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Morphological plasticity of a spreading aquatic macrophyte, Ranunculus peltatus, in response to environmental variables

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Abstract

Ranunculus peltatus Schrank is an aquatic macrophyte spreading in northeastern France. As with other Ranunculus species, its growth demonstrates considerable plasticity. A preliminary understanding of its development and precise adaptive strategy is possible through functional ecology. The present study took morphological traits into account in order to analyse R. peltatus' development and morphological plasticity in relation to environmental parameters. During the five-month growing season, field measurements of ten different morphological traits were performed monthly at twelve sampling sites presenting various physical and chemical characteristics. Three overall growth stages occurred between April and August 2000: a stage of elongation of the main stem, a stage of branching and flowering and a stage of decline associated with vegetative dispersion. The sampling sites were defined according to environmental parameters and divided into three groups corresponding to three morphologically different R. peltatus populations. Plants in upstream, nutrient-poor, undisturbed sites were small and achieved little sexual reproduction. Plants in nutrient-rich, undisturbed sites had long shoots and were branched. Plants in weakly shaded, disturbed sites were small but produced many flowers. Correlations between morphological traits and environmental parameters showed significant relationships between chemical parameters and some characteristic vegetative growth traits. Physical environmental parameters were found to be less well correlated with morphological traits than the chemical parameters. The phenology and morphological plasticity of R. peltatus confer competitive advantages that could explain its ability to spread in some circumstances. Finally, the previous classification of R. peltatus as a Grime CSR species is discussed in relation to its plasticity. According to its morphological characteristics, R. peltatus tended indeed to adopt a C-strategy in nutrient-rich undisturbed sites, a S-strategy in nutrient-poor undisturbed sites and a R-strategy in disturbed sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire BFE, Université de Metz, Campus Bridoux, 2, avenue du Général Delestraint, 57070, Metz, France

    Cendrine Garbey, Gabrielle Thiébaut & Serge Muller

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  1. Cendrine Garbey
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  2. Gabrielle Thiébaut
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  3. Serge Muller
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Correspondence to Cendrine Garbey.

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Garbey, C., Thiébaut, G. & Muller, S. Morphological plasticity of a spreading aquatic macrophyte, Ranunculus peltatus, in response to environmental variables. Plant Ecology 173, 125–137 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000026336.44576.ff

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000026336.44576.ff

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