Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T05:06:54.760Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of abiotic factors on invasive behaviour of alien species Elodea nuttallii in the Drava River (Slovenia)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2013

Zdenka Mazej Grudnik ,
Ida Jelenko  and
Mateja Germ
Zdenka Mazej Grudnik*
Affiliation:
ERICo Velenje, Environmental Research and Industrial Co-operation Ltd., Koroška 58, 3320 Velenje, Slovenia
Ida Jelenko
Affiliation:
ERICo Velenje, Environmental Research and Industrial Co-operation Ltd., Koroška 58, 3320 Velenje, Slovenia
Mateja Germ
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1101 Ljubljana, Slovenia
*
*Corresponding author: zdenka.mazej@erico.si
Get access

Abstract

The alien and potentially invasive species Elodea nuttallii was observed for the first time in Slovenia's Drava River in 2007, when its huge biomasses were observed at some locations. Changes in biomass of submerged macrophyte communities and abiotic factors such as water temperature, discharge and level were monitored at two impoundments of the Drava River (2009, 2010 and 2011). The correlations between abiotic factors and developed final biomass were assessed to determine if the level of abiotic factors has an impact on the final biomass and invasive behaviour of E. nuttallii. The results obtained showed that biomass of E. nuttallii was not excessive in 2009 and 2010, while in the year 2011 it developed huge biomass at locations, which were not directly exposed to the main water current. The biomass of Myriophyllum spicatum was also higher in 2011 in comparison with 2009 and 2010 but not in such high degree. The key factor for the development of the final biomass of E. nuttallii was the water temperatures in winter and spring and also the point at which water temperatures in spring surpassed 10°C. The invasive behaviour of E. nuttallii is expected in the years with higher temperatures in January and March and at the locations which are not directly exposed to the main water current. We assume that continuation of the deposition of silt in the impoundments of the Drava River could contribute to invasive behaviour of species E. nuttallii in the years with mild winters and warmer springs.

Keywords

Water temperaturedischargewater levelalien speciesElodea nuttalliiMyriophyllum spicatum
Type
Research Article
Information
Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology , Volume 50 , Issue 1 , 2014 , pp. 1 - 8
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, M.R. and Kalff, J., 1988. Submerged aquatic macrophyte biomass in relation to sediment characteristics in ten temperate lakes. Freshwat. Biol., 19, 115–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asaeda, T., Hung, N.T., Manatunge, J. and Fujino, T., 2004. The effects of flowing water and organic matter on the spatial distribution of submersed macrophytes. J. Freshwat. Ecol., 19, 401–405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barko, J.W., Hardin, D.G. and Matthews, M.S., 1982. Growth and morphology of submersed macrophytes in relation to light and temperature. Can. J. Bot., 60, 877–887.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrat-Segretain, M.-H., 2001. Invasive species in the Rhone River floodplain (France): replacement of Elodea canadensis Michaux by E. nuttallii St. John in two former river channels. Arch. Hydrobiol., 152, 237–251.Google Scholar
Barrat-Segretain, M.-H., 2004. Growth of Elodea canadensis and Elodea nuttallii in monocultures and mixture under different light and nutrient conditions. Arch. Hidrobiol., 161, 133–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernez, I., Daniel, H., Haury, J. and Ferreira, M.T., 2004. Combined effects of environmental factors and regulation on macrophyte vegetation along three rivers in Western France. Riv. Res. Appl., 20, 43–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butcher, R.W., 1933. Studies on the ecology of rivers. I. On the distribution of macrophytic vegetation in the rivers of Britain. J. Ecol., 21, 58–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chambers, P.A. and Kalff, J., 1985. Depth distribution and biomass of submersed aquatic macrophyte communities in relation to Secchi depth. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 42, 701–709.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chambers, P.A., Prepas, E.E., Hamilton, H.R. and Bothwell, M.L., 1991. Current velocity and its effect on aquatic macrophytes in flowing waters. Ecol. Appl., 1, 249–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duarte, C.M. and Kalff, J., 1986. Littoral slope as a predictor of maximum biomass of submerged macrophyte communities. Limnol. Oceanogr., 31, 1072–1080.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellawala, C., Asaeda, T. and Kawamura, K., 2011. Influence of flow turbulence on growth and indole acetic acid and H2O2 metabolism of three aquatic macrophyte species. Aquat. Ecol., 45, 417–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grace, J.B. and Tilly, L.J., 1976. Distribution and abundance of submerged macrophytes, including Myriophyllum spicatum L. (Angiospermae), in a reactor cooling reservoir. Arch. Hydrobiol., 77, 474–487.Google Scholar
Haag, R.W. and Gorham, P.R., 1977. Effects of thermal effluent on standing crop and net production of Elodea canadensis and other submerged macrophytes in Lake Wabamun, Alberta. J. Appl. Ecol., 14, 835–851.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamabata, E., 1997. Distribution, stand structure and yearly biomass fluctuation of Elodea nuttallii, an alien species in Lake Biwa - Studies of submerged macrophyte communities in Lake Biwa (3). Jpn. J. Limnol., 58, 173–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herault, B., Bornet, A. & Tremolieres, M., 2008. Redundancy and niche differentiation among the European invasive Elodea species. Biol. Invasions, 10, 1099–1107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hrivnák, R., Oťaheľová, H. and Jarolímek, I., 2006. Diversity of aquatic macrophytes in relation to environmental factors in the Slatina River (Slovakia). Biologia, 61, 417–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janauer, G.A., Schmidt-Mumm, U. and Schmidt, B., 2010. Aquatic macrophytes and water current velocity in the Danube River. Ecol. Eng., 36, 1138–1145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Király, G., Mesterházy, A. and Bakan, B., 2007. Elodea nuttalii (Planch.) H. St. John, Myosotis laxa Lehm. and Pyrus austriaca Kern., new for Slovenia, as well as other floristic records. Hladnikia, 20, 11–15.Google Scholar
Kohler, A. and Janauer, G.A., 1995. Zur Metodik der Untersuchungen von aquatischen Makrophyten in Flussgewasseren. In: Landsberg, H. and Klapper, H. (eds.), Handbuch Angewandte Limnologie, Ecomed Verl., Landsberg, Lech, 1–22.Google Scholar
Kuhar, U., Germ, M. and Gaberščik, A., 2010. Habitat characteristics of alien species Elodea canadensis in watercourses. Hydrobiologia, 656, 205–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunii, H., 1981. Characteristics of the winter growth of detached Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) St. John in Japan. Aquat. Bot., 11, 57–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunii, H., 1984. Seasonal growth and profile structure development of Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) St. John in pond Ojaga-Ike, Japan. Aquat. Bot., 18, 239–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madsen, J.D., 1994. Invasions and declines of submersed macrophytes in Lake George and other Adirondack lakes. Lake Reserv. Manag., 10, 19–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madsen, J.D., Chambers, P.A., James, W.F., Koch, E.W. and Westlake, D.F., 2001. The interaction between water movement, sediment dynamics and submersed macrophytes. Hydrobiologia, 444, 71–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKee, D., Hatton, K., Eaton, J.W., Atkinson, D., Atherton, A. and Harvey, I., 2002. Effects of simulated climate warming on macrophytes in freshwater microcosm communities. Aquat. Bot., 74, 71–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mueller, M., Pander, J. and Geist, J., 2011. The effects of weirs on structural stream habitat and biological communities. J. Appl. Ecol., 48, 1450–1461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, E.R., Ventura, S.J. and Zedler, J.B., 2012. Merging geospatial and field data to predict the distribution and abundance of an exotic macrophyte in a large Wisconsin reservoir. Aquat. Bot., 96, 31–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ozimek, T., Gulati, R.D. and van Donk, E., 1990. Can macrophytes be useful in biomanipulation of lakes. – the Lake Zwemlust Example. Hydrobiologia, 200/201, 399–407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rooney, N. and Kalff, J., 2000. Inter-annual variation in submerged macrophyte community biomass and distribution: the influence of temperature and lake morphometry. Aquat. Bot., 68, 321–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Santamaria, L. and van Vierssen, W., 1997. Photosynthetic temperature responses of fresh- and brackish-water macrophytes: a review. Aquat. Bot., 58, 135–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sculthorpe, C.D., 1967. Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants. Edward Arnold, London, 610 p.Google Scholar
Šraj-Kržič, N., Germ, M., Urbanc-Berčič, O., Kuhar, U., Janauer, G.A. and Gaberščik, A., 2007. The quality of the aquatic environment and macrophytes of karstic watercourses. Plant. Ecol., 192, 107–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Svensson, R. and Wigren-Svensson, M., 1992. Effects of cooling water discharge on the vegetation in the Forsmark Biotest Basin, Sweden. Aquat. Bot., 42, 121–141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, B.R. and Helwig, J., 1995. Submergent macrophytes in a cooling pond in Alberta, Canada. Aquat. Bot., 51, 243–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trebitz, A.S., Nichols, S.A., Carpenter, S.R. and Lathrop, R.C., 1993. Patterns of vegetation change in Lake Wingra following a Myriophyllum spicatum decline. Aquat. Bot., 46, 325–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar