Evaluation of Plant Structure in Urban Lake Ecosystem and Their Performance in Treatment Wetland Systems (TWS) to Maintain Lake Water Quality in Megacity Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Urban lakes have become important city landscape to help maintaining the balance of hydrology (groundwater and surface) and ecology in urban ecosystem. Due to experiencing encroachment and severe pollution problems, the lakes require urgent handling and management. One of the promising alternative solutions of lake restoration and management is applying ecosystem-based approaches and/or green technology such as treatment wetland systems using plants. This paper will review various types of tropical plants (terrestrial and aquatic plants) and evaluate their role in maintaining urban lake water quality in megacity Jakarta and their performance in treatment wetland systems from our previous and on-going studies. Plants with more important role to contribute to improve lake water quality are the submerged and emergent plants. The most common and robust types of aquatic plants in less abundance and balanced plant structure and composition at the lake shoreline and littoral area with controlled submerged plants and no indication of invasive species give better lake water quality of urban lakes. The most robust type of aquatic plants and few types of terrestrial plants studied could give significant nutrient and solids removal efficiency in both constructed and floating treatment wetland systems. Using plants with ecosystem-based approaches according to plant structure at the lake surroundings and in the treatment wetland systems could contribute to maintain better urban lake water quality.