Abstract
The common reed Phragmites australis (CAV.) TRIN. ex STEUDAL, flote grass Glyceria fluitans (L.) R. BR. and reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea (L.), were grown in six specially constructed field ponds in which the nutrient levels varied by influencing water runoff from the field and by varying fertilizer application to the soil. Culm anatomy was quantified by measuring the culm width and the widths of the sclerenchyma and parenchyma rings in transverse sections. Nutrient (N, P, K) concentrations in the water were measured in each pond. Associations between attributes of the plants and water chemistry were investigated using correlation analysis. Thicker culms with narrow sclerenchyma rings were strongly associated with elevated levels of N, P and K in all three species but the canonical correlation was greatest for Phragmites, indicating that this plant has greatest potential for use as a biotic indicator of nutrient status.
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