Authors
Mandy Velthuis, Sven Teurlincx, Gijs Van Dijk, Alfons JP Smolders, Lisette N de Senerpont Domis
Publication date
2023/4
Journal
Freshwater Biology
Volume
68
Issue
4
Pages
547-560
Description
  1. The presence of submerged macrophytes is a desired environmental target for coastal freshwater ecosystems. Maintaining a rich community of these species can be challenging as salinisation by sea‐level rise poses an increasing threat to ecosystem integrity.
  2. We tested the effect of salinisation on the growth and germination of freshwater macrophytes experimentally using field sediment. In a 56‐day experiment, a macrophyte community was exposed to salinity treatments representing seasonal water management scenarios (a decreasing salinity from 1,500 to 300 mg NaCl/L, a stable salinity of 300 mg NaCl/L, an increasing salinity from 300 to 1,500 mg NaCl/L and a stable salinity of 1,500 mg NaCl/L), crossed with treatments simulating periodic turbidity pulses.
  3. All species except Elodea nuttallii grew poorly on the saline and eutrophic sediment, reflecting the challenges of growth in eutrophic coastal …
Total citations
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