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Distribution of submerged macrophytes in the Camargue in relation to environmental factors
Author(s) -
Grillas Patrick
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.2307/3235716
Subject(s) - macrophyte , marsh , canonical correspondence analysis , ecology , abundance (ecology) , wetland , salt marsh , vegetation (pathology) , aquatic plant , biology , environmental science , pathology , medicine
. The species composition of stands of submerged macrophytes was studied in relation to the main environmental factors in oligohaline wetlands of the Camargue, southern France. Correlations were sought between the environmental factors and the abundance of the different species using canonical analysis. 24 species of submerged macrophytes, including 10 species of Charophyta , were recorded in the 60 sites studied. The hydrological regime and the salinity appeared to be the main factors controlling the abundance of the different species. This is related to the management of the marshes in the Camargue, which is carried out using these two controlling factors, particularly the hydrological regime, and also includes the destruction of emergent vegetation, mechanically or by grazing. The bivariate ecological amplitude of the individual species was calculated from field data along the gradients of flooding duration and conductivity of the water. My‐riophyllum spicatum, Potamogetón pectinatus and Ruppia cirrhosa dominate permanent marshes along the conductivity gradient. In temporary marshes, all having a low conductivity, Zannichellia pedunculata, Ranunculus baudotii, Chara áspera and Callitriche truncata dominate.