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Sensitive response of sediment-grown Myriophyllum spicatum L. to arsenic pollution under different CO2 availability

  • PLANTS IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS
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Abstract

Aquatic plants may face resource constraints or anthropogenic pollution, and effects might be heightened under multiple stress conditions. We investigated if arsenate effects on Myriophyllum spicatum L. would be stronger under CO2 limitation and low phosphorus availability. In a factorial design, we exposed sediment-grown plants to either CO2 (high carbon or HC) or bicarbonate (low carbon or LC) and four levels of arsenate. We observed strong effects of arsenate exposure on growth, biomass allocation (leaf, stem and root mass fractions), pigments and phenolic compounds. CO2 availability strongly affected the content in phenolic compounds and a few other response variables, yet overall effects were less pronounced than expected. Strong interactive effects of CO2 availability and arsenic concentration were only observed for carotenoids, the carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio and phenolic compounds in leaves. Only the carbon content declined with increasing arsenic concentration, otherwise leaf elemental content and stoichiometry were not affected by arsenic or CO2 availability, suggesting that plants strived to maintain leaf functions. The observed effects on biomass allocation and plant quality, specifically dry matter content and phenolic compound content of M. spicatum not only show direct changes in plant performance but suggest also indirect effects on ecological interactions such as competition or herbivory.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate the help of P. Rousselle with the C:N analyses, J.-F. Poinsaint with setting up the experimental infrastructure, S. Devin and L. Minguez for statistical advice. AH benefited from an invitation by the UFR SciFa, Univ Lorraine for a visit of 1 month. AN was funded by a PhD stipend from the MESR, Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, France. The experiment was possible due to funding for the project “PICAI—pollutant induced changes in allelochemical interactions” in the program ECODYN/EC2CO, INSU, CNRS to EMG and by support from the LTER–ZAM–Zone Atelier Moselle for AN, DP and EMG. We thank three anonymous reviewers and the editors of the special issue for constructive comments on prior versions of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LIEC UMR 7360 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Rue Général Delestraint, Bâtiment IBISE, 57070, Metz, France

    Elisabeth M. Gross, Andréïna Nuttens & Darya Paroshin

  2. LIEC UMR 7360 CNRS, LTER-“Zone Atelier Moselle”, Rue Général Delestraint, Bâtiment IBISE, 57070, Metz, France

    Elisabeth M. Gross, Andréïna Nuttens & Darya Paroshin

  3. Institute of Botany, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Geb. 26.13.O2, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Andreas Hussner

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  1. Elisabeth M. Gross
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Correspondence to Elisabeth M. Gross.

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Guest editors: M. T. O’Hare, F. C. Aguiar, E. S. Bakker & K. A. Wood / Plants in Aquatic Systems – a 21st Century Perspective

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Gross, E.M., Nuttens, A., Paroshin, D. et al. Sensitive response of sediment-grown Myriophyllum spicatum L. to arsenic pollution under different CO2 availability. Hydrobiologia 812, 177–191 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2956-7

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