title: Effects of interspecific competition on the growth of macrophytes and nutrient removal in constructed wetlands: A comparative assessment of free water surface and horizontal subsurface flow systems.
abstract: The outcome of competition between adjoining interspecific colonies of Phragmites and Typha in two large field pilot-scale free water surface (FWS) and subsurface flow (SSF) CWs is evaluated. According to findings, the effect of interspecific competition was notable for Phragmites australis, whereby it showed the highest growth performance in both FWS and SSF wetland. In a mixed-culture, P. australis demonstrates superiority in terms of competitive interactions for space between plants. Furthermore, the interspecific competition among planted species seemed to cause different ecological responses of plant species in the two CWs. For example, while relatively high density and shoot height determined the high aboveground dry weight of P. australis in the FWS wetland, this association was not evident in the SSF. Additionally, while plants nutrients uptake accounts for a higher proportion of the nitrogen removal in FWS, that in the SSF accounts for a higher proportion of the phosphorous removal.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
authors.forename: Yucong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China. Electronic address: xcwang@xauat.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaochang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil Engineering, Newstead Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mawuli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dzakpasu
authors.affiliation: UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil Engineering, Newstead Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
authors.forename: Yaqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Huu Hao
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Ngo
authors.affiliation: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Wenshan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
authors.forename: Jiaqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D002681:China; D004463:Ecology; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000737:chemistry; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D032401:Typhaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Constructed wetland; Interspecific competition; Nutrients uptake; Plants growth