Effect of light on particulate and dissolved organic matter production of native and exotic macrophyte species in Patagonia

CUASSOLO, F.; BASTIDAS NAVARRO, M.; BALSEIRO, E.G.; MODENUTTI, B.E.

HYDROBIOLOGIA

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2016 vol. 766 p. 29 - 42

0018-8158

Biological invasions are one of the maindrivers of changes in ecological features in aquaticenvironments. Invasive alien species may have farreachingeffects on the host environment that need tobe explored. In this study, we compared particulateand dissolved organic matter (POM and DOM)production from two common Patagonian wetlandplants, one native (Eleocharis pachycarpa) and oneexotic (Potentilla anserina), under different lightconditions (exposed or not to ultraviolet radiation(UVR?, UVR-) and darkness). Our results indicatedthat when exposed to UVR both macrophytes differedin their POM production and DOM release: while in E.pachycarpa we observed an increase in the POMproduction P. anserina released significantly higheramount of DOM. The DOM produced by the exoticspecies showed lower photoreactivity, and had morecolour than that produced by the native E. pachycarpa.The invasion by macrophytes may produce changes inthe stoichiometric balance and ecological relationshipsthat could modify the characteristics of wetlandfood web.