Spatial patterns and determinants of wetland vegetation distribution in the Kumasi Metropolis,Ghana

The contribution of wetlands to livelihood in the forms of resources of direct consumptive uses, fishing and agriculture are of great importance to riparian communities in sub-Saharan Africa. It is unfortunate to note that these same areas are being degraded and converted to informal settlements through uncontrolled urbanisation. To improve urban environments and meet the various development targets, efforts are being made to rid sub-Saharan African cities of these informal wetland associated slums. The difficulty, however, lies in delineating wetland boundaries. This research is therefore aimed at determining the vegetation diversity of wetlands in Kumasi, Ghana and to identify and characterise the typical urban wetland and factors that influence the small scale heterogeneity in distribution of the wetland vegetation. Ten relatively large wetland sites associated with streams within the Kumasi Metropolis were selected for this study. Sampling in each site was done using 1 m² quadrats laid at 10 m intervals from the water channel. All plant species in each quadrat were identified. The soil and hydrologic conditions of each site were studied. A total of 112 species were identified in the 10 study sites. The study sites were found to be significantly different from each other in environmental conditions and species distribution. Species in these study sites could, however, be grouped into clusters according to the presence or absence of surface water. A wetland in Kumasi was found to be typified by high percentage organic carbon with Thelypteris palustris as the dominant species.     

Riparian vegetation change in upstream and downstream reaches of three temperate rivers dammed for hydroelectric generation in British Columbia,Canada

River flow regulation by dams for hydroelectric generation has been a common practice worldwide for centuries, with diverse ecological impacts. We studied upstream and downstream reaches of three British Columbia Hydro reservoirs on the Allouette, Coquitlam, and Cheakamus Rivers to determine if riparian plant communities were affected by the dams. We determined cover of all plants in consecutive 1 m² quadrats along five to six 14 m-long belt transects in each 300 m upstream and downstream sections of these rivers. We encountered 166 plant species in a total of 448 quadrats. Differences in plant communities (abundance, species richness, diversity) amongst rivers were larger than that between the upstream versus downstream of the rivers. This suggests that any difference caused by reservoir management was within the natural range of variation found across the rivers. We found significant reductions in the occurrences of red alder and western red cedar downstream of reservoirs. The lack of regeneration of these two species may be attributable to the reduction in extremes of flow variation and lack of sediment transport due to the reservoirs. Coordinated flow management can help mitigate these downstream impacts.     

Clonal plants and plant species diversity in wetland ecosystems in China

Abstract. Clonal plants play important roles in maintaining wetland ecosystems in China. By analysing 108 wetland quadrats distributed throughout China, we evaluated (1) the importance of clonal growth forms in different Chinese wetlands, (2) how the abundance of clonal plants is related to climatic and geographical conditions, and (3) how plant species diversity is related to the abundance of clonal plants. Significant differences in clonal plant importance values were found between different regions of China. Clonal plants were more important in wetland ecosystems located towards the West and North and at higher elevations and, accordingly, experiencing a colder and drier climate. Plant species diversity showed a significant inverse correlation with the importance value of ‘guerilla’‐type plants in most of the wetland regions. However, we found no significant correlation between plant species diversity and importance values of ‘phalanx’‐type plants. In most Chinese wetlands, plant species diversity decreased with increasing importance of guerilla plants and also with an increase of the entire guild of clonal plants. In wetlands with low species richness, however, plant species diversity increased with increasing importance of guerilla plants and of all clonal plants together, suggesting that in these disturbed habitats clonal growth may facilitate the establishment of other, non‐clonal wetland plants.     

鄱阳湖南矶湿地优势植物群落及土壤有机质和营养元素分布特征

湿地植物和土壤是承担湿地诸多生态功能的主要基质和载体,相互之间有着强烈的影响。湿地土壤影响植物的种类、数量、生长发育、形态和分布,湿地植物又影响土壤中元素的分布与变化。鄱阳湖湿地的植物和土壤的特征及由他们带来的候鸟栖息地价值都受到他们之间的相互作用以及湖泊水位不同频率和幅度波动的影响。研究鄱阳湖湿地植物和土壤的特征及其形成原因和相互关系。为此,从2010年10月到2011年10月,对鄱阳湖湿地不同水位梯度下分布的芦苇、南荻、苔草、虉草和刚毛荸荠5个优势植物群落中57个定点样方展开了月度植被调查并且对5个不同植物群落下的135个土壤样品进行了实验室分析,研究了鄱阳湖优势植物群落及湿地土壤中有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾含量的分布特征及其相互关系。研究结果表明,鄱阳湖湿地优势植物群落分布特征受湿地土壤元素分布特征、湖面水位波动及植物生长特性和土壤沉积及土壤养分的综合影响,呈现了沿水位和海拔梯度明显的条带状或弧状分布、从湖岸到湖心依次分布为:狗牙根群落、芦苇群落、南荻群落、苔草群落、虉草群落、刚毛荸荠群落,最后是水生植物。同时植物群落的组成和分布特征也随季节性水位涨落的变化而变化;土壤有机质及其他各元素含量特征受植物群落分布、水位波动规律及湿地土壤特性等各种因素的影响,呈现出相对一致的分布规律,在0—20cm土壤层含量较高,20cm层后随土壤深度的增加含量逐渐减小,减小的速度先快后慢直至40cm层后趋于稳定;不同植物群落对土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾的含量及变化具有很大的影响,不同植物群落下同种元素含量差异显著,并且各自随土壤深度和植物群落的变化呈现出层状、带状或弧状富集特征。不同植物群落对土壤养分元素含量影响程度不同,苔草群落对各元素吸收和滞留能力最强、影响最大,刚毛荸荠群落对土壤营养元素影响最弱。湿地植物群落和土壤之间彼此有着强烈的影响,其中植株的重量和土壤的SOC、TN及TP含量有非常显著的负相关关系,与土壤TK含量则有较强的正相关关系,同时,植株的重量和高度与土壤地下水埋深也有微弱的负相关关系。     

Severe plant invasions can increase mycorrhizal fungal abundance and diversity

Invasions by non-native plants can alter ecosystem functions and reduce native plant diversity, but relatively little is known about their effect on belowground microbial communities. We show that invasions by knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) and leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula, hereafter spurge)—but not cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum)—support a higher abundance and diversity of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) than multi-species native plant communities. The higher AMF richness associated with knapweed and spurge is unlikely due to a co-invasion by AMF, because a separate sampling showed that individual native forbs hosted a similar AMF abundance and richness as exotic forbs. Native grasses associated with fewer AMF taxa, which could explain the reduced AMF richness in native, grass-dominated communities. The three invasive plant species harbored distinct AMF communities, and analyses of co-occurring native and invasive plants indicate that differences were partly driven by the invasive plants and were not the result of pre-invasion conditions. Our results suggest that invasions by mycotrophic plants that replace poorer hosts can increase AMF abundance and richness. The high AMF richness in monodominant plant invasions also indicates that the proposed positive relationship between above and belowground diversity is not always strong. Finally, the disparate responses among exotic plants and consistent results between grasses and forbs suggest that AMF respond more to plant functional group than plant provenance.     

Conversion from natural wetlands to paddy field alters the composition of soil bacterial communities in Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

The Sanjiang Plain is the largest freshwater wetlands in Northeast China. In order to feed the growing population, about 84 % of the wetlands in this area have been converted to farmland, especially to paddy fields, since the 1950s. However, little is known about the influence of this conversion on soil microbial community composition. In this study, soil samples were collected from two natural wetlands dominated by plant species Carex lasiocarpa and Deyeuxia angustifolia and from a neighboring paddy field that was changed from wetland more than 10 years ago. The composition and diversity of bacterial communities in the soils were estimated by clone library analysis of nearly full length of 16S rDNA sequences. The results revealed that bacterial diversity was higher in paddy fields, and that the composition of bacterial communities differed among the three samples; the difference was more notable between the paddy field and two natural wetlands than between two natural wetlands. The distribution of clones into different bacterial phyla differed among soil samples, and the conversion from natural wetlands to paddy field increased the abundance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes but decreased the abundance of Chloroflexi. About 63 % and 71 % of clones from two natural wetlands and 49 % of clones from the paddy field had <93 % similarity with known bacteria, suggesting that the majority of bacteria in natural wetland soils in the Sanjiang Plain are phylogenetically novel. In general, this study demonstrated that long-term conversion from natural wetlands to paddy field changes soil bacterial communities in the Sanjiang Plain.     

Variation in species composition and diversity of wetland communities under different disturbance intensity in the Sanjiang plain

In this study, ditch density was chosen as an indicator of disturbance intensity, and four sites with different ditch density were chosen to compare species composition and diversity among them. Four transects and sixty-seven quadrats were sampled along the ditch density gradient. The results showed that there existed a significant negative relationship between disturbance intensity and species parameters, while species diversity did not differ greatly among sites, but species composition varied considerably. With increasing disturbance intensity, the wetlands tended to be reduced in plant species diversity, and an increasing loss of indigenous wetland species was paralleled with an increasing invasion of upland species. The results also show that the rate of species turnover within communities differed among communities under different disturbance intensities. The communities with intermediate ditch density (0.6-1.2 km/km²) had higher rates than the other communities.     

三江平原不同强度干扰下湿地植物群落的物种组成和多样性变化

以三江平原湿地-农田景观中沟渠的密度作为反映干扰强度的指标,研究了不同沟渠密度下湿地斑块植物群落的物种组成和多样性变化.结果表明:(1)在不同的干扰强度下,湿地植物群落的物种组成差异很大, 随干扰强度增大,原有湿生物种减少,而中湿生、中生物种显著增加;(2)湿地植物群落的多样性随干扰强度的增大,整体上呈降低趋势,群落多样性在中等沟渠密度下(0.6～1.2km/km2)达到最大,但不同沟渠密度下群落间多样性差异基本不显著;(3)位点间的干扰强度差异越大,Whittaker指数值越高;(4)不同的干扰强度下,各湿地斑块内部的物种周转速率同样在沟渠密度中等(0.6～1.2km/km2)时最高.     

Diversity of terrestrial isopods in the supralittoral zone of Ghar El Melh lagoon (Tunisia)

In Tunisia, while wetlands are considered as remarkable habitats for their faunal and floral diversity, few studies on the species diversity of terrestrial isopods were performed. To fill this gap, the spatio‐temporal distribution of Oniscidea at Ghar El Melh lagoon (north‐east of Tunisia) was analysed. Sampling was carried out with 50 × 50 cm quadrats along a perpendicular transect to the shoreline. Nine species of terrestrial isopods belonging to seven genera were identified. Chaetophiloscia elongata Dollfus, 1884 was the most abundant species in all seasons except for summer; its relative abundance ranged from 38.9% to 77% in summer and autumn, respectively. Hill diversity indices ranged from 0.86 to 0.94 and equitability indices from 0.33 and 0.68. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference of isopod species and plant associations among seasons.     

Comparative study of ecological indices for assessing human-induced disturbance in coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Several ecological indices have been developed to evaluate the wetland quality in the Laurentian Great Lakes. One index, the water quality index (WQI) can be widely applied to wetlands and produces accurate measurements of wetland condition. The WQI measures the degree of water quality degradation as a result of nutrient enrichment and road runoff. The wetland fish index (WFI), wetland zooplankton index (WZI), and the wetland macrophyte index (WMI), are all derived from the statistical relationships of biotic communities along a gradient of deteriorating water quality. Compared to the WQI, these indices are less labor-intensive, cost less, and have the potential to produce immediate results. We tested the relative sensitivity of each biotic index for 32 Great Lakes wetlands relative to the WQI and to each other. The WMI (r² = 0.84) and WFI (r² = 0.75) had significant positive relationships (P < 0.0001) with the WQI in a linear and polynomial fashion. Slopes of the WMI and WFI were similar when comparing the polynomial regressions (ANCOVA; P = 0.117) but intercepts were significantly different (P = 0.004). The WZI had a positive relationship with the WQI in degraded wetlands and a negative relationship in minimally impacted wetlands. The strengths and weaknesses of each index can be explained by the interactions among fish, zooplankton, aquatic plants and water chemistry. The distribution of different species indicative of low and high quality in each index provides insight into the relative wetland community composition in different parts of the Great Lakes and helps to explain the differences in index scores when different organisms are used. Our findings suggest that the WMI and WFI produce comparable results but the WZI should not be used in the minimally impacted wetlands without further study.     

Historical changes in herbaceous wetland distribution induced by hydrological conditions in Lake Saint-Pierre (St. Lawrence River,Quebec, Canada)

Historical changes (1961–2002) in the distribution of herbaceous wetland plant associations were inferred from the hydrological regime of Lake Saint-Pierre, a 312 km² broadening of the St. Lawrence River (Quebec, Canada), to assess the cumulative effects of human interventions and climatic variability. Relative abundance index (height × percent cover) of wetland plants in 630 field quadrats sampled at 13 sites (1999–2002) were used to derive a model predicting the occurrence of nine herbaceous plant classes with a 71% (24–84%) accuracy. Wetland types included seasonally dry (meadows), mudflats and wet (low marshes and submerged) assemblages. Over the 1961–2002 period, the total surface area of Lake Saint-Pierre herbaceous wetlands ranged between 11 (in 1972) and 128 (in 2001) km² and was negatively correlated (Spearman r = –0.86, p < 0.0001) to average water level during the current growing season. Within-season variability and level conditions over the previous season defined 5 marsh assemblages characterized by different species composition, relative abundance and diversity. Significant hydrological variables included quadrat elevation, water depth, number of days flooded and depth variability experienced over the current and/or previous growth seasons. The hydrological model suggests that for a given level, wetland plant assemblages differed markedly whether the multi-year sequence of water levels was rising or falling. Lake Saint-Pierre alternated between three broad-scale wetland configurations, dominated by meadows and open marsh with floating-leaved vegetation (in the 1960s), scattered tall Scirpus marshes (in the 1970s and early 1980s) and closed marsh with aggressive emergents (since 1996). The strong response of Lake Saint-Pierre wetlands to hydrological conditions in the current and previous growth seasons underlines their vulnerability to future water level variations resulting from regulation and climate variability.     

Role of macrophytes as microhabitats for zooplankton community in lentic freshwater ecosystems of South Korea

Zooplankton community distribution depends largely on the microhabitat characteristics of the water body. It has been reported that macrophytes provide microhabitats for zooplankton (e.g., space and food resources). To date, studies have focused on the overall influence of macrophytes on zooplankton (e.g., positive relationships with zooplankton diversity); however, the morphological characteristics of macrophytes have not been intensively studied. To fill this gap in knowledge, we investigated zooplankton abundance and diversity, macrophyte characteristics (types, dry weight, and species number), and physicochemical parameters (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and chlorophyll a) by using the 1 × 1 m quadrat method. We surveyed 164 wetlands in South Korea during spring (May to June), prior to the summer monsoon. Patterning zooplankton distribution was accomplished using a Self-organizing map (SOM). We used 34 input variables (zooplankton genera) to train the model. The distribution of five plant habit parameters (no plant, emergent, free-floating, floating-leaved, and submerged) was investigated with a trained SOM plane, by environment data masking. Based on a U-matrix, three clusters were identified from the model. Zooplankton assemblages were positively related to macrophyte characteristics (i.e., dry weight, species number, and plant type). In particular, free-floating plants supported rotifers, such as Testudinella, and cladocerans, such as Alona, Chydorus, Diaphanosoma, and Ilyocryptus (mostly epiphytic). Submerged plants were associated with planktonic rotifers, such as Filinia, Ploesoma, Synchaeta, cladocerans, such as Daphnia, and copepods, such as Eucyclops and Macrocyclops. On the basis of these results, we suggest that the microhabitat structure, created by macrophytes, is an important factor in determining the diversity and abundance of zooplankton communities, because the different species compositions of macrophytes support diverse zooplankton genera in these habitats. The results indicate that macrophytes are the key components of lentic freshwater ecosystem heterogeneity, and the inclusion of diverse plant species in wetland construction or restoration schemes will result in ecologically healthy food webs.     

筑坝扩容下高原湿地拉市海植物群落分布格局及其变化

基于遥感与地理信息系统技术、结合实地调查与验证,对高原湿地拉市海筑坝扩容13a来湿地植物群落类型、物种组成、空间分布格局进行研究,对比分析筑坝扩容前后植物群落变化特征。结果表明,拉市海当前分布有水葱 (Scirpus tabernaemontani)、两栖蓼 (Polygonum amphibium) 等2个挺水植物群落,鸭子草 (Potamogeton tepperi)、菱 (Trapa bispinosa)等2个浮叶植物群落,穗状狐尾藻 (Myriophyllum spicatum)、篦齿眼子菜 (Potamogeton pectinatus)、菹草 (Potamogeton crispus)、穿叶眼子草 (Potamogeton perfoliatus)、小叶眼子菜 (Potamogeton pusillns)等5个沉水植物群落,草甸植被分布于湖周。湿地植物物种共计61种,隶属于25科、48属,物种丰富度随沉水→浮叶→挺水→草甸逐渐增加。沉水植物群落分布面积最大(615.08 hm²),其次是草甸(214.60 hm²)、浮叶植物群落(140.01 hm²),挺水植物群落分布面积最小 (9.34 hm²),群落垂直层次随沉水→浮叶→挺水呈复杂化的趋势。筑坝13a来,拉市海植物群落类型从单一的沉水型植物群落发展成为由沉水、浮叶、挺水型组成的、水平空间多样化配置的湿地植被系统,其中穗状狐尾藻、篦齿眼子菜、小眼子菜等植物群落在筑坝蓄水13a后没有发生演替得以保留,而扇叶水毛茛(Butrachium bungei)、马来眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)和轮藻(Chara spp.)群落发生演替而消失。研究掌握了筑坝扩容下拉市海湿地植物群落分布格局及其变化特征,为科学评估筑坝蓄水对湿地生态系统的影响提供了基础性数据,同时也为水文改变下高原湿地生态系统的保护、管理以及资源可持续利用提供了一定的理论依据。     

Plant community recovery after herbicide management to remove Phragmites australis in Great Lakes coastal wetlands

Invasive plants, such as Phragmites australis, are a global threat to plant diversity and are commonly controlled using herbicide management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the plant community response 6–10 years after large‐scale herbicide management to remove Phragmites from Great Lakes coastal wetlands along the shores of western Lake Erie. Vegetation surveys were conducted in nine wetlands undergoing herbicide management and four unmanaged Phragmites‐dominated wetlands. The relative percent cover of Phragmites was dramatically lower in the managed (1.3%) compared to unmanaged wetlands (93.0%; p < 0.001), although relative percent cover of other non‐natives following herbicide management averaged 39.2% (ranging from 6.4 to 67.6%). The cover‐weighted floristic quality index was significantly higher in managed wetlands (p < 0.01), with the highest indices (12.4–17.0) at sites that received prescribed fire after herbicide treatment (p < 0.05). Species richness and diversity were significantly higher in managed wetlands (p < 0.001); however, there was no significant difference between wetlands treated only with herbicide and those treated with herbicide and prescribed fire. Our results indicate that herbicide management is effective in reducing Phragmites and improving floristic quality over timescales of 6–10 years. However, continued spot‐treatment and management of new invasive species may be required, and the return of high‐quality plant communities may be unrealistic in the study region.     

Plant responses to nutrient addition and predictive ability of vegetation N:P ratio in an austral fen

1. Previous studies of the N:P ratio in wetland plants have been carried out in northern hemisphere wetlands where atmospheric nitrogen deposition is higher. There is little research on foliar N:P ratio as a potential indicator of nutrient limitation in vegetation communities in southern hemisphere wetlands. This study aimed to redress this knowledge gap and answer the following questions: how well does the plant tissue nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P) ratio predict wetland plant community nutrient limitation, as indicated by vegetation standing stocks and below-ground biomass, in southern hemisphere fens? Secondly, what are the impacts of realistic upper levels of farm nutrient run-off on natural montane fen vegetation?
2. Low (35 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) and high (70 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) levels of nitrate-N or ammonium-N with and without P (20 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) were added to 81 vegetation plots over a period of 2.75 years. Species composition, plant nutrient status, and above-ground live vegetation standing stocks were assessed after 3 years, and below-ground biomass after 2 years.
3. Plant tissue analysis suggested the community was N limited or N and P co-limited; we found greater standing stocks of vegetation in plots treated with 70 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ ammonium-N, indicating N limitation. No difference between other treatments was found in above-ground standing stocks or below-ground biomass. Plant species cover increased in both high N treatments, consistent with N limitation. These changes in plant species cover were accompanied by significant decreases in species richness in both high N treatments. Native species dominated the vegetation and this was unaffected by nutrient addition (90% cover).
4. This is one of the first studies to test and find support for the N:P ratio in southern hemisphere wetlands. Observed declines in species richness after N fertilisation in an N-limited fen suggests increased N may pose risks to austral wetlands. Responses by plant communities (changes in composition, biomass) to lower levels of nutrient addition may require longer periods of fertilisation to be apparent in slow growing ecosystems.

     

人为干扰对滇池湖滨区湿地高等植物种类组成的影响

引种高等植物构建半自然湿地生态系统,是修复遭受严重污染和破坏的湖泊湿地的重要方法之一.以2011-2012年滇池湖滨区26个样点128个样方的调查数据为基础,结合1960-1970年的研究资料,探讨了人为活动对滇池湖滨区高等植物种类的影响.结果表明: 2012年在滇池湖滨区共发现湿地高等植物88科299种,其中本土植物181种,外来植物118种(包括32种入侵物种);在42种水生植物中,13种为外来植物(包括2种入侵物种).与1960-1970年资料相比,新记录植物232种、已消失植物43种.其中,沉水植物、漂浮植物和浮叶植物分别减少了2种、2种和5种,挺水植物增加了8种.目前共有14个植物群落类型,新出现了以大薸、喜旱莲子草等外来植物为优势种的群落类型,而以海菜花、苦草等本土植物为优势种的植物群落已消失.在引种高等植物修复退化湖泊湿地时,应科学合理地选配植物物种,以免人工引发湿地退化.     

Effects of invasive Typha × glauca on wetland nutrient pools,denitrification, and bacterial communities are influenced by time since invasion

Invasive plants dramatically shift the structure of native wetland communities. However, less is known about how they affect belowground soil properties, and how those effects can vary depending on time since invasion. We hypothesized that invasion of a wetland by a widespread invasive plant (Typha × glauca) would result in changes in soil nutrients, denitrification, and bacterial communities, and that these effects would increase with time since invasion. We tested these hypotheses by sampling Typha-invaded sites of different ages (~40, 20, and 13 years), a Typha-free, native vegetation site, and a restored site (previously invaded ~30–40 years ago) but that had Typha return within 2 years of the restoration. At each site, we measured Typha stem density, plant species richness, soil nutrients, denitrification rates, and the abundance and composition of bacterial denitrifier communities. All Typha-dominated sites had the least plant species richness regardless of time since invasion. Additionally, sites that were invaded the longest exhibited significantly higher concentrations of soil organic matter, nitrate, and ammonium than the native site. In contrast, denitrification was higher in sites invaded more recently. Denitrifier diversity for the nirS gene was also significantly different, with highest nirS diversity in sites invaded the longest. Interestingly, the denitrifier communities within the restored site were most similar to the ones in T. × glauca sites, suggesting a legacy effect. Our study suggests this invader can alter important ecosystem properties, such as native species richness, nutrient pools, and transformations, as well as bacterial community composition depending on time since invasion.     

Slashing Phragmites (Phragmites australis) prior to planting does not promote native vegetation establishment

Phragmites or Common Reed (Phragmites australis) is a tall rhizomatous cosmopolitan grass. While native to Australia, it can be invasive in wetlands, forming dense monocultures and reducing their ecological integrity. We assessed the potential for the cutting of Phragmites reeds prior to planting to promote the establishment of indigenous shrubs that might ultimately outcompete Phragmites. We established ten 5 m × 5 m quadrats in an area dominated by Phragmites, brush‐cut the reeds to ground level in five of them and left five uncut as controls. Within each quadrat, we planted 20 plants (~40 cm tall) of each of five indigenous shrub species, unguarded (4 plants/m²). We surveyed the plants one month after planting and annually for the following four years for survival, height and browsing damage. Browsing damage to plants was common (>50%) and unaffected by cutting. After four years, overall plant survival rates were ~25% and mean plant heights for the five shrub species ranged between 120 and 174 cm. Cutting of Phragmites had no positive effect on plant survival or height. In fact, two Melaleuca species grew taller in the uncut quadrats. Cutting of Phragmites reed beds prior to planting is unlikely to promote the establishment of woody plantings. However, planting within established Phragmites with or without prior brush‐cutting is worthy of further trialling as a potential tool for reinstating native diversity at Phragmites‐dominated sites.     

Effects of plant diversity on biomass production and substrate nitrogen in a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland

Most biodiversity experiments have been conducted in grassland ecosystems with nitrogen limitation, while little research has been conducted on relationships between plant biomass production, substrate nitrogen retention and plant diversity in wetlands with continuous nitrogen supply. We conducted a plant diversity experiment in a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland for treating domestic wastewater in southeastern China. Plant aboveground biomass production ranged from 20 to 3121 g m^?2 yr^?1 across all plant communities. In general, plant biomass production was positively correlated with species richness (P = 0.001) and functional group richness (P = 0.001). Substrate nitrate concentration increased significantly with increasing plant species richness (P = 0.046), but not with functional group richness (P = 0.550). Furthermore, legumes did not affect biomass production (P = 0.255), retention of substrate nitrate (P = 0.280) and ammonium (P = 0.269). Compared to the most productive of the corresponding monocultures, transgressive overyielding of mixed plant communities did not occur in most polycultures. Because greater diversity of plant community led to higher biomass production and substrate nitrogen retention, thus we recommend that plant biodiversity should be incorporated in constructed wetlands to improve wastewater treatment efficiency.