Regulation of submersed macrophyte biomass in a temperate lowland river: Interactions between shading by bank vegetation, epiphyton and water turbidity

Abstract

Growth of aquatic vegetation is often controlled by light supply, which is potentially decreased by bank vegetation, water turbidity and epiphytic biofilm. To understand the relative importance of these shading factors and the interactions between them we analysed the seasonal course of macrophyte biomass, shading by bank vegetation, turbidity of the water column and epiphytic light absorption in shaded and sunny sections of a temperate eutrophic lowland river. At a shaded site, bank vegetation decreased the light supply by 79%, 0.5 m water column by 45% and 2-week-old epiphyton by 28% during the vegetation period. Growth of submersed macrophytes, but not of epiphyton, was light-limited in the shaded sections. We found a saturation-type correlation between light supply and macrophyte biomass. Therefore, the additional light absorption of the water column or epiphyton only shortened the period of optimum light supply at the sunny site, but was crucial for macrophyte development at the shaded site. Light absorption of phytoplankton was most important in spring and that of epiphyton in late summer. Submersed macrophytes effectively retained particles and thus improved light supply of downstream stands, but this positive feedback effect was only relevant for shaded sections in summer.