Reproductive Allocation in Three Macrophyte Species from Different Lakes with Variable Eutrophic Conditions.
Reproductive allocation is a key process in the plant life cycle and aquatic plants exhibit great diversity in their reproductive systems. In the present study, we conduct a field investigation of three aquatic macrophytes: Stuckenia pectinata, Myriophyllum spicatum, and Potamogeton perfoliatus. Our results showed that widespread species, including S. pectinata and M. spicatum had greater plasticity in their allocation patterns in the form of increased sexual and asexual reproduction, and greater potential to set seeds and increase fitness in more eutrophic environments. P. perfoliatus also exhibited a capacity to adopt varied sexual reproductive strategies such as setting more offspring for the future, although only in clear conditions with low nutrient levels. Our results establish strategies and mechanisms of some species for tolerating and surviving in varied eutrophic lake conditions.
Key Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen 518004, P. R. China.|Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, CAS, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Tao
T
Wan
Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
Qingxiang
Q
Han
Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Ling
L
Xian
Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Yu
Y
Cao
Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, CAS, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Apudo A
AA
Andrew
Key Laboratory of Ecological Impacts of Hydraulic -Projects and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem of Ministry of Water Resources. Institute of Hydroecology, MWR&CAS, Wuhan 430074, China.
Xiaojie
X
Pan
Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Wei
W
Li
Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, CAS, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Fan
F
Liu
D059001:Aquatic Organisms; D060106:Lakes; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000502:physiology*; D031821:Potamogetonaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction