Vegetation and water characteristics of floating mat in a coastal lagoon as the habitat for endangered plant species

Mun Gi Hong,Bo Eun Nam,Jae Geun Kim

doi:10.1186/s41610-018-0090-3

Mun Gi Hong, Bo Eun Nam + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-018-0090-3

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Abstract

BackgroundTo understand the ecological characteristics of floating mat in which endangered species of Iris laevigata and Menyanthes trifoliata inhabit, we surveyed the vegetation and water environments of a floating mat wetland and examined the relations between ecological characteristics of the mat.ResultsAlthough Phragmites australis and Zizania latifolia were found at all experimental quadrats (n = 61) as the major vegetational components of the floating mat wetland, they showed relatively poor growth performances in terms of shoot height (< 2 m) and biomass production (< 300 g/m2) compared with those in soil-based wetlands because of oligotrophic water condition. The competitiveness and distribution of P. australis and Z. latifolia seemed to be determined by water level difference by micro-topography rather than water chemistry.ConclusionP. australis and endangered plant species mainly occurred in the area of relatively shallow water, whereas Z. latifolia and deep-water species such as Scirpus fluviatilis mostly inhabit in the area of deep water on the floating mat. Continuously maintained water level and oligotrophic water condition in the floating mat appeared to be important environments for endangered species such as I. laevigata and M. trifoliata.

Highlights

To understand the ecological characteristics of floating mat in which endangered species of Iris laevigata and Menyanthes trifoliata inhabit, we surveyed the vegetation and water environments of a floating mat wetland and examined the relations between ecological characteristics of the mat
Common reed (Phragmites australis [Cav.] Trin. ex Steud.) and wild rice (Zizania latifolia [Griseb.] Turcz. ex Stapf ) are representative emergent macrophytes that play an important role as major vegetational units in wetland ecosystems (Asaeda et al 2005; Hung et al 2007)
Coverage, and above-ground dry weight (AGDW) of those two species except shoot height were statistically different at the quadrats of each group (P. australis-dominated, n = 54; Z. latifolia-dominated, n = 7)

Summary

Introduction

To understand the ecological characteristics of floating mat in which endangered species of Iris laevigata and Menyanthes trifoliata inhabit, we surveyed the vegetation and water environments of a floating mat wetland and examined the relations between ecological characteristics of the mat. Rapid growth and expansion of P. australis and Z. latifolia in wetlands are based on the vigorous below-ground system. Vigorous below-ground parts possibly enable P. australis and Z. latifolia to form floating mats making them to have a high tolerance to inundated condition (Cherry and Gough 2006). With vigorousness in growth and expansion, those species often exhibit monotypic occupation in wetlands threatening the biodiversity, whereas they occasionally make floating mats functioning as habitats for other species in deep-water wetlands or lakes (Haraguchi 1991; Tuboi and Hussain 2018). It has been noted that floating mats could be adequate habitats for weak competitors, including endangered plant species such as Cicuta virosa L. and Menyanthes trifoliata L. It has been noted that floating mats could be adequate habitats for weak competitors, including endangered plant species such as Cicuta virosa L. and Menyanthes trifoliata L. (Kim et al 2013; Shin et al 2015)

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