Production potential of aquatic plants in systems mixing floating and submerged macrophytes

Abstract

1. To investigate whether the areal production of aquatic plant systems can be increased by growing floating and submerged plants together, the floating fern Azolla filiculoides was grown at six densities and two nutrient availabilities in the presence and absence of the submerged macrophyte Elodea canadensis.2. High nutrient availability did not affect the total areal biomass production, but raised the internal N concentration of Azolla and Elodea by 34% and 152%, respectively, and the internal P concentration by 50% and 378%.3. High Azolla density reduced Elodea production, whereas Elodea did not affect the production of Azolla. A maximal total production of 4.0 g DW m−2 day−1 was obtained at an Azolla density at and above full surface cover, when Elodea contribute with less than 10% to the total. This contribution did not raise the combined production of Azolla and Elodea significantly above the production of Azolla grown alone. Thus, maximum production was not enhanced by growing floating and submerged macrophytes together.