Growth and biomass allocation of Ruppia occidentalis in three lakes, differing in salinity

Abstract

The hypothesis that the growth and distribution of Ruppia occidentalis S. Wats. increases with increasing salinity in Alberta lakes was investigated by comparing populations of Ruppia from three lakes, spanning a wide range of total dissolved solids (0.3–6.2‰). Growth and biomass allocation of individuals were correlated with lake chemistry. Plants from the freshwater lake exhibited characters associated with moderate chemical deficiency, including decreased growth rate, decreased reproductive output, and high root:shoot ratios. The proportion of total dry weight decreased in roots and increased in shoots with salinity but varied little among depths within the lake. Changes in shoot dry weight were the result of vertical growth in the saline lakes but the result of horizontal growth through tiller production in the freshwater lake. Although salinity did not affect the reproductive effort in flowering individuals, the number of flowering individuals in the population increased with salinity. The frequency of occurrence and percentage cover of Ruppia within each lake reflect its respective growth rate and reproduction. The within-lake distributions are characterized by significant interactions between salinity and both depth distribution and substratum type. Saline conditions are required by Ruppia and not merely tolerated for maximum growth and reproduction. Its absence from many freshwater lakes is due most likely to chemical constraints on survival or on the competitive ability of Ruppia.