Inter-annual variability of Potamogeton perfoliatus stands

Abstract

Yearly differences in the composition and nutrient content of submerged macrophyte stands, mainly of the long-term dominant Potamogeton perfoliatus L. were observed at 10 stations along 83 km route of the Estonian shore of L. Peipsi (total area 3555 km 2) in the period of 1999–2002. Changes consisted in the differences in the presence of plants (three stations), replacement of dominant (one station), removal of mud sediment (one station), mass propagation of Lemna trisulca (all stations) in 1999 and of Cladophora glomerata on P. perfoliatus (six stations) in 2000. The amount of C. glomerata on pondweed, similar to the biomass of host plant, decreased in 2001–2002, whereas markedly thick layer of epiphytic microalgae covered P. perfoliatus in 2002. In the samples of P. perfoliatus collected at the stations of the mass propagation of C. glomerata in the next year, 2001, inflorescences were absent. The appearance of an increase in P. perfoliatus stands was probably associated with improving sediment conditions in the period of low water level in the last observation years. A trend of constant increase in the mean molar N/P ratio in the tissues of P. perfoliatus in the study period (from 17.8 to 25.2) was statistically significant ( p = 0.003). Classical canonical analysis, used to study two complexes correlated between themselves characteristics of P. perfoliatus and environmental conditions, revealed that plant growth factor (including biomass, tissue N%, P% and N/P) was in strong correlation ( p < 0.0001) with water condition factor (including mean temperature in May, sum of temperatures between ice break and sampling, mean water level, N tot and P tot of water in June). More important for water condition factor were mean temperature in May and P tot of water in June. Also the independent significance of water N tot and P tot for pondweeds was tested and confirmed by ANOVA analysis.