AI Article Synopsis

  • Increasing eutrophication presents a significant threat to freshwater ecosystems, leading to a decline in submerged macrophytes, which are crucial for ecosystem health and human well-being.
  • The research conducted in 49 lakes and reservoirs in southwestern China demonstrates that submerged macrophyte biodiversity positively influences ecosystem functioning, where functional diversity is a stronger predictor of biomass than species richness.
  • The study highlights a shift in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning mechanisms under eutrophication from "niche complementarity" to "selection effects," indicating the need to protect environmental health to maintain biodiversity and associated ecological functions.

Article Abstract

Increasing eutrophication poses a considerable threat to freshwater ecosystems, which are closely associated with human well-being. As important functional entities for freshwater ecosystems, submerged macrophytes have suffered rapidly decline with eutrophication. However, it is unclear whether and how submerged macrophytes maintain their ecological functions under increasing eutrophication stress and the underlying patterns in the process. In the current study, we conducted an extensive survey of submerged macrophytes in 49 lakes and reservoirs (67% of them are eutrophic) on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau of southwestern China to reveal the relationship between submerged macrophyte biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) under eutrophication stress. Results showed that submerged macrophytes species richness, functional diversity (FD), and β diversity had positive effects on ecosystem functioning, even under eutrophication. Functional diversity was a stronger predictor of community biomass than species richness and β diversity, while species richness explained higher coverage variability than FD and β diversity. This suggests that species richness was a reliable indicator when valid functional traits cannot be collected in considering specific ecological process. With increasing eutrophication in water bodies, the mechanisms underlying biodiversity-ecosystem functioning evolved from "niche complementarity" to "selection effects", as evidenced by decreased species turnover and increased nestedness. Furthermore, the relative growth rate, specific leaf area, and ramet size in trade-off of community functional composition became smaller along eutrophication while flowering duration and shoot height became longer. This study contributes to a better understanding of positive BEF in freshwater ecosystems, despite increasing anthropogenic impacts. Protecting the environment remained the effective way to protect biodiversity and corresponding ecological functions and services. It will be important to consider different facets of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning in future studies to improve effective management plans.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120210DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

submerged macrophytes
20
ecosystem functioning
16
species richness
16
increasing eutrophication
12
freshwater ecosystems
12
eutrophication
8
yunnan-guizhou plateau
8
ecological functions
8
eutrophication stress
8
biodiversity ecosystem
8

Similar Publications

Communities with high native species diversity tend to be less susceptible to the establishment of invasive species, especially in studies that test their local impact. This study investigated the impact of competition between native submerged aquatic macrophytes (SAMs) ( and ) and the exotic , recognized for its invasive potential in aquatic ecosystems, through a mesocosm experiment conducted over six months. Two treatments were evaluated: the intraspecific competition of and an interspecific competition involving all three species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Stress signaling, response, and adaptive mechanisms in submerged macrophytes under PFASs and warming exposure.

Environ Pollut

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.

Heat stress disturbs cellular homeostasis and alters the fitness of individual organisms. However, it is unclear whether thermal perturbations exacerbate the toxic effects of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) on trophic endpoints in freshwater ecosystems. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to investigate the impact of warming and PFASs on the widespread submerged macrophytes (Hydrilla verticillata) at a molecular level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Assessment of the effect of management activities like a drought salinity barrier and herbicide treatments on the spread of submersed and floating aquatic estuary macrophytes.

Sci Total Environ

January 2025

Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing (CSTARS), Institute of the Environment, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address:

Estuaries are complex ecosystems, being difficult to determine the way management actions affect them. This study quantitatively evaluated the spread of invasive submerged and floating aquatic macrophyte vegetation in Franks Tract of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in response to two types of management actions, drought salinity barriers in years 2015, 2021 and 2022, and herbicide treatments in years 2004-2022. A Random Forest algorithm applied to airborne hyperspectral and satellite multispectral images generated maps of macrophyte cover in 2004-2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The outbreak of cyanobacterial blooms poses an increasingly serious ecological challenge. Our previous study found that calcium peroxide (CaO) has a high inhibitory effect on cyanobacteria, along with a practical application potential in cyanobacteria-dominated lakes. In order to explore the sensitivity of aquatic ecosystems to CaO treatment, we conducted this study to elucidate the ecological impact of CaO on Vallisneria natans (V.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Beta diversity of macrophyte life forms: Responses to local, spatial, and land use variables in Amazon aquatic environments.

Sci Total Environ

January 2025

Laboratório de Ecologia de Produtores Primários (ECOPRO), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, R. Augusto Corrêa, 01, 66075-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil.

Aquatic macrophytes encompass a highly diverse group of plants with different strategies, niche requirements, and dispersion capacities. Therefore, macrophyte life forms can respond distinctly to environmental factors. We analyzed whether emergent/amphibious, floating-leaves/rooted submerged, and free-floating/free-submerged macrophytes respond differently to local, spatial, and land use variables in ponds and streams of the Amazon.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!