Hydrostatic pressure as the controlling factor in the depth distribution of Eurasian watermilfoil,Myriophyllum spicatum L.

These experimental studies have shown that this plant will grow successfully at pressures encountered in water at depths as great as 17 m. When there were suitable levels of light, temperature, nutrients and aeration, the plants grown under constant hydrostatic pressure for three weeks showed variations in the measured amounts of new growth but no measure could be associated with the constant increased hydrostatic pressure. Sudden changes in pressure are thought to play a significant role in aquatic plant growth under experimental conditions.