Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-5xszh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T13:57:00.031Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Morphometric structural analysis of Phragmites australis stands in Lake Balaton

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2012

Viktor R. Tóth*
Affiliation:
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno út 3, Tihany H-8237, Hungary
Kálmán Szabó
Affiliation:
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno út 3, Tihany H-8237, Hungary
*
*Corresponding author: donvito@tres.blki.hu
Get access

Abstract

Phragmites australis is a stand forming emergent macrophyte that displays large phenotypic variation within Lake Balaton. The present study assesses morphological variations of P. australis within three transects of different reed stands of Lake Balaton which differ with respect to bathymetry, reed quality and geographic position in order to achieve a morphological typization. On average the southern stable stand produced the largest and thickest plants (295±9 cm and 7.5±0.2 mm), while plants of the northern die-back stand were approximately half this size (141±2 cm and 3.5±0.1 mm). The slow growth and development of Phragmites characterizing the northern die-back stand was the result of fewer and shorter internodes, which also resulted in the low number of green leaves. The most influential factor shaping the phenotypic properties of the plants was determined to be the reed quality (general condition), although site-specific differences, shore-specific differences, water depth and spatial position within reed stand transects were also found to be significant. Despite the differences in the studied stands and almost certain genetic dissimilarities, three morphological ecotypes of Phragmites were distinguished on the basis of stem height to basal diameter ratio, stem density and phenotypic plasticity of plants. These ecotypes were primarily correlated to water depth at their position within the reed stand. The similarity of the spatial distribution of stem heights to basal diameter ratios and phenotypic plasticity of plants along all studied reed stands suggests that morphological typization should be considered to provide additional information on ecological zonation of stands.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ailstock, M.S. and Center, E., 2000. Adaptive strategies of common reed Phragmites australis. Proceedings: The Role of Phragmites in the Mid-Atlantic Region. April 17, 1–7.
Amsberry, L., Baker, M.A., Ewanchuk, P.J. and Bertness, M.D., 2000. Clonal integration and the expansion of Phragmites australis. Ecol. Appl., 10, 11101118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armstrong, J. and Armstrong, W., 2001. An overview of the effects of phytotoxins on Phragmites australis in relation to die-back. Aquat. Bot., 69, 251268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baier, T. and Neuwirth, E., 2007. Excel :: COM :: R. Comput. Stat., 22, 91108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bailey-Serres, J., Voesenek, L., 2008. Flooding stress: acclimations and genetic diversity. Annu. Rev. Plant Biol., 59, 313339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bart, D. and Hartman, J.M., 2000. Environmental determinants of Phragmites australis expansion in a New Jersey salt marsh: an experimental approach. Oikos, 89, 5969.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellavance, M.E. and Brisson, J. 2010. Spatial dynamics and morphological plasticity of common reed (Phragmites australis) and cattails (Typha sp.) in freshwater marshes and roadside ditches. Aquat. Bot., 93, 129134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bendefy, L. and Nagy, V., 1969. A Balaton évszázados partvonalváltozási. (Changes of the shoreline of Lake Balaon over the centuries) (in Hung.) Műszaki Könyvkiadó.
Brix, H., 1999. The European research project on reed die-back and progression (EUREED). Limnologica, 29, 510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buzás, I., 1988. Soil-and Agrochemical Methods Manual. Parts 1–2. Mezőgazd. K.
Clevering, O.A., 1998. An investigation into the effects of nitrogen on growth and morphology of stable and die-back populations of Phragmites australis. Aquat. Bot., 60, 1125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Engloner, A.I., 2009. Structure, growth dynamics and biomass of reed (Phragmites australis) – A review. Flora., 204, 331346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Engloner, A.I. and Major, Á., 2011. Clonal diversity of Phragmites australis propagating along water depth gradient. Aquat. Bot., 94, 172176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Engloner, A.I., Major, Á. and Podani, J., 2010. Clonal diversity along a water depth gradient in a declining reed stand as detected by three different genetic methods. Aquat. Bot., 92, 18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Engloner, A.I. and Papp, M., 2006. Vertical differences in Phragmites australis culm anatomy along a water depth gradient. Aquat. Bot., 85, 137146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, D.L., Lambertini, C., Jampeetong, A. and Brix, H., 2007. Clone-specific differences in Phragmites australis: Effects of ploidy level and geographic origin. Aquat. Bot., 86, 269279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hara, T., 1994. Growth and Competition in Clonal Plants-Persistence of Shoot Populations and Species Diversity. Folia Geobot Phytotx, 29, 181201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hara, T., Van der Toorn, J. and Mook, J.H., 1993. Growth dynamics and size structure of shoots of Phragmites australis, a clonal plant. J. Ecol., 81, 4760.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Den Hartog, C., Kvet, J. and Sukopp, H., 1989. Reed. A common species in decline. Aquat. Bot., 35, 14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herodek, S. and Tóth, V.R., 2003. Factors affecting distribution of macrophytes in Lake Balaton. Research of Lake Balaton 2002. Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, pp. 8592 (in Hungarian).Google Scholar
Herodek, S. and Tóth, V.R., 2004. Comparative study of healthy and die-back reed in Lake Balaton. Research of Lake Balaton 2003. Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest pp. 6472 (in Hungarian).Google Scholar
Hutchinson, G.E., 1975. A treatise on limnology: limnological botany. John Wiley & Sons.
Keddy, P., 2005. Putting the plants back into plant ecology: six pragmatic models for understanding and conserving plant diversity. Ann. of Bot., 96, 177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keller, B.E.M., 2000. Genetic variation among and within populations of Phragmites australis in the Charles River watershed. Aquat. Bot., 66, 195208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koppitz, H., 1999. Analysis of genetic diversity among selected populations of Phragmites australis world-wide. Aquat. Bot., 64, 209221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koppitz, H., Kühl, H., 2000. To the importance of genetic diversity of Phragmites australisin the development of reed stands. Wet. Ecol. Man., 8, 403414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kovács, M., Turcsányi, G., Tuba, Z., Wolcsanszky, S.E., Vasarhelyi, T., Dely-Draskovits, A., Toth, S., Koltay, A., Kaszab, L. and Szoke, P., 1989. The decay of reed in Hungarian lakes. Symp. Biol. Hung, 38, 461471.Google Scholar
Kroon, H., 1993. Competition between shoots in stands of clonal plants. Plant Species Biol., 8, 8594.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Kroons, H., Hutchings, M.J., 1995. Morphological plasticity in clonal plants: the foraging concept reconsidered. J. Ecol., 83, 143152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kühl, H., Koppitz, H., Rolletschek, H., Kohl, J.-G., 1999. Clone specific differences in a Phragmites australis stand: I. Morphology, genetics and site description. Aquat. Bot., 64, 235246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Makita, A., 1996. Density regulation during the regeneration of two monocarpic bamboos: self-thinning or intraclonal regulation? J. Veg. Sci., 7, 281288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neuhaus, D., Kühl, H., Kohl, J.G., Dörfel, P., Börner, T., 1993. Investigation on the genetic diversity of Phragmites stands using genomic fingerprinting. Aquat. Bot., 45, 357364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oborny, B., Kun, Á., Czárán, T., Bokros, S., 2000. The effect of clonal integration on plant competition for mosaic habitat space. Ecology, 81, 32913304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ostendorp, W., 1989. “Die-back” of reeds in Europe – a critical review of literature. Aquat. Bot., 35, 526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paucá-Cománescu, M., Clevering, O.A., Hanganu, J., Gridin, M., 1999. Phenotypic differences among ploidy levels of Phragmites australis growing in Romania. Aquat. Bot., 64, 223234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pitelka, L.F., Ashmun, L.W., 1985. Physiology and Integration of Ramets in Clonal Plants Population Biology and Evolution of Clonal Organisms. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.Google Scholar
Santamaría, L., 2002. Why are most aquatic plants widely distributed? Dispersal, clonal growth and small-scale heterogeneity in a stressful environment. Acta Oecol., 23, 137154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwinning, S., Weiner, J., 1998. Mechanisms determining the degree of size asymmetry in competition among plants. Oecologia, 113, 447455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stueffer, J., De Kroon, H., During, H., 1996. Exploitation of environmental Hetergeneity by Spatial Division of Labor in a Clonal Plant. Func. Ecol., 328334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tóth, L., Szabó, E. and Felföldy, L., 1963. Standing crop measurement of Phragmites communis on the ice of Lake Balaton. Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung., Budapest, 9, 151159.Google Scholar
Virág, Á., 1997. Past and Present of Lake Balaton. Egri Nyomda. (in Hungarian).
Vretare, V., Weisner, S.E.B., Strand, J.A. and Granéli, W., 2001. Phenotypic plasticity in Phragmites australis as a functional response to water depth. Aquat. Bot., 69, 127145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiner, J., Solbrig, O.T., 1984. The meaning and measurement of size hierarchies in plant populations. Oecologia, 61, 334336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wetzel, P.R., van der Valk, A.G., 1998. Effects of nutrient and soil moisture on competition between Carex stricta, Phalaris arundinacea, and Typha latifolia. Plant Ecol., 179190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, S.D., Keddy, P.A., 1986. Species competitive ability and position along a natural stress/disturbance gradient. Ecology, 12361242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar