Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Shading may alter the colonization pattern and dominance between two invasive submerged aquatic plant species

  • Published:
Aquatic Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Egeria densa and Elodea canadensis are two common invasive submerged macrophytes in streams and rivers worldwide. We conducted a six-week growth experiment with monocultures of E. densa and E. canadensis and mixed communities of the two species under five different shade levels (35%, 63%, 79%, 90% and 95%). Our aim was to test the effect of shade and competition on colonization of vegetative propagules of these species in flowing waters. We found that biomass accrual in both species was greatly reduced at high shade (≥ 79%) and that E. densa individuals accrued more biomass than E. canadensis individuals at all shade levels. At the least shade level (35%), interspecific competition with E. densa stimulated biomass accrual of E. canadensis individuals, compared to those within an E. canadensis monoculture. At higher shade (≥ 63%), this facilitation response disappeared, although E. canadensis plants continued to have longer stem length and a greater degree of branching than E. densa plants at ≤ 79% shade. At the highest shade level, competition with E. canadensis reduced biomass accrual of E. densa. Hence, shade influenced the competitive interactions between these two species. At low shade, the competitiveness of E. canadensis was enhanced, but in the field E. densa appears to be the dominant species in streams, especially those with higher levels of shade and less frequent disturbance by flushing flow events.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alnoe AB, Riis T, Andersen M, Baattrup-Pedersen A, Sand Jensen K (2015) Whole stream metabolism in nutrient poor calcareous streams on Oland. Sweden Aquat Sci 77(2):207–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barko JW, Smart RM (1981) Comparative influences of light and temperature on the growth and metabolism of selected submersed freshwater macrophytes. Ecol Monogr 51(2):219–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell N, Riis T, Suren AM, Baattrup-Pedersen A (2013) Distribution of invertebrates within beds of two morphological contrasting stream macrophyte species. Fund Appl Limnol 183:309–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borgnis E, Boyer KE (2016) Salinity tolerance and competition drive distributions of native and invasive submerged aquatic vegetation in the upper San Francisco estuary. Estuar Coast 39:707–717

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Champion PD, Tanner CC (2000) Seasonality of macrophytes and interaction with flow in a New Zealand lowland stream. Hydrobiologia 441(1):1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Champion PD, de Winton MD, Clayton J (2014) A risk assessment based proactive management strategy for aquatic weeds in New Zealand. Manag Biol Invasions 5(3):233–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Champion P, Rowe D, Smith B, Wells R, Kilroy C, de Winton M (2013) Freshwater pests of New Zealand. https://www.niwa.co.nz/sites/niwa.co.nz/files/sites/default/files/pest_guide_lndscp_feb_2013_pdf. Accessed 4 December 2018

  • Connolly J, Wayne P, Bazzaz FA (2001) Interspecific competition in plants: how well do current methods answer fundamental questions? Am Nat 157:107–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson AM, Jennions M, Nicotra AB (2011) Do invasive species show higher phenotypic plasticity than native species and if so, is it adaptive? A meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 14:419–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eller F, Alnoe AB, Boderskov T, Guo W, Kamp AT, Sorrell BK, Brix H (2015) Invasive submerged freshwater macrophytes are more plastic in their response to light intensity than to the availability of free CO2 in air-equilibrated water. Freshw Biol 60:929–943

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evangelista HB, Michelan TS, Gomes LC, Thomaz SM (2017) Shade provided by riparian plants and biotic resistance by macrophytes reduce the establishment of an invasive Poaceae. J Appl Ecol 54:648–656

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao B, Wu H, Shi Q, Liu G, Xing W (2013) Facilitation and competition among foundation species of submerged macrophytes threatened by severe eutrophication and implications for restoration. Ecol Eng 60:76–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harper JL (1977) Population biology of plants. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann WA, Poorter H (2002) Avoiding bias in calculation of relative growth rate. Ann Bot (Lond) 80:32–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstra DE, Clayton J, Green JD, Auger M (1999) Competitive performance of Hydrilla verticillata in New Zealand. Aquat Bot 63:305–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kankanamge CE, Matheson FE, Riis T (2019) Shading constrains the growth of invasive submerged macrophytes in streams. Aquat Bot 158:103125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacoul P, Freedman B (2006) Environmental influences on aquatic plants in freshwater ecosystems. Environ Rev 14:89–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levi PS, Riis T, Alnoe AB, Peipoch P, Maetzke K, Bruus C, Baattrup- Pedersen A (2015) Macrophyte complexity controls nutrient uptake in lowland streams. Ecosystems 18(5):914–931

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li F, Yang N, Zhu L, Xie Y, Yang G, Hu C, Chen X, Deng Z (2018) Competition and facilitation of two wetland macrophytes under different water levels and nutrient-heterogeneous conditions. Freshw Sci 37(2):296–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maestre FT, Callaway RM, Valladares F, Lortie CJ (2009) Refining the stress-gradient hypothesis for competition and facilitation in plant communities. J Ecol 97:199–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin GD, Coetzee JA (2014) Competition between two aquatic macrophytes, Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss (Hydrocharitaceae) and Myriophyllum spicatum Linnaeus (Haloragaceae) as influenced by substrate sediment and nutrients. Aquat Bot 114:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mony C, Koschnick TJ, Haller WT, Muller S (2007) Competition between two invasive Hydrocharitaceae (Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) (Royle) and Egeria densa (Planch)) as influenced by sediment fertility and season. Aquat Bot 86:236–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milne JM, Lang P, Murphy KJ (2007) Competitive interactions between Salvinia auriculata Aubl., Limnobium laevigatum (Humb. and Bonpl. ex Willd.) Heine, and other free-floating aquatic macrophytes under varying nutrient availability. Fund Appl Limnol 169:169–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redekop P, Hofstra D, Hussner A (2016) Elodea canadensis shows a higher dispersal capacity via fragmentation than Egeria densa and Lagarosiphon major. Aquat Bot 130:45–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riis T (2008) Dispersal and colonisation of plants in lowland streams: success rates and bottlenecks. Hydrobiologia 596:341–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riis T, Sand-Jensen K (2006) Dispersal of plant fragments in small streams. Freshw Biol 51:274–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riis T, Olesen B, Clayton JS, Lambertini C, Brix H, Sorrell BK (2012) Growth and morphology in relation to temperature and light availability during the establishment of three invasive aquatic plant species. Aquat Bot 102:56–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sand-Jensen K (2002) Drag and reconfiguration of freshwater macrophytes. Freshw Biol 48:271–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thiébaut G, Rodriguez-Perez H, Jambon O (2019) Reciprocal interactions between the native Mentha aquatica and the invasive Ludwigia hexapetala in an outdoor experiment. Aquat Bot 157:17–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vila M, Weiner J (2004) Are invasive plant species better competitors than native plant species? Evidence from pair-wise experiments. Oikos 105:229–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • You WH, Han CM, Fang LX, Du DL (2016) Propagule pressure, habitat conditions and clonal integration influence the establishment and growth of an invasive clonal plant Alternanthera philoxeroides. Front Plant Sci 7:568

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zefferman E (2014) Increasing canopy shading reduces growth but not establishment of Elodea nuttallii and Myriophyllum spicatum in stream channels. Hydrobiologia 734:159–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Funding for this study was provided by the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Strategic Science Investment Project: SMARTer Riparian & Wetland Strategies). The authors thank M. Crump and D. Rendle for technical support. We also thank Champion P for his valuable comments on anearlier version of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Gate 10 Silverdale Road, Hamilton, 3216, New Zealand

    Champika Ellawala Kankanamge & Fleur E. Matheson

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Hapugala, Sri Lanka

    Champika Ellawala Kankanamge

  3. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Alle 1, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Tenna Riis

  4. WATEC, Aarhus University Center for Water Technology, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Tenna Riis

Authors
  1. Champika Ellawala Kankanamge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fleur E. Matheson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tenna Riis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Champika Ellawala Kankanamge.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Télesphore Sime-Ngando

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ellawala Kankanamge, C., Matheson, F.E. & Riis, T. Shading may alter the colonization pattern and dominance between two invasive submerged aquatic plant species. Aquat Ecol 54, 721–728 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09770-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09770-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation