length and width of leaves and counted the numbers of leaves,ramets,turion spikes and roots of each plant on each observation day during the experiment.Important Findings Water depths ranging from 60 to 120 cm were favourable for above-ground vegetation growth,root tissue growth and the reproductive ability of P.crispus.At water depth of 200 cm or beyond,the distri-bution of P.crispus will be limited in the following year because of the lack of turion formation and the severe inhibition of ramet pro-duction.The relationship between above-ground biomass and growth time at three different water depths fits a logistic growth curve well(P<0.001).The rapid growth and distribution with high density of P.crispus at water depth near 60 cm during the reproductive stage is not favourable for growth of other submerged species.So a continuous water depth of~60-120 cm is the optimum growth depth range for the conservation and restoration of P.crispus in Lake Taihu.In addi-tion,the morphological parameters values acquired can replace or provide the ranges for the value of GmaxSB(the maximum growth rate of submerged plants,in the unit of d^(−1))obtained via calibration in the control equations of submerged plant growth in the Eco-Taihu model,which is a three-dimensional ecological model of Lake Taihu.

Compound-specific δD and its hydrological and environmental implication in the lakes on the Tibetan Plateau

The hydrogen isotopic composition(δD) of n-alkanes in lacustrine sediments is widely used in palaeoenvironmental studies, but the heterogeneous origins and relative contributions of these lipids provide challenges for the interpretation of the increasing dataset as an environment and climatic proxy. We systematically investigated n-alkane δD values from 51 submerged plants(39 Potamogeton, 1 Myriophyllum, and 11 Ruppia), 13 algae(5 Chara, 3 Cladophora, and 5 Spirogyra) and 20 terrestrial plants(10 grasses and 10 shrubs) in and around 15 lakes on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results demonstrate that δD values of C_(29) nalkane are correlated significantly with the lake water δD values both for algae(R^2=0.85, p<0.01, n=9) and submerged plants(R^2=0.90, p<0.01, n=25), indicating that δD values of these algae and submerged plants reflect the δD variation of lake water. We find that apparent hydrogen isotope fractionation factors between individual n-alkanes and water(εa/w) are not constant among different algae and submerged plants, as well as in a single genus under different liminological conditions, indicating that the biosynthesis or environmental conditions(e.g. salinity) may affect their δD values. The δD values of submerged plant Ruppia in the Xiligou Lake(a closed lake) are significant enriched in D than those of terrestrial grasses around the lake(one-way ANOVA,p<0.01), but the algae Chara in the Keluke Lake(an open lake) display similar δD values with grasses around the lake(one-way ANOVA, p=0.826>0.05), suggesting that the n-alkane δD values of the algae and submerged plants record the signal of D enrichment in lake water relative to precipitation only in closed lakes in arid and semi-arid area. For each algae and submerged plant sample, we find uniformed δD values of different chain length n-alkanes, implying that, in combination with other proxies such as Paq and Average Chain Length, the offset between the δD values of different chain length n-alkanes can help determine the source of sedimentary n-alkanes as well as inferring the hydrological characteristics of an ancient lake basin(open vs closed lake).