Influence of macrophyte complexity on phosphorus retention in artificial stream mesocoms

FEIJOO CLAUDIA SILVINA; FERREIRO NICOLAS ANDRES; GIORGI, ADONIS; ZELAYA-SOULE, EMILIA

Congreso; ASLO AQUATIC SCIENCES MEETING 2023; 2023

The concentration of phosphorus in continental aquatic environments has increased considerably in recent decades in response to urbanization and agricultural intensification. The retention efficiency tends to decrease with increasing basal nutrient concentration, with impacted streams being less efficient than pristine streams. The structural complexity generated by macrophytes can promote nutrient uptake by increasing the number of niches for consuming organisms. Experiments were conducted in artificial channels, combining different basal compartments or species of macrophytes to test the mentioned hypotheses. The retention rate (k) will be higher in systems with two species of macrophytes of similar structural complexity than in systems with a single species. The retention rate was higher in macrophyte species with greater structural complexity compared to species with simpler structure.