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Interactions of inorganic carbon and light availability as controlling factors in aquatic macrophyte distribution and productivity
Author(s) -
Hough R. Anton,
Fornwall Mark D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1988.33.5.1202
Subject(s) - macrophyte , total inorganic carbon , potamogeton , aquatic plant , alkalinity , productivity , photosynthesis , environmental science , carbon fibers , ecology , algae , environmental chemistry , botany , biology , chemistry , carbon dioxide , materials science , organic chemistry , macroeconomics , composite number , economics , composite material
The roles of inorganic carbon and light availability in the quantitative distribution and photosynthetic productivity of submersed aquatic macrophytes were investigated in two lakes in a stream‐connected hard‐water lake chain where light availability and pH increase and total inorganic carbon decreases as water flows from a turbid productive lake through progressively clearer less productive lakes. Bicarbonate‐using species dominated the macrophyte communities of both lakes, but species requiring free CO 2 were present, primarily in the more turbid lake. In photosynthesis experiments, CO 2 ‐requirer Najas flexilis was significantly competitive when light limitation reduced the efficiency of HCO 3 − ‐user Potamogeton pectinatus. The results suggest that inorganic carbon availability can be important in macrophyte growth even within relatively small ranges of total alkalinity and that light availability is a potentially important interacting factor.