We conducted a mesocosm experiment to investigate nutrient effects on the seedling survival and growth of Typha angustifolia, along a nutrient gradient with considering phosphorus (P) content [low nutrients with… Click to show full abstract
We conducted a mesocosm experiment to investigate nutrient effects on the seedling survival and growth of Typha angustifolia, along a nutrient gradient with considering phosphorus (P) content [low nutrients with phosphorus (LNP), intermediate nutrients with phosphorus (INP), intermediate nutrients without phosphorus (IN), high nutrients with phosphorus (HNP), high nutrients without phosphorus (HN)]. Under LNP conditions, all seedlings survived but grew poorly with an asymmetric biomass allocation into relatively more below-ground parts. Under high nutrient conditions, most seedlings died in a few weeks and all seedlings died under HN conditions, specifically. Seedlings under INP conditions showed the best growth and flowered only. Seedlings under INP conditions almost equally allocated their biomass to above- and below-ground parts. However, some seedlings died under IN conditions and the remaining seedlings showed relatively low growth compared to those grown under INP conditions. Similar to the seedlings grown under LNP conditions, the seedlings grown under IN conditions also showed an asymmetric biomass allocation, possibly indicating that a stoichiometric imbalance could negatively affect T. angustifolia seedlings. We concluded that, although T. angustifolia is a productive macrophyte, high nutrient conditions could be harmful to T. angustifolia seedlings and P-limited conditions could also be stressful for them.
               
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