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Phosphorus Release due to Decomposition of Wetland Plants

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Abstract

Agricultural activities are major sources of non-point pollutants causing eutrophication. Vegetated constructed wetlands are used as a best management practice for sequestration of nutrients from agricultural runoff. However, plants release nutrients back into the system as they decompose after senescence, affecting the nutrient removal efficiency of a constructed wetland. This information is important for a focused selection of plants and for improving the effectiveness of a constructed wetland. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the release of phosphorus by common freshwater macrophytes - Juncus effusus, Carex lurida and Dichanthelium acuminatum var. acuminatum during plant decomposition. Microcosms with the mixed culture of these three species showed higher phosphorus retention rates compared to monoculture microcosms. Results indicate that plant species differ in their nutrient removal efficiencies when grown in the mixed culture compared to monoculture treatments, indicating that nutrient removal efficiencies vary with plant species composition. Thus, plant species may play an important role in determining the phosphorus removal rates of vegetated constructed wetlands.

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Acknowledgement

Support for this work was provided by USDA Agricultural Research Service Cooperative Agreement No. 58-6408-6052 and a Ralph Powe Award from The University of Mississippi Field Station. Thanks to Drs. Charlie Cooper, Colin Jackson, Matt Moore, and Robbie Kröger for design suggestions and to Forrest Briggs, Tara Davis, and Clint Helms for logistical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA

    Rani Menon & Marjorie M. Holland

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Rani Menon

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  1. Rani Menon
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  2. Marjorie M. Holland
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Correspondence to Rani Menon.

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Menon, R., Holland, M.M. Phosphorus Release due to Decomposition of Wetland Plants. Wetlands 34, 1191–1196 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-014-0578-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-014-0578-2

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