Limitations from reduced light and increasing water depth on Nelumbo lutea seedlings were determined in tank experiments. Survival was high in all tested light levels. Total biomass increased significantly with increasing light. Biomass allocation shifted significantly to root production between 3 and 6 weeks in the 10 and 24% levels. Survival decreased with increasing planting depth, and biomass of survivors reduced significantly between 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m depths. Nelumbo lutea and Myriophyllum spicatum populations were monitored for one season in a 0.7 ha pond to track changes in species dominance. Myriophyllum spicatum dominated early, and N. lutea dominated from July through October, suppressing M. spicatum at all depths. Competitive interactions between N. lutea and M. spicatum were investigated for two seasons in a container experiment situated within a pond. Where established, N. lutea dominated in the presence of M. spicatum. However, N. lutea could not be established in depths greater than 1 meter.

Qualitative and microcosm models were used to predict effects of herbicide application for control of Myriophyllum spicatum. Predictions were compared to data from Pat Mayse Lake, a Texas reservoir, where localized areas were treated with endothall. Although milf oil was temporarily eliminated, when endothall was used according to manufacturer's directions, no ecologically significant direct or indirect effects were observed on nontarget species or abiotic water quality. Comparisons of the predictions with field data confirmed the capabilities of this approach for estimating risk and emphasizing the importance of identifying regulating or driving factors that modify environmental impacts of aquatic weed control programs so they can be incorporated into future risk assessments.

Thesis (M.S. zoology)--Washington State University, December 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 24-26).

La contamination simultanée des écosystèmes aquatiques par des polluants et des nutriments est un problème majeur dont les effets sur les macrophytes sont encore méconnus. L'objectif de cette thèse était d'étudier les effets de deux types de polluants : herbicides et éléments trace métalliques (ETM), en combinaison avec des ressources variables (azote, phosphore, ou carbone) sur Myriophyllum spicatum, en utilisant des paramètres provenant de l'écologie chimique et de l'écotoxicologie. Les tests ont montré des effets contrastés des herbicides sur la plante, mais pas d'effet des ETM. Dans tous les cas, les modifications de ressources (nitrate, ratio N:P ou saccharose) ont induit des effets importants sur la physiologie et la stœchiométrie de la plante, pouvant altérer ses réponses à un stress supplémentaire comme les polluants. Ces résultats suggèrent qu'un déséquilibre des ressources en présence de polluants pourrait modifier leurs effets sur les macrophytes, et soulignent également la nécessité d'ajouter des paramètres plus informatifs dans les tests afin de répondre aux enjeux du stress multiple et améliorer l'évaluation du risque environnemental / Simultaneous contamination of aquatic ecosystems by pollutants and nutrients is a major problem whose effects on macrophytes are still unknown. The objective of this thesis was to study the effects of different pollutants, herbicides and trace metal elements (TME), in combination with varying resource availability (nitrogen, phosphorus, or carbon) on Myriophyllum spicatum, using parameters from chemical ecology and ecotoxicology. Tests showed contrasting effects of herbicides, but no effects of the TME. In all cases, resource modifications (nitrate, N:P ratio or sucrose) induced significant effects on the physiology and stoichiometry of the plant, which might alter its response to additional stress like pollutants. These results suggest that an imbalance of resources in the presence of pollutants may lead to unforeseen changes in the combined effects on macrophytes, and also highlight the need to add more informative parameters in tests to meet the challenges of multiple stress and improve environmental risk assessment.

No description available.

Aquatic plants play an important role in the survival and proliferation of invertebrates in freshwater ecosystems. Exotic plants are now common in North American lakes and rivers, where they may displace native plants, thereby potentially altering epiphytic invertebrate communities. Differences in aquatic invertebrate communities on native and exotic plants are examined here through (1) a meta-analysis of published data, and (2) two field surveys in northeastern North America that compared invertebrates on the exotic Myriophyllum spicatum and Potamogeton crispus to those on their native congeners. The meta-analysis revealed that exotic plants generally support lower invertebrate abundance than do natives, while invertebrate taxa richness tends to be similar on exotic and native plants. The field surveys demonstrated that M. spicatum and P. crispus support significantly different invertebrate densities and lower taxa richness than their structurally similar native congeners. These results suggest that the replacement of native plants by exotics---even those with similar morphology---may cause concomitant changes to aquatic ecosystems.

The physiological responses of Myriophyllum spicatum to 2,4-D, diquat and copper were quantified using a plant tissue viability assay, and daily measures of dissolved oxygen and pH. Correlations of herbicide tissue residues to physiological response measures were determined and the relationship was used to develop exposure-response models. Diquat and copper had a greater effect on plant tissue viability than was observed for 2,4-D. Diquat produced greater reductions in dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH values than 2,4-D or copper. Copper exposure had the least effect on these parameters. Exposure-response models developed for 2,4-D predicted effective control at plant tissue residues ranging from 4000 to 4700 mg/kg. Aqueous exposure concentrations necessary to produce effective control plant tissue residues ranged from 0.20 to 0.40 mg/L. Exposure-response models developed for diquat predicted effective control at plant tissue residues ranging from 225 to 280 mg/kg. Aqueous exposure concentrations necessary to produce effective control plant tissue residues ranged from 0.113 to 0.169 mg/L. Exposure-response models developed for copper predicted effective control at plant tissue residues ranging from 680 to 790 mg/kg. Aqueous exposure concentrations necessary to produce effective control plant tissue residues ranged from 0.32 to 0.64 mg/L. Model predictions for 2,4-D, diquat and copper were within 0.5 mg/L of the manufacturers' label recommendations for these herbicides. The use of laboratory microcosms in development of exposure-response models for diquat and copper produced results comparable to those using the larger-scale greenhouse systems. Diquat effectively controlled M. spicatum at lower tissue residues than 2,4-D or copper. In addition, initial aqueous exposure concentrations were also lower for diquat. Use of these models in field situations should be coupled with considerations of quantity of biomass present and environmental conditions, such as turbidity, in order to accurately calculate exposure concentrations necessary for effective tissue residues. Thus, the use of these models can be used to optimize the impact on the target species while minimizing exposure for nontarget species.

No description available.

Macroinvertebrate communities inhabiting an exotic, Myriophyllum spicatum, and a native, Heteranthera dubia macrophyte were studied from March 1999 to June 2000 in experimental ponds. Although macrophyte architecture explained some variation in macroinvertebrate abundance between the two macrophytes, most variation was explained by the sampling months. Total number of macroinvertebrates was found to be positively correlated with epiphyton biomass which differed significantly between the two plant types and among sampling months. Taxa richness did not vary between the two plant types. Chironomid larvae were the most abundant organisms and dominated by Apedilum elachistus on both plant communities. Annual production of five chironomid species was estimated by the size-frequency method. Production estimates (P) in g dry wt m-2 yr-1 of plant surface area for the predator Tanypodinae larvae were: Larsia decolarata, P= 0.77 and 0.67, Labrundinia virescens, P= 0.59 and 0.35 on M. spicatum and H. dubia, respectively. Larvae of Cricotopus sylvestris and Psectrocladius vernalis were collected from M. spicatum from March to mid-June. Production of C. sylvestris was found to be 0.46 g dry wt m-2, whereas it was 0.07 g dry wt m-2 for P. vernalis for this period. Apedilum elachistus exhibited the highest productivity: 9.9 g dry wt m-2 yr-1 of plant surface area on M. spicatum, and 8.5 g dry wt m-2 yr-1 on H. dubia. These production estimates are among the highest production values reported for a single species. Additionally, post-ovipositing development times for five chironomid species collected from Myriophyllum and Heteranthera were determined. Three different temperatures (15°, 20° and 25°C) were chosen to rear eggs under 12L: 12D photoperiod. Egg development times ranged between 1-4 days. Larval development times ranged from 44 days at 20°C for Tanypus neopunctipennis to as few as 9 days at 20°C for Larsia decolorata.

No description available.