Abstract
In Dutch coastal dunes the relation was studied between the composition of the vegetation on the banks of pools and the nutrients supplied by the groundwater. Areas infiltrated with eutrophic river water were compared with non-affected areas. The floristic composition was interpreted according to classification systems of ruderal, ‘nitrophilous’ tall hemicryptophytes and the conservation parameters richness and rarity. Of the three main macro-nutrients (orthophosphate, nitrate and potassium), the orthophosphate load shows the highest correlation with the vegetation variables. It is suggested that a reduction of orthophosphate during pre-purification of the infiltration water would reduce the dominance of the ruderals to the extent that the original dune slack species could return locally.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, S. E. (ed.), 1974. Chemical analysis of ecological materials. Blackwell, Oxford.
Arnolds, E. J. M. & Van der Meijden, R., 1975. Standaardlijst van de Nederlandse flora. Rijksherbarium, Leiden.
Bakker, T. W. M., 1981. Nederlandse kustduinen; Geohydrologie. Thesis, Wageningen.
Bates, T. E., 1971. Factors affecting critical nutrient concentrations in plants and their evaluation: a review. Soil Sci. 112: 116–131.
Boerboom, J. H. A., 1960. De huidige begroeiing in en rond de duinmeren bij Den Haag. Levende Natuur 63: 32–43.
Ellenberg, H., 1952. Stickstoff als Standortsfaktor. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 77: 82–92.
Ellenberg, H., 1979. Ecological indications of vascular plants in Central Europe. Scripta Geobotanica 9, Göttingen.
Goodall, D. W., & Gregory, F. G., 1947. Chemical composition of plants as an index of their nutritional status. Imp. Bureaux of Hort. and Plant Crops (East Malling). Techn. Comm. 17.
Grime, J. P., 1979. Plant strategies and vegetation processes. Wiley, Chicester.
Kovács, M., 1969. Pflanzenarten und Pflanzengesellschaften als Anzeiger der Bodenstickstoff. Acta Bot. Sci. Hung. 15: 101–118.
Leentvaar, P., 1963. Dune waters in The Netherlands. I. Quakjeswater, Breede Water and Vogelmeer. Acta Bot. Neerl. 12: 489–520.
Leentvaar, P., 1967. Duinmeren. II. Zwanenwater, Muy, Oerd en Van Hunenplak. Biol. Jaarb. Dodonaea 35: 228–267.
Londo, G., 1966. De huidige flora van het infiltratiegebied bij Zandvoort in vergelijking met andere natte duinvalleien in heden en verleden. Levende Natuur 69: 145–151.
Londo, G., 1971. Patroon en proces in duinvalleivegetaties langs een gegraven meer in de Kennemerduinen. Thesis, Nijmegen.
Londo, G., 1975a. Infiltreren is nivelleren. Levende Natuur 78: 74–79.
Londo, G., 1975b. De decimale schaal voor vegetatiekundige opnamen van permanente kwadraten. Gorteria 7: 101–106.
Loneragan, J. F. & Asher, C. J., 1967. Response of plants to phosphate concentration in solution culture. II. Rate of phosphate absorption and its relation to growth. Soil Sci. 103: 311–318.
Macey, P., 1936. The quantitative mineral nutrient requirements of plants. Plant Physiol. 11: 749–764.
Meyer, F. H., 1957. Über Wasser- und Stickstoffhaushalt der Röhrichte und Wiesen im Elballuvium bei Hamburg. Mitt. Staatsinst. f. Alg. Botanik 11: 137–204.
Mueller-Dombois, D., & Ellenberg, H., 1974. Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. Wiley, New York.
Nye, P. H., & Tinker, P. B., 1977. Solute movement in the soil-root system. Blackwell, Oxford.
Olsson, H., 1974. Studies on South Swedish sand vegetation. Acta Phytogeogr. Suec. 60.
Pigott, C. D. & Taylor, K., 1964. The distribution of some woodland herbs in relation to the supply of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil. J. Ecol. 52: 175–185.
Ranwell, D. S., 1975. Ecology of salt marshes and sand dunes. Chapman and Hall, London.
Rorison, I. H., (ed.), 1969. Ecological aspects of the mineral nutrition of plants. Blackwell, Oxford.
Van der Laan, D., 1979. Spatial and temporal variation in the vegetation of dune slacks in relation to the groundwater regime. Vegetatio 39: 43–51.
Van der Maarel, E., 1966. Over vegetatiestructuren,-relaties ensystemen, in het bijzonder in de duingraslanden van Voorne. Thesis, Utrecht.
Van der Maarel, E., 1971. Florastatistieken als bijdrage tot de evaluatie van natuurgebieden. Gorteria 5: 176–188.
Van der Maarel, E. & Leertouwer, J., 1967. Variation in vegetation and species diversity along a local environmental gradient. Acta. Bot. Neerl. 16: 211–221.
Van der Meulen, F., 1982. Vegetation changes and water catchment in a Dutch coastal dune area. Biol. Conserv. 24: 305–316.
Van der Werf, S., 1974. Infiltratie: met water meer plant. In: N. Croin Michielsen (ed.), Meijendel, duin-water-leven. pp. 226–230. Duinwaterleiding van's Gravenhage, The Hague.
Van Dijk, H. W. J., 1984. Invloeden van oppervlakte-infiltratie ten behoeve van duinwaterwinning op kruidachtige oevervegetaties (The impact of artificial infiltration of eutrophic water in Dutch coastal dunes on phreatophytic vegetations). Thesis, Wageningen.
Van Dijk, H. W. J., 1985. The impact of artifical dune infiltration on the nutrient content of ground and surface water. Biol. Conserv. 34, 149–167.
Van Dijk, H. W. J. & Meltzer, J. A., 1981. Hydrobiologie van natuurlijke duinmeren: een commentaar. H2O 14: 564–567.
Van Dijk, H. W. J., Noordervliet, M. A. W. & De Groot, W. T., 1985. Nutrient supply of herbaceous bank vegetation in Dutch coastal dunes; the importance of nutrient mobilization in relation to (artificial) infiltration. Acta Bot. Neerl. 34 (3): 301–319.
Van Dijk, H. W. J. & Van Strien, A. J., 1984. Effekten van infiltratie van eutroof water op kruidachtige oevervegetaties. Chapter IV in Van Dijk (1984), pp. 86–120.
Van Oosterhoud, E., Janze, G. C., de Groot, W. T. & Van Dijk, H. W. J., 1982. Fosfaat en duininfiltratie: een experimentale benadering. H2O 15: 497–502.
Van Zadelhoff, F. J., 1981. Nederlandse kustduinen; Geobotanie. Thesis, Wageningen.
Vuyck, L., 1898. De plantengroei der duinen. Thesis, Leiden.
Westhoff, V., 1947. The vegetation of dunes and salt marshes on the Dutch Islands of Terschelling, Vlieland and Texel. Thesis, Utrecht.
Willis, A. J., 1963. Braunton Burrows: the effects on the vegetation of the addition of mineral nutrients in the dune soils. J. Ecol. 51: 353–374.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Nomenclature of species follows Arnolds & Van der Meijden (1975).
We thank G. J. de Bruyn, W. H. van Dobben, W. T. de Groot, W. J. ter Keurs, F. van der Meulen, W. H. van der Molen, M. A. W. Noordervliet, and I. S. Zonneveld for their comments on the study; J. Braak, J. Brakkee and R. van Nood for their assistance with the chemical analyses; A. R. Kaal for the translation, and G. P. G. Hock for the drawing of the figures.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meltzer, J.A., van Dijk, H.W.J. The effects of dissolved macro-nutrients on the herbaceous vegetation around dune pools. Vegetatio 65, 53–61 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032127
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032127