Abstract
The impact of four environmental parameters (water depth, type of substratum, current velocity and light intensity), on Ranunculus peltatus morphology and reproduction was tested in four 1 month semi-controlled experiments. Four development stages were underlined from April to August 2001 in R. peltatus: an elongation stage (April-June), a flowering stage (May-June), a fragmentation stage (June-July) and a potential regenerative stage (July-August). Water depth was therefore tested on R. peltatus elongation, type of substratum on R. peltatus elongation and flowering, current velocity on R. peltatus fragmentation and light intensity on its possible regeneration. The maximum development was measured for a 32 cm water depth. Current velocity did not have a significant effect on R. peltatus fragmentation. Regeneration depended strongly on light availability. This stage occurred only for unshaded or 50% shaded plants. Darkness prevented plants from regrowing.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
AFNOR, 1986. Eaux. Méthodes d’essai. AFNOR, Paris, 624 pp.
Ashton, P. J. & D. S. Mitchell, 1989. Aquatic plants: patterns and modes of invasion, attributes of invading species and assessment of control programmes. In Drake, J. A., H. A. Mooney, F. Di Castri, Groves, F. J. Kruger, M. Rejmanek & M. Williamson (eds), Biological Invasions, A Global Perspective. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 111–154.
Barko, J. W., D. G. Hardin & M. S. Matthews, 1982. Growth and morphology of submerged macrophytes in relation to light and temperature. Canadian Journal of Botany 60: 877–887.
Barko, J. W., R. M. Smart, D. G. McFarland & R. L. Chen, 1988. Interrelationships between the growth of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle and sediment nutrient availability. Aquatic Botany 32: 205–216.
Boeger, R., 1992. The influence of substratum and water velocity on growth of Ranunculus aquatilis L. Aquatic Botany 42: 351–359.
Chatenet, P., D. Froissard, J. Cook-Moreau, P. Hourdin, A. Ghestem, M. Botineau & J. Haury, 2002. Les populations de Myriophyllum alterniflorum bioindicatrices de pollutions dans les rivières acides à neutre du Limousin. Proc. Eur. Weed Res. Counc. 11th Int. Symp. Aquat. Weeds, Moliets-Maâ France, 215–218.
Cook, C. D. K., 1966. A monographic study of Ranunculus subgenus Batrachium (D.C.) A. Gray. Mitteilungen der Botanischen staatssammlung München 6: 47–237.
Dawson, F. H., 1976. The annual production of the aquatic macrophyte Ranunculus penicillatus var. calacareus (R.W. Butcher) C.D.K. Cook. Aquatic Botany 2: 51–73.
Dawson, F. H. & U. Kern-Hansen, 1979. The effect of natural and artificial shade on the macrophytes of lowland streams and the use of shade as a management technique. International Revue der Gesamtem Hydrogiologie 64: 437–45
Dufayt, O., 2000. Aspects biologiques et modélisation du cours d’eau: étude expérimentale et modélisation du développement de la Renoncule flottante (Ranunculus fluitans) dans la Semois. PhD thesis, Arlon, Luxembourg, 188 pp.
Eichenberger, E. & H. U. Weilenmann, 1982. The growth of Ranunculus fluitans LAM in artificial canals. In Symoens, J. J., S. S. Hooper & P. Compère (eds), Studies on Aquatic Vascular Plants. Royal Botanical Society of Belgium, Brussels, 324–332.
Grime, J. P., J. C. Crick & J. E. Rincon, 1986. The ecological significance of plasticity. Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology 40: 5–29.
Madsen, T. V. & H. Brix, 1997. Growth, photosynthesis and acclimation by two submerged macrophytes in relation to temperature. Oecologia 110: 320–327.
Sand-Jensen, K. & T. J. Madsen, 1991. Minimum light requirements of submerged freshwater macrophytes in laboratory experiments. The Journal of Ecology 79: 749–764.
Sculthorpe, C. D., 1967. The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants. Edward Arnold, London, 610 pp.
Strand, J. A. & S. E. B. Weisner, 2001. Morphological plastic responses to water depth and wave exposure in an aquatic plant (Myriophyllum spicatum). The Journal of Ecology 89: 166–175.
Sultan, S. E., 2000. Phenotypic plasticity for plant development, function and life history. Trends in Plant Science 5: 537–542.
Thiébaut, G. & S. Muller, 1999. A macrophyte communities sequence as an indicator of eutrophication and acidification levels in weakly mineralized streams in north-eastern France. Hydrobiologia 410: 17–24.
Westlake, D. F., 1973. Aquatic macrophytes in rivers. A review. Polish Archives Hydrobiologie 20: 31–40.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Garbey, C., Thiébaut, G., Muller, S. (2006). An experimental study of the plastic responses of Ranunculus peltatus Schrank to four environmental parameters. In: Caffrey, J.M., Dutartre, A., Haury, J., Murphy, K.J., Wade, P.M. (eds) Macrophytes in Aquatic Ecosystems: From Biology to Management. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 190. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5390-0_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5390-0_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5389-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5390-0
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)