Relationship between biomass and surface area of six submerged aquatic plant species

Abstract

Mathematical relationships relating the biomass to the surface area of Elodea canadensis Michx., Myriophyllum spicatum L., Nitellopsis obtusa (Desv.) J.Gr., Potamogeton lucens L., Potamogeton pectinatus L. and Potamogeton perfoliatus L. were developed. The methods leading to these relations are presented for plants from Lake Geneva (Switzerland). Results include three sets of data for each species: leaves, stems and whole plant. Differences were evidenced according to plant species; for a same biomass E. canadensis and M. spicatum offered the highest surface area, P. pectinatus and N. obtusa the lowest. For 1.0 g dry weight of whole plant, the surface area was 1255 cm 2 for E. canadensis, 1205 cm 2 for M. spicatum, 560 cm 2 for N. obtusa, 653 cm 2 for P. lucens, 500 cm 2 for P. pectinatus, and 762 cm 2 for P. perfoliatus. Plants with dissected morphology did not necessarily offer the largest surface area per unit biomass.