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Phosphorus concentration in sediment, water and tissues of␣three submerged macrophytes of Myall Lake, Australia

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Abstract

Phosphorus content in sediment, water and tissues of three macrophyte species growing in Myall Lake, Australia were studied from January to November, 2004. The sites investigated were North–West (NW), North–East (NE), South–West (SW) bays and Central deep area of the lake (CL). The objective of this study was to investigate how total phosphorus (TP) in plant tissues relate to phosphorus pools and the role played by the aquatic macrophyte species under investigation in phosphorus recycling in the lake. Of the four investigated sites of the lake, TP in plant tissues were significantly higher in North–West and South–West bays compared to the rest. Najas marina had significantly higher TP content (e.g., 1.55 and 1.44 mg/g dw.; P < 0.05) for NW and SW respectively, than the other two species. N. marina is a rooted macrophyte while charophytes (C. fibrosa and Nitella hyalina) are pseudo-rooted macrophytes. Total phosphorus in the sediment and water column were significantly higher in Central deep area of the lake compared to the other three bays (P < 0.05, n 5). Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) in sediment pore water correlated significantly with phosphorus content in the tissue of N. marina ( \(r^{2}_{{\rm SRP}-N.\ marina}=0.95\); \(r^{2}_{{\rm TDP}-N.\ marina}=0.92\)) as well as TP in sediment (␣\(r^{2}_{\rm SRP-TP}=0.90\) and \(r^{2}_{\rm TDP-TP}=0.81\)). Using the two-compartmental uptake model, it was observed that, sediment was the main compartment through which Ni. hyalina obtained phosphorus while for the other two species, water column was the uptake route for the phosphorus. These correlations suggest that, water column and sediments are important pathways for phosphorus uptake in plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences and Human Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura ku, Saitama-shi, 338-8750, Japan

    Daniel Abel Shilla, Takashi Asaeda, Siong Kian, Rajapakse Lalith & Jagath Manatunge

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  1. Daniel Abel Shilla
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  2. Takashi Asaeda
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  4. Rajapakse Lalith
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Correspondence to Daniel Abel Shilla.

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Shilla, D.A., Asaeda, T., Kian, S. et al. Phosphorus concentration in sediment, water and tissues of␣three submerged macrophytes of Myall Lake, Australia. Wetlands Ecol Manage 14, 549–558 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-006-9007-5

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