Plants and the Littoral

Zone
Ecology and Diversity

Growth Habits and Locations of Plant

Types in the Littoral Zone

Emergent Macrophytes

Rooted in the substrate

Leaves fully exposed to air
Usually rhizomatous
Stems and leaves usually with
aerenchyma or lacunae
Nutrient uptake from the sediment
and inorganic carbon from the air

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Typha:
commonly
called cattail, is
very
characteristic of
wetland
communities.
Typha is a
monocot related
to grasses.

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Glyceria:
mannagrass, is
an aquatic grass
with leaves that
are very rough
to the touch

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Phragmites:
called common
reed, is a grass
that grows
aggressively in
aquatic and
semi-aquatic
environments

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Zizania: wild
rice, is related
to the grass,
Oryza, true rice

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Eleocharis:
spikerush (more
appropriately
spikesedge), is a
grass-like plant in the
sedge family. The
genus is similar to a
diminuitive Scirpus
in that it makes
spike-like stems
without leaves.

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Scirpus: commonly
called bulrushes,
are in the sedge
family. They are
rhizomatous with
hollow stems.
Leaves are
associated with
the inflorescence,
which is subapical.

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Carex: the
dominant
genus of
sedges
(>1500
species).
These grasslike plants
have stems
that are

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Juncus: rush,
superficially
resembles
Eleocharis.
However, it
forms a tuft of
spike-like
stems that
grow from a
basal rosette
of leaves.

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Polygonum: smartweed
or knotweed, is
recognized by having
swollen nodes and has
many species, but only a
few are aquatic. The
native species is
frequently found
associated with the
margins of lakes, ponds,
reservoirs, and in
backwater areas of
rivers and creeks.
Japanese Knotweed, an
invasive from Asia, also
is found associated with
wet areas, but rarely in
the water.

Examples of emergent macrophytes

Equisetum:
horsetail. The
common one
found in water is
E. fluviatile, the
river horsetail.
These plants are
related to ferns.

Floating-leaved rooted macrophytes

Generally rhizomatous
Floating leaves with cuticle on upper
surface
Petiole usually very long
Nutrient uptake from the sediments
and inorganic carbon often from both
the water and air

Floating-leaved macrophytes,
rooted
Nuphar: spatterdock
or cow lily, is
rhizomatous with
large floating leaves.
All stems and roots
are in the mud. The
plant is common to
aquatic systems
throughout the
northern hemisphere.

Floating-leaved macrophytes,
rooted
Nymphaea:
waterlily is very
similar to
Nuphar but it
has a large
showy flower,
which makes it
a favorite of
water gardens.

Floating-leaved macrophytes,
rooted
Brasenia:
watershield is
similar to Nuphar,
but smaller. The
stems, though
technically
rhizomatous,
emerge from the
substrate.

Floating-leaved macrophytes,
rooted
Nelumbo,
lotus,
resembles
Nymphaea.
However,
some of its
leaves are
emergent.
One species
is native to

Floating-leaved macrophytes,
rooted
Potamogeton:
pondweed is
rooted with
elongate stems
and floating
leaves.

Unrooted floating-leaved
macrophytes
Many have gas-filled floats or tissue
Some have leaves that are entirely
aerial
All have a hanging root system (or
modified tissues that operate as
roots), thus nutrient uptake entirely
from water but inorganic carbon from
the air
Stems are highly reduced

Floating-leaved macrophytes, not rooted

Lemna: duck
weed, a
common
floating plant
throughout the
northern
hemisphere.

Floating-leaved macrophytes, not rooted

Wolffia, water
meal, is the
worlds smallest
flowering plant.
Often, it is
found together
with Lemna.

Floating-leaved macrophytes, not rooted

Eichhornia,
water hyacinth
is a large freefloating plant
from South
America that
has become a
noxious weed
of waterways in
the southern

Floating-leaved macrophytes, not rooted

Pistia, water lettuce,
was first found in
Egypt near the Nile.
Now it has been
dispersed by humans
to nearly all tropical
and subtropical
waterways. It has
become a pest in the
US on some
waterways.

Free-floating unrooted macrophytes

Plants are almost entirely
submerged, but may float at the
surface
In general, the leaves are highlydissected
Fragmentation a major form of
reproduction and dispersal
Roots rare; thus, nutrient uptake
entirely from water

Free-floating macrophytes, not

rooted
Utricularia:
bladderwort, is an
aquatic carnivorous
plant. There are
more than 250
species and the
genus has global
distribution. Some
species have
become pests in
some regions.

Free-floating macrophytes, not

rooted
Ceratophyllum,
hornwort or
coontail, is global
in distribution
and usually found
in hard water
ponds and lakes.

Submerged rooted aquatic

plants
In general, the leaves are highly
dissected
Nutrient uptake both from water and
sediment

Submerged rooted macrophytes

Myriophyllum,
water milfoil, is
native to
Eurasia and
has become a
pest in many
relatively still
bodies of
water.

Submerged rooted macrophytes

Elodea: waterweed
is submerged and
native to North
America. It can
root in sluggish
streams. They can
be very abundant in
nutrient-rich lakes
and ponds. Used
globally as an
aquarium plant.

Submerged rooted
macrophytes

Vallisneria:
water celery
or tape grass,
is a rooted
plant with
broad leaves
that is
frequently
found in local
creeks.

Submerged rooted
macrophytes

Isoetes,
quillwort is a
fern ally with
corm-like bases
to the leaves.
An indicator of
acid-sensitive
water.
Sometimes they
are emergent.

Submerged rooted
macrophytes
Chara, muskgrass
or skunkweed, is
a non-vascular
plant. Many of
the species have
a fetid odor. This
genus usually is
found in hard
water ponds and
lakes.

Submerged rooted
macrophytes
Nitella, stoneworts or
brittleworts, are
related to Chara but
may occur in soft
water ponds and
lakes. They do not
deposit calcium
carbonate in their cell
walls as many Chara
species do, and
therefore, are soft to
the touch.

Zonation in Ozera Nero

From the shore to
the lake center
Salix
Phragmites
Typha
Scirpus
Equisetum
Potamogeton
Nuphar
Lemna (in all
emergent plants)
Ceratophyllum

Sam Rayburn Reservoir

Marginal
macrophytes
make tight
concentric
bands of:
Nitella
Potamogeton
Elodea

Main Stem of the Susquehanna River

Beds of
macrophytes
in backwater
areas and in
the clear
water of the
West Branch
Vallisneria
Polygonum
Glyceria

Impacts of macrophyte
dominance
High primary production
Decreased turbulence
More efficient (than algae) nutrient
uptake and sequestration??
Increased water clarity
High organic load

Heterophylly

Many aquatic plant

species show differences
in leaf shape when in or
out of the water.

Reproduction, dispersal, and

dormancy
Asexual: e.g. Potamogeton
Winter buds
Agamospermy

Vegetative: e.g. Myriophyllum

Sexual:
Insect pollination e.g. Nuphar
Wind pollination e.g. Typha
Water pollination e.g. Potamogeton and
Elodea

Movement of gases
Diffusiondependent
throughflow
convections.
e.g. Fig 18-2

Movement of gases
Nonthroughflow
Venturi-induced throughflow
Methane to atmosphere very high for
emergent and floating-leaved rooted
plants.
Oxygen transport in submerged
macrophytes
Lacunae in roots and rhizomes may
promote an oxidizing area around the
roots which protects from H S

Carbon uptake
CO2 diffusion much slower in water
than air
No cuticle in submerged leaves
Chloroplasts in epidermis
Many can decarboxylate bicarbonate
Often high release of CO2 from
sediments in areas with macrophytes
Can recirculate CO2 within plant via
lacunae

CAM Metabolism
Found in certain aquatic plants and
certain desert plants.
Allows for CO2 uptake at night when
inorganic carbon highest in water.

CAM
photosynthesis
Keeley, J.E. 1985.
The role of CAM in
the carbon economy
of the submergedaquatic Isoetes
howellii. Verh.
Internat. Verein.
Limnol. 22: 29092911.

Phosphate and nitrate enrichment relative

to biomass

Plants and Water Velocity

Relationship between pH and

alkalinity

RIVERS

RESERVIORS

LAKES

Littoral
zone/wetland

Land-water
interface well
developed

Land-water
interface poorly
developed

Land-water
interface well
developed

Macrophyte
community
structure

With emergent,
floating, and
submerged
macrophytes

Wetland
macrophytes in
riverine portion,
limited
submerged
plants, floating
plants dominant

Well-developed
emergent,
floating, and
submerged
macrophytes

Nutrient
acquisition

Mainly through
roots

Mainly through
roots

Most from
sediments

Light
acquisition

Limited by canopy Limited to shallow

in low order
areas due to
streams and by
turbidity
turbidity and
algae in high
order streams

Mostly
unrestricted
except for
submerged
macrophytes

Macrophyte
biomass and

High in floodplain;
low in low order

High to very high,

mainly with

Low to moderate,
mainly in riverine