Premium
Distribution and Production of Sago Pondweed (Potamogeton Pectinatus L.) on a Northern Prairie Marsh
Author(s) -
Anderson Michael G.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936642
Subject(s) - potamogeton , edaphic , marsh , soil water , soil texture , ecology , environmental science , biology , botany , agronomy , wetland , aquatic plant , macrophyte
Physical and Chemical parameters of soils and water, measured on 140 sites in the Delta Marsh, Manitoba between May 1973 and September 1974, were compared with presence and dry—weight standing crop of sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.) on those sites. Mean comparisons and discriminant function analyses identified water depth, soil texture and maximum and directional exposure to wave action as important variables affecting plant distribution. Multiple regression analyses suggested that water depth, available soil K, available soil P, soil texture and directional exposure, were important factors affecting growth on colonized sites. A greenhouse experiment demonstrated that sago pondweed grew better on Delta Marsh soils that normally supported the plant, suggesting that some specific edaphic adaptations might exist. Within the euphotic zone of the Delta Marsh, sago pondweed distribution was probably most effected by prevailing winds through their influence on soil distribution and turbulence.