Distribution of the floating-leaf macrophyteNelumbo lutea (American water lotus) in a coastal wetland on Lake Erie

The areal distribution of the floating-leaf macrophyteNelumbo lutea was mapped for 10 of 18 years between 1977 and 1994 in the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (OWC), a coastal wetland located in Lake Erie’s western basin. The areal extent ofN. lutea in the wetland increased from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Wetlands (Wilmington, N.C.) N.C.), 1997-12, Vol.17 (4), p.567-573
Main Authors: Whyte, Robert S., Francko, David A., Klarer, David M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Annual variations
Aquatic plants
Beds (process engineering)
Coastal waters
Lakes
Leaves
Plant communities
Plant growth
Population dynamics
Water level fluctuations
Water levels
Wetlands
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Summary:The areal distribution of the floating-leaf macrophyteNelumbo lutea was mapped for 10 of 18 years between 1977 and 1994 in the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve (OWC), a coastal wetland located in Lake Erie’s western basin. The areal extent ofN. lutea in the wetland increased from 2.84 hectares (3%) in 1977 to 19.24 hectares (36%) in 1993. Despite an overall increase in the distribution and abundance ofN. lutea, individual beds show annual variations in bed coverage and production. Few studies to date have examined the various factors regulating annual macrophyte population dynamics in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Water-level fluctuations are generally considered the principal factor affecting change in these plant communities; however, we suggest that specific plant growth characteristics such as bed age and reproduction may play a significant role in explaining the observed changes inN. lutea distribution and abundance.
ISSN:0277-5212
1943-6246
DOI:10.1007/BF03161523