{"title":"Rapid loss of temperate kelp forests revealed by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography and underwater observations","authors":"Masaaki Sato , Junji Kinoshita , Kyoji Ishita , Shiori Arima , Masayuki Fudo , Hisami Kuwahara","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate-related increases in ocean temperature, herbivore abundance, and the frequency of extreme weather events have triggered phase shifts from kelp forests to deforested barrens. While unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography is now an effective method for monitoring marine environments, few studies have used it to detect changes in submerged marine forests. To investigate changes in kelp forests formed by <em>Ecklonia cava</em> under the influence of ocean warming and large typhoons, we conducted UAV photography in two areas (70,755 and 116,199 m<sup>2</sup>) and underwater visual surveys along two transects off the Manazuru coast of central Japan (35 °09'N) between 2019 and 2020. UAV photography revealed a complete loss of the kelp forests (34,042 and 48,641 m<sup>2</sup>) there from 2019 to 2020. The underwater visual census revealed a change in benthic communities, with a 57.3 % decrease in <em>Ecklonia</em> cover and an 11.3 % increase in small and coralline algae cover during this period. Based on the wave height during the passage of Typhoon Hagibis in fall 2019, ocean warming since 2008, and the prolonged period of high temperature (> 16 °C) from fall 2019 autumn to winter 2020, we speculated that the phase shift from <em>Ecklonia</em> beds to deforested barrens was due to the synergistic effects of the typhoon, ocean warming, and enhanced fish herbivory due to high temperature. Our results demonstrate the utility of UAV photography for monitoring submerged kelp forests, and combined results with previous studies suggest that the distribution of the phase shifts has expanded to higher latitudes in Japan.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103900"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143899639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-04-26DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103899
Mikinley Weaver , Chelsie W.W. Counsell
{"title":"Reproductive and recruitment potential of Halophila hawaiiana","authors":"Mikinley Weaver , Chelsie W.W. Counsell","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103899","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103899","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the details of seagrass species’ vegetative and sexual reproductive capacity is important to inform restoration efforts for these habitat engineers. Previous work has shown that vegetative fragments of <em>Halophila</em> species can settle and establish in new areas. However, it is unclear whether fragment size impacts vegetative reproduction success, and whether the isolated species <em>Halophila hawaiiana</em> has retained this ability. To determine whether <em>H. hawaiiana</em> can settle and establish from vegetative fragments, we took fragments of various sizes and fixed them to a string held just above the sediment in situ. We found that fragments could settle and establish into the sediment; 39 % of fragments grew roots into the sediment by day 14. Fragment settlement was strongly associated with month and location. Fragment size non-linearly influenced fragment settlement, with medium-sized fragments (four to six nodes) being the most successful. Regarding sexual reproduction for <em>H. hawaiiana</em>, observed seeds have previously been considered a result of apomixis; however, the presence of staminate flowers indicates that sexual reproduction may be possible. We collected flowers and artificially pollinated them in the lab, with unpollinated flowers isolated as a control. Endosperm growth and seed production was observed in the treatment group but not the control - suggesting sexual reproduction and not apomixis is the method of seed production for this species. To guide seagrass conservation efforts, future research is needed to understand the links between vegetative fragment settlement and patch expansion, and to determine environmental factors that induce flowering and seed germination in <em>H</em>. <em>hawaiiana</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103899"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143890468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-04-25DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103897
Mahasweta Saha , Pauline Benzi , Andy Foggo
{"title":"Effects of light and temperature on volatile mediated seaweed-bacteria interactions","authors":"Mahasweta Saha , Pauline Benzi , Andy Foggo","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103897","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103897","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land plants strongly contribute to BVOCs (biogenic volatile organic compounds) which serve multiple ecological roles. Aquatic macrophytes such as seaweeds underpin some of the most extensive and productive coastal ecosystems globally. However, seaweed health and fitness can be negatively impacted through excessive bacterial colonisation on their surface. Just like land plants, seaweeds employ a range of chemicals to deter, reduce or “garden” epibacterial colonisation. Like plants, seaweeds are known to be prolific producers of BVOCs in the marine environment. However, unlike plants, the ecological roles of seaweed BVOCs, particularly in mediating seaweed-bacteria interactions, has hardly been explored, especially when compared to the role of non-volatile compounds. Although BVOC production is known to vary with abiotic factors in seaweeds, we do not know yet how such variations may alter ecological interactions of seaweeds with bacteria. Using two ecologically important seaweeds, <em>Fucus serratus</em> and <em>Palmaria palmata</em>, we investigated how different different light and temperature conditions can influence BVOCs mediated interactions of seaweeds with their bacteria We tested <em>F. serratus</em> and <em>P. palmata</em> BVOCs for their effect upon settlement in twelve common marine bacterial strains for the temperature experiment and seven common bacterial strains for the light experiment. When the seaweeds were incubated at higher temperature (21°C), the bacterial strains in contact with BVOCs from both <em>F. serratus</em> and <em>P. palmata</em> had a higher relative settlement compared to seaweeds incubated at ambient temperature (16°C). Overall temperature had a stronger significant effect than species identity. The effect of light on the BVOC mediated seaweed-bacteria interaction was less distinct but had a stronger inter-specific effect.</div></div><div><h3>Synthesis</h3><div>Our results provide the first evidence from an aquatic environment that BVOC mediated ecological interactions can vary between seaweed species and with light and temperature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103897"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143899638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-04-12DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103896
Daomin Cheng , Peili Fu , Qingqing Wang , Wei Li , Longyi Yuan , Yang Liu , Yu Cao
{"title":"Structural and photosynthetic improvement of Myriophyllum aquaticum plant traits through artificial adjustments","authors":"Daomin Cheng , Peili Fu , Qingqing Wang , Wei Li , Longyi Yuan , Yang Liu , Yu Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103896","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103896","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant height is a key quantitative trait in plant ecology, linked with leaf area and stem diameter, affecting photosynthesis and water transport. Taller plants typically access lighte and resources, enhancing their competitive ability. However, the invasive aquatic plant <em>Myriophyllum aquaticum</em> usually reaches around 20 cm above the water surface. Despite its shorter stature, this species demonstrates rapid growth and efficient resource utilization, which contributes to its competitive success in various aquatic environments. This study aims to explore how altering its height impacts photosynthesis and water transport, providing insights into its growth adaptation mechanisms. We conducted an experiment with <em>M. aquaticum</em>, adjusting its height artificially (H) and comparing it to naturally maintained height (CK). We measured plant traits related to photosynthesis and water transport, including stem diameter, root pressure, and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, and carotenoids). Observations of guttation were also recorded. Under height-adjusted treatments, <em>M. aquaticum</em> exhibited positive significant growth responses with increased stem diameter and root pressure compared to the CK. Photosynthetic pigments were significantly higher in H than in CK. Notably, guttation was observed in CK but absent in H. Artificially increasing the height of <em>M. aquaticum</em> enhances its photosynthetic and hydraulic traits. However, this adjustment may lead to water deficiency issues, particularly during sunny conditions. This study contributes to understanding the ecological significance of plant height in aquatic species, highlighting the complex interplay between growth adaptations and environmental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103896"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143833475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of light regime on seedling development of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.)","authors":"Sahoko Takeda, Sayaka Watanabe, Naoya Miura, Hajime Shiota","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103898","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103898","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Light plays a crucial role in plant development and growth. Plants use photoreceptors to perceive light of varying wavelengths and intensities, translating these signals into photoresponses. In the marine environments where seagrasses grow, blue light is predominant due to the absorption of longer wavelengths by water. To elucidate the photoresponses of seagrasses, we analyzed the photoresponses of young seedlings of eelgrass (<em>Zostera marina</em>), whose genome analysis has confirmed the presence of photoreceptors. When cultured under white, blue, green, or red light, the coleoptiles were shorter, and de-etiolated primary leaves were observed. Conversely, under dark conditions, coleoptiles were elongated, and primary leaves did not emerge. These findings indicate that light reduces coleoptile elongation and promotes the emergence and de-etiolation of primary leaves. The reduction in coleoptile elongation was enhanced under intense blue light but diminished under strong red light. Additionally, primary leaf emergence was lowered under high red light conditions. The expression of photoreceptor genes (<em>ZoPHYA, ZoPHYB</em>, and <em>ZoCRY1</em>) was upregulated during seed germination, with <em>ZoPHYA</em> and <em>ZoCRY1</em> expression being particularly elevated at the coleoptile tips. Our results imply that, in young eelgrass seedlings, red and blue light are perceived at the coleoptile tips, triggering the transition from embryonic to vegetative growth. However, this transition is attenuated by intense red light. This response is likely to be an adaptive mechanism, enabling eelgrass to grow at optimal depths where blue light dominates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103898"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143814846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-04-04DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103888
Valeria Carioti , Saverio Savio , Marco Fabriani , Neil T.W. Ellwood , Luca Gemin , Roberta Congestri , Maria Adelaide Iannelli , Simona Ceschin
{"title":"Nickel tolerance and phytoremediation potential of the aquatic plant Lemna minuta and the cyanobacterium Trichormus variabilis in monoculture and consortium","authors":"Valeria Carioti , Saverio Savio , Marco Fabriani , Neil T.W. Ellwood , Luca Gemin , Roberta Congestri , Maria Adelaide Iannelli , Simona Ceschin","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>One of the main threats to aquatic conservation is heavy metal pollution, with nickel (Ni) among the most significant contaminants. The Ni tolerance and remediation potential of <em>Lemna minuta</em> (vascular plant) and <em>Trichormus variabilis</em> (cyanobacterium) in contaminated water were investigated. The phytotoxic effects of nickel sulfate (NiSO<sub>4</sub>·7 H<sub>2</sub>O; 6.47 mg/L) on these two species, were assessed after 7- and 14-days exposure by measuring morphological changes, growth (fresh weight) and key physiological parameters (chlorophyll, malondialdehyde, protein content and catalase activity). The ability of <em>L. minuta</em> and <em>T. variabilis</em> to remove Ni was compared in both monoculture (single species) and consortium (mixed species) by measuring the reduction in Ni concentration in the culture medium. Nickel exposure induced phytotoxic effects in both species, as shown by decreases in fresh weight, chlorophyll and protein content, and increases in malondialdehyde content and catalase activity. These effects were more pronounced in monocultures, particularly in <em>T. variabilis</em>, compared to consortia. <em>Lemna minuta</em> exhibited good Ni tolerance and remediation capacity, removing 75 % and 86 % of the metal from the solution after 7 and 14 days, respectively. <em>Trichormus variabilis</em> removed 36 % and 27 % of the Ni after the same exposure time. Consortia exhibited high Ni removal, reaching 80 % and 90 % after 7 and 14 days, but this was not statistically different to <em>L. minuta</em> monocultures. These results demonstrate the potential of <em>L. minuta</em> in the remediation of Ni-contaminated waters and suggest that consortia might enhance the tolerance and viability of both species under Ni-stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103888"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143814845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-04-02DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103887
Miriam Chepkwemoi Tengwer , Godfrey Kinyori Wagutu , Henry Kariuki Njeri , Wei Li , Yuan-Yuan Chen , Xiang-Rong Fan
{"title":"Genetic diversity and population structure of four Trapa species from the Yangtze River and Amur River basins, China","authors":"Miriam Chepkwemoi Tengwer , Godfrey Kinyori Wagutu , Henry Kariuki Njeri , Wei Li , Yuan-Yuan Chen , Xiang-Rong Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water chestnuts (<em>Trapa</em> L.) are annual floating-leaved macrophytes with significant economic and ecological values. Genetic information assessment of wild germplasm resources is essential to the effective utilization and cultivation breeding of this genus. Here, Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were developed and used to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure of the four common wild <em>Trapa</em> species from the two diversity centers of <em>Trapa</em> in China: the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) and the Amur River Basin (ARB). For the 12,178 EST-SSRs, the dinucleotide (55.3 %) was the predominant type. Using 19 primers, higher levels of genetic variation were detected in the two <em>Trapa</em> species from YRB (<em>T. bispinosa</em>: <em>H</em>e= 0.530; <em>T. quadrispinosa</em>: <em>H</em>e=0.498) than that of the species from ARB (<em>T. manshurica</em>: <em>H</em>e = 0.279; <em>T. maximowiczii</em>: <em>H</em>e=0.415). This might be attributed to the smaller population size and lower hydrological connectivity among populations for the two species of ARB. Correspondingly, the population differentiation levels within the two <em>Trapa</em> species in ARB (<em>T. manshurica</em>: <em>F</em><sub>ST</sub>=0.383; <em>T. maximowiczii</em>: <em>F</em><sub>ST</sub>=0.239) were higher than that of the species in YRB (<em>T. bispinosa</em>: <em>F</em><sub>ST</sub>=0.169; <em>T. quadrispinosa</em>: <em>F</em><sub>ST</sub>=0.124). The clustering analyses (UPGMA, PCoA and SRUCTURE) consistently showed that all the individuals were divided into three branches: the accessions from <em>T. maximowiczii</em> and <em>T. manshurica</em> were clustered based on their species origins; the same genetic group was shared by the individuals from <em>T. bispinosa</em> and <em>T. quadrispinosa</em>, which possessed similar fruit morphological characteristics in addition to the number of waist horns. Findings of this study suggested the <em>Trapa</em> populations with high genetic diversity should be prioritized for conservation in YRB, while each population should be equally protected because of obvious genetic differentiation among populations in ARB.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103887"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143783195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103886
M.S. Silpa , Amit Kumar , R. Giridharan , Prakash Sanjeevi
{"title":"Integrative taxonomy reveals the presence of seagrass Ruppia brevipedunculata in India","authors":"M.S. Silpa , Amit Kumar , R. Giridharan , Prakash Sanjeevi","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The seagrass genus <em>Ruppia</em> comprises eleven accepted species worldwide. In India, the genus is represented by a single species <em>Ruppia maritima</em>. However, recent studies indicated that the reported species of <em>R. maritima</em> in the Indo-Pacific region belongs to <em>R. brevipedunculata</em>. We have examined the specimen of <em>Ruppia</em> sp. from Pulicat Lake, India, and found that it belongs to <em>R. brevipedunculata</em> Shuo Yu & Hartog (2014) based on key morphological characters such as the short peduncle. Phylogenetic analysis of the maternal chloroplast maturase K (matK) gene and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence ascertained the species identity as the specimen clustered with previously reported <em>R. brevipedunculata.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103886"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-03-25DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103884
Bruno Chávez-Vergara , Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo , Rafael López-Martínez , Ofelia Beltrán-Paz , Águeda E. Ceniceros-Gómez , Germán Yañez-Mendoza
{"title":"The release of arsenic is a hidden risk during the in-situ decomposition of landed sargassum litter","authors":"Bruno Chávez-Vergara , Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo , Rafael López-Martínez , Ofelia Beltrán-Paz , Águeda E. Ceniceros-Gómez , Germán Yañez-Mendoza","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low molecular organic compounds and nutrients are released during the natural breakdown of plant tissues. However, if the organisms accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTE), these can be released into the environment; this is a latent risk during the decomposition of sargassum litter. This topic has been studied only in ex-situ conditions. We quantified the PTE concentration in fresh and in situ naturally decomposed sargassum litter. The results indicated that only arsenic demonstrates a high concentration in fresh biomass and litter across different stages of decomposition, exceeding 65 % initially, but decreasing to less than 20 % in the later stage concerning total As in each decomposition phase. These findings offer valuable insights into the release of As in leachates during natural decay and the residual As in partially decomposed sargassum litter.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103884"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143724566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic BotanyPub Date : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103885
Zi-Yang Xie , Zhi-Hang Liu , Xin-Yue Gu, Yuan-Yuan Qin, Yu-Ting Du, Jin Yan, Rui Zhang, Chao Si
{"title":"Responses of an invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides to cadmium, nutrient availability and water temperature","authors":"Zi-Yang Xie , Zhi-Hang Liu , Xin-Yue Gu, Yuan-Yuan Qin, Yu-Ting Du, Jin Yan, Rui Zhang, Chao Si","doi":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aquabot.2025.103885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Introduced plant invasion, heavy metal pollution, eutrophication, and rising water temperatures collectively pose complex and severe environmental problems in freshwater ecosystems. Further clarification is needed on how invasive plants respond to these combined environmental stresses. We investigated the response of <em>Alternanthera philoxeroides</em>, a common invasive plant species in China, to two levels of cadmium concentration (0 or 1 mg L<sup>−1</sup> Cd<sup>2+</sup>), crossed with two levels of nutrient availability (0 or 10 mL L<sup>−1</sup> concentrated nutrient solution) and two levels of water temperature treatments (25 or 35 ℃). The presence of cadmium significantly inhibited the overall growth of <em>A. philoxeroides</em>, while the high nutrient level increased its growth. Temperature did not affect overall growth but primarily influenced branch number. There were statistically significant interactions between nutrient availability and temperature for several of our measurements; however, such significant interactions were not observed in the other two-way interactions. Overall, the high temperature enhanced the benefits derived from the high nutrient availability on the performance of <em>A. philoxeroides</em>. The three-way interaction only affected root-shoot ratio. The findings suggest that the high water temperature may exacerbate outbreaks of this invasive plant, particularly in freshwater habitats with high nutrient levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8273,"journal":{"name":"Aquatic Botany","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103885"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143706216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}