LAUSR

Zizania latifolia is a common emergent macrophyte that plays an important role in the ecological restoration of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. To understand the mechanisms behind the relative changes in the distribution of Z. latifolia in the field, we analyzed the effects of water depth and substrate type on rhizome bud sprouting (RBS) and growth in Z. latifolia through simulation experiments. Four water depths (0, 30, 60, and 90 cm) and three substrate types (sandy loam, clay loam, and silt) were used. The results showed that: (1) water depth significantly affected the RBS, and the RBS percentage significantly decreased with increasing water depth. However, substrate type and its interaction with water depth had no effect on RBS. (2) Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that plant height, stem diameter, and root length were significantly affected by water depth, with the highest values observed at a water depth of 0 cm. Only root length was significantly affected by substrate type and its interaction with water depth, and it was highest in silt. (3) Both water depth and its interaction with substrate type had significant effects on total biomass and the root:shoot ratio in Z. latifolia, but no significant effect was found when it came to subtrate type. The results of this study will be useful for the ecological restoration of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin.