Long-Term Effects of Metals on Helophytes in Lakes

Abstract

Aquatic macrophytes are important primary producers and system stabilizers for complex aquatic ecosystems and in numerous situations, macrophytes show decreasing population in lakes and reservoirs due to management of water and sediment reducing quality. In fact, numerous factors may have effects on macrophyte colonization and growth as: temperature, herbivory, plant pathogens, competition and allelopathy. The low availability of nutrients does not seem to be a direct cause of this situation and in fact higher nutrient loads usually may produce reduction in macrophyte biomass. Because of the important role that plants play in the food chain and in habitat structure, they should be considered in environmental decision making and assessing risk in environment.