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Plant Species Richness Increased Belowground Plant Biomass and Substrate Nitrogen Removal in a Constructed Wetland
Author(s) -
Wang Hai,
Chen ZhengXin,
Zhang XiaoYu,
Zhu SiXi,
Ge Ying,
Chang ScottX.,
Zhang ChongBang,
Huang ChengCai,
Chang Jie
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.201200348
Subject(s) - species richness , biomass (ecology) , ammonium , plant species , substrate (aquarium) , nitrogen , plant community , agronomy , wetland , botany , environmental science , ecology , biology , chemistry , organic chemistry
The effects of plant species richness on both above‐ and belowground plant biomass, plant nitrogen (N) pool size, and substrate N concentrations were studied in a full‐scale subsurface vertical‐flow constructed wetland (CW). Results showed that (i) plant species richness increased belowground plant biomass and its N pool size but had no effect on aboveground plant biomass and its N pool size; (ii) plant species richness increased substrate N removal, especially ammonium N removal; and (iii) plant species richness had no effect on plant N use efficiency, suggesting that the N pool size increased with increasing plant species richness. More N accumulation could be removed through harvesting plant biomass. We concluded that the N removal performance of the CW improved by plant species richness through increasing belowground biomass and relevant N pool size.