Morphological and Physiological Responses to Sediment Type and Light Availability in Roots of the Submerged Plant Myriophyllum spicatum

Both sediment and light are essential factors regulating the growth of submerged macrophytes, but the role of these two factors in regulating root morphology and physiology is far from clear. The responses of root morphology and physiology to sediment type and light availability in the submerged plant Myriophyllum spicatum were studied and the hypothesis was tested that a trade-off exists in root growth strategy between internal aeration and nutrient acquisition.