Aquatic plant
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Aquatic plants are vascular and non-vascular plants adapted to live in saltwater or freshwater environments.[1] They provide cover for fish, amphibians, and aquatic insects, and produce oxygen through photosynthesis.[2] To survive being fully underwater or staying afloat on the surface, aquatic plants have evolved specific adaptations.[3]
Quick Facts
- Angiosperm origins
- at least 50 independent origins
- Angiosperm species percentage
- less than 2%
- Seagrass genera examples
- Thalassia and Zostera
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
Fully submerged plants have little need for stiff tissue, using buoyancy from gas-filled lacunae or aerenchyma cells.[4] Swamps and marshlands commonly contain aquatic plants because these plants grow only in water or in ground that is often waterlogged.[3] To lessen water resistance and create a larger area for gas exchange, numerous submerged species possess leaves that are finely divided.[5] Depending on the conditions where it grows, Ranunculus aquatilis can develop two distinct leaf shapes.[5]
Because the stomata are positioned on the upper leaf surface, that is where most gas exchange happens, and these stomata remain open all the time.[6] Whether water is available is the main determinant of where aquatic plants are found.[7] Among the other non-living factors that can affect their distribution are nutrient availability, water temperature, water transparency, and salinity.[7]
What the specialist sources record
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources states that water depth, bottom type, and water clarity are primary factors influencing aquatic plant growth.[8] Northern Minnesota lakes typically have few aquatic plants because the watershed is low in phosphorus and nitrogen.[8] Nutrient-laden discharges from sewage treatment plants and livestock feedlots promote heavy growth of aquatic plants, according to the same source.[8] The Aligarh Muslim University account notes that submerged plants lack external protective tissues needed by land plants to limit water loss.[9]
The Northern Ireland Direct Government Services guide warns that some pond plants can take over a pond if not cared for properly.[10] That guide advises removing all parts of the plant to keep invasive species under control.[10] That source further notes that heterophylly—the production of differently shaped leaves on one plant—occurs frequently, with leaf shape varying by position on the plant.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dictionary.com Meanings & Definitions of English Words", Dictionary.com; "What Are Aquatic Plants and Algae manoa.hawaii.edu/ExploringOurFluidEarth", manoa.hawaii.edu (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Macrophytes as Indicators of freshwater marshes in Florida"; "Aquatic Plants - Definition, Types, and Importance of Aquatic Plants", Toppr-guides, 2019-11-05 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sculthorpe, C. D. 1967. The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants. Reprinted 1985 Edward Arnold, by London.; Hutchinson, G. E. 1975. A Treatise on Limnology, Vol. 3, Limnological Botany. New York: John Wiley.; Cook, C.D.K. (ed). 1974. Water Plants of the World. Dr W Junk Publishers, The Hague. .; Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Morphological, Physiological and Anatomical Adaptations in Plants", Aligarh Muslim University; "Plant Adaptations to Aquatic Life", The Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Morphological, Physiological and Anatomical Adaptations in Plants", Aligarh Muslim University (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shtein, "Permanently open stomata of aquatic angiosperms display modified cellulose crystallinity patterns", Plant Signaling & Behavior, 2017-07-03 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aquatic plant" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wiley, "Encyclopedia of Life Sciences", Wiley, 2005-09-09; Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p.; Sculthorpe, C. D. 1967. The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants. Reprinted 1985 Edward Arnold, by London.; Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p.; Wiley, "Encyclopedia of Life Sciences", Wiley, 2005-09-09; Šraj-Kržič, "Mycorrhizal colonisation in plants from intermitt en.wikipedia.org
- "Factors influencing aquatic plant abundance", Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. facts only, no text reused. dnr.state.mn.us
- "Morphological, Physiological and Anatomical Adaptations in Plants", Aligarh Muslim University. facts only, no text reused. countrysideinfo.co.uk
- "Invasive non-native aquatic plants", Northern Ireland Direct Government Services, 9 November 2015. facts only, no text reused. nidirect.gov.uk
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Aquatic plant (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Aquatic plant (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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