No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Aquatic and Wetland Plants of India: A reference book and identification manual for the vascular plants found in permanent or seasonal fresh water in the subcontinent ofIndia south of the Himalayas
Abstract
This volume is a reference and identification manual for the vascular plants found in permanent or seasonal fresh water in the subcontinent of India south of the Himalayas. About 660 species are described and the style of the text is accessible both to experts and to those with only a little botanical training. All the plants are illustrated by line drawings showing the diagnostic features. The importance of wetlands to life on Earth is now generally accepted. This is the first such Flora to cover wetland plants for this entire geographical area, replacing and supplementing many local Floras. It will enable scientists and conservationists to identify the plants with accuracy and to build on this information to promote conservation. This is a most valuable contribution to systematic botany by an international recognized scientist.
... Among them N. minor is of particular interest because this species is mainly distributed in cooltemperate regions in the Northern hemisphere, and is only rarely or doubtfully reported from tropical region. For example, it is in India recorded only from northern and northeast states (Assam, Bihar, and Punjab;Cook, 1996). In Malesia, the species "seems very doubtfully native" because the only collection in this region is originate from Bogor Botanic Garden which therefore is assumed to be "contamination with imported water plants" (de Wilde, 1962). ...
... Ito & Barfod (2014), in their preliminary checklist of aquatic plants of Myanmar and Thailand, treated this specimen under the wider concept of N. indica (Willd.) Cham., that includes N. kingii (de Wilde, 1962), but here I follow Triest's (1988) and Cook's (1996) concept of N. kingii, in which this species is distinguished from N. indica in leaf sheath morphology. ...
... Some aquatic plant species are known to have cosmopolitan distributions, among which is Najas marina (Sculthorpe, 1967;Les et al., 2003). In tropical Asia, N. marina is widely distributed in China (Wang et al., 2010), India (Cook, 1996), Indonesia (de Wilde, 1962), Pakistan (Cook, 1996), Sri Lanka (Cook, 1996) and Taiwan (Yang, 2000), but not recorded from Thailand (Haynes, 2001). Through field observations and herbarium surveys, I have encountered individuals and herbarium specimens of N. marina. ...
The genus Najas (Hydrocharitaceae) was treated for the Flora of Thailand in 2001 with four species recorded. Through field and herbarium observations, it is proposed to exclude one of these four species, N. minor. A further species, N. marina, is reported for the first time. An updated key to the species is provided.
... All species included in this report are determined based on keys in standard floras for the region, primarily Cook (1996), in addition to updated or more specialized taxonomic work, e.g., Cook & Lüönd (1982) Wiegleb (1990) Yu et al. (2002). For the Potamogeton-species we have also used Preston (1995). ...
... Our observations: Inlay Lake, Sakar Inn, Moeyingyi Reservoir, Sunye In Tank Synonyms: N. stellata and N nouchali are considered as synonyms (e.g., La-Ongsri et al. 2009, Cook 1996, Margua Raja et al 2010. However, in some literature and books they have been differentiated as two species. ...
This report is performed by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), as part of the project Integrated Water Resources Management – Institutional Building and Training (IWRM), a cooperation between Department of Forest, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) and NIVA during the period 2014-2020. The project which is part of the Norwegian – Myanmar Bilateral Environment Programme, 2015-2023 has been funded by the Norwegian embassy in Yangon.
The purpose of the report is to assist experts undertaking aquatic macrophyte field surveys in Myanmar. In addition to a suggested field method for aquatic macrophytes, the report contains factsheets with short descriptions and photos of 40 aquatic macrophyte species in Myanmar, recorded in the period 2014-2020. These factsheets can be used as a supplement to other identifications keys and floras from the Asian region and serve as a “first identification step”. Hopefully, they will support more accurate and consistent species identification amongst field surveyors.
... Babu (1977) in his book "Herbaceous Flora of Dehradun" deals with the systematic account of 1,230 species of Angiosperms belonging to 624 genera distributed over 115 families, which includes records of some aquatic angiosperms. Cook (1996) in "Aquatic & wetland plants of India" provides a detailed description of vascular Angiosperm and wetland plants of Indian Subcontinent. Naskar (1993) in his two volumes of "Plant Wealth of the Lower Ganga Delta: An Eco-taxonomical Approach" and in "Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Plants of the Lower Ganga Delta: Its Taxonomy Ecology and Economic Importance" (1990), describes the floristic diversity of lower Gangetic plain as well as the vegetation of mangrove vegetation of delta region. ...
... Wealth of the Lower Ganga Delta (Naskar K ,Volume I and II, 1993) and Aquatic Wetland Plants of India (Cook, 1996). The plant habit type and nativity status were also listed, with the help of field guides, books, research papers and authentic websites. ...
Floral assemblages along the riparian land of the river are excellent indicators of both upland and aquatic plant communities, which helps to assess the health of the river in a particular area. Any changes in the dynamics of the riparian habitat can have a knock-on effect on aquatic and river dependent faunal diversity viz. resident and migratory birds, amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, aquatic mammals, and effect the river infrastructure, flood cycle, agriculture, and local communities along the river basins. The Ganga River is classified into 6 habitat zones, represented by 32 intensive sampling sites, each of length 5 km which comprises of various habitats viz. wetland, grassland, agricultural land, riverine forest, mangrove etc. The traditional quadrat method was used to assess the status and distribution of riparian and aquatic flora of the Ganga River, using which ecological parameters like density, frequency, diversity, richness and prominence values were calculated. A systematic survey of the flora recorded 289 plant species (56 % herbs, 10 % shrubs, 21 % trees, 6 % Climbers and 7% Grasses, Reeds and Sedges) belonging to 88 families and 219 genera with 67% nativity. The dominant families were Asteraceae (30 species), Poaceae (16 species), Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Polygonaceae (12 species each) and Solanaceae (11 species). Species with high prominence values are Cynodon dactylon (5.3), Saccharum spontaneum (2.0), Parthenium hysterophorus (1.4), Ziziphus nummularia (1.2), Typha angustata (1.1) and Eichhornia crassipes (1.1). The diversity was found in the following order: Zone I (Dharasu, Byas-ghat and Haridwar) > Zone V (Ballia, Kahalgaon and Sahibganj) > Zone VI (Farakka and Jiaganj) > Zone II (Bijnor) > Zone IV (Gangabarar, fatehpur and Allahabad) > Zone III (Kanpur). In future the study will be continued for evaluating the health of riparian habitat along the river using riparian vegetation index (RVI) and mitigatory measures will be suggested for the restoration of degraded habitats.
... Brazil, South America, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Borneo, Ecuador, Africa, Malaya, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam are its native regions. In India, it is widely distributed to Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu (11). ...
The contemporary era showcases a growing emphasis on alternative medicine, specifically
the utilization of ethnomedicine, which has gained significant attraction in recent times. This
review explores the curative properties and ethnomedicinal utilization of the “Toothache
plant” belonging to the Asteraceae family, the most common weed in crop fields. “Toothache
plant” has added noteworthy attention in dentistry due to its unique properties. The toothache
plant is well-known for providing numbing and analgesic effects by simply chewing the
flowers due to the presence of active compounds such as Spilanthol. The analgesic property
makes the plant a potential candidate for natural pain relievers, particularly in dentistry.
Besides its dental application, this plant is used as an antidote for snake bites. This review
summarises the ethnomedicinal values and clinical applications of the toothache plant, with
a particular focus on oral health care, and the findings presented herein are anticipated to
help in future research.
... Regardless of the extensive use as traditional medicine, scientific validation is still limited. L. ruellioides, belonging to the family Linderniaceae is an erect annual herb found commonly in semi-shaded areas (8). Traditionally, it has been used for dressing cuts, wounds, bruises, boils, jaundice, snakebite, dysentery, urinary trouble and quick healing of wounds when applied externally and the juices of the leaves are also used for massaging on strains (9,10). ...
Around the world, plants have been used as medicine to ameliorate a broad spectrum of ailments, leveraging their wealth of phytochemicals. Due to their availability and reasonably priced, plant-based medicines have occasionally supplanted synthetic pharmaceuticals. Lindernia ruellioides, locally called as “Thasuih” in Mizoram has been used by indigenous practitioners and traditional healers for treating various ailments. However, there is no scientific validation for this traditional use. Scientific validation at known doses may provide information about its safety and efficacy. Therefore, the present study endeavours to estimate the phytochemical contents and determine the free radical scavenging activity and antibacterial activity of various extracts of The results were evaluated statistically using SPSS (Online) and Graph pad prism (Online).The plant was washed and allowed to shade dried at room temperature and then powdered. It was then subjected to sequential cold maceration using different solvents such as petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol and distilled water. Phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard procedures to identify the constituents. The ability of the extracts to inhibit the generation of various free radicals was determined by assessing the scavenging activity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH), 2, 2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and superoxide radicals. Antibacterial activity was determined using disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration. The results were evaluated statistically using SPSS (Online) and Graph pad prism (Online). The preliminary phytochemical screening disclosed that the plant incorporates an assortment of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, glycosides, phlobatannins and terpenoids. Among the various extracts of L. ruellioides, ethanol extract has the highest total phenolic (327.97 ± 1.77 mg GAE/g of dry extract) and flavonoid contents (264.95 ± 0.71 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract). Different extracts of L. ruellioides when analysed for their scavenging activities showed significant inhibition of DPPH, ABTS and superoxide in a concentration dependent manner. The ethanolic extract showed the highest scavenging activities for DPPH and ABTS with IC50 158.0 ± 4.82 μg/ml and 112.9 ± 6.47 μg/ml respectively. However, aqueous extract was found to possess the highest scavenging activity for superoxide with IC50 135.5 ± 5.02 μg/ml. The different extracts were also found to be active against the test microorganisms, thus, justifying the folkloric use of the plant.
... Griseb., Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, and Commelina diffusa Burm.f. The identification of hydrophytes was after Cook (1996). To ensure equal surface areas for each vegetation type, separate patches of 1.22 x 1.22 m were set up in the pond, each representing a different plant type. ...
An experimental study was conducted in a natural pond to investigate host plant preference and plasticity in damselfly Onychargia atrocyana. The hypothesis was that this species has a host preference for oviposition and also sufficient plasticity to use other hosts in the absence of the preferred host. After mating, tandems were observed landing on plants in search of suitable oviposition substrates. The majority of landings occurred on Alternanthera philoxeroides, followed by Colocasia esculenta and Commelina diffusa. The frequency of landings on A. philoxeroides and C. esculenta was not significantly different, while landings on C. esculenta and C. diffusa did differ significantly. In the absence of emergent littoral plants, the damselflies exhibited plasticity in host preference and shifted ovipositional substrate by laying eggs on submerged areas of petioles of free-floating Eichhornia crassipes. Females of O. atrocyana exhibited a flexible oviposition strategy, transitioning from a combination of emergent and submerged oviposition to primarily selecting emergent oviposition in most cases. Additionally, they divided oviposition events into multiple phases when required to ensure successful reproduction. E. crassipes supported a higher rate of oviposition compared to other plants. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated that during submerged oviposition water temperature and pH were significant predictors of the duration of submergence.
... Samples collected were wrapped in white paper, covered with brown paper envelope to avoid drying up. The same were quickly brought to the laboratory of the Zoology Department, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya were identified with help of a Botanist of the USTM with the use of a Catalogue (Agbogidi et al., 2000) and classified from family to species level (Adoni, 1985, Cook, 1996. Vegetation sampling was followed after taking into the quadrats of each site for density, frequency and Importance Value Index (Mishra, 1969). ...
Dhir Beel, an oxbow lake in Western Assam, India, is a heaven for diverse flora and fauna, fostering a rich ecosystem in freshwater habitats. The study aimed to address pollution, encroachment, siltation, and overfishing concerns in Dhir Beel. Over a three-year period, samples were collected from five different sites for water and macrophytes. Physico-chemical parameters were assessed using the APHA method, and macrophytes were identified through a thorough identification procedure. The study revealed a total of 82 species, with dicots, monocots, and pteridophytes representing 38, 40, and 4 species, respectively. Notably, Nymphaeaceae, Poaceae, and Equisetaceae families played significant roles, occupying 11.21%, 25%, and 25% of the macrophyte composition, respectively. The emergent macrophytes monocots Poaceae were dominant in terms of species diversity, while free floating macrophyte P. stratiotes and A. nilotica were dominant. The study of diversity indicated that undisturbed sites (Site- IV and V) exhibited significant macrophyte diversity compared to polluted sites (Site-I and II), emphasizing the need for well-planned conservation efforts in this ecologically valuable oxbow lake.
... Samples were carefully wrapped in white paper and enveloped in brown paper to prevent desiccation during transport. Upon arrival at the laboratory of the Zoology Department, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya, they were identified with the assistance of a botanist using a catalogue (Agbogidi et al., 2000) and classified from family to species level (Adoni, 1985;Cook, 1996). Vegetation sampling was conducted within each quadrat to assess density, frequency, and the Importance Value Index (Mishra, 1969). ...
An Oxbow lake, Dhir Beel, situated in Western Assam, India, stands as a habitat for a plethora of plant and animal species, nurturing a vibrant ecosystem within its freshwater environs. This study sought to address concerns surrounding pollution, encroachment, siltation, and overfishing within Dhir Beel. Over a span of three years (2016-2019), samples were meticulously collected from five distinct sites to analyze both water quality and macrophyte populations. Employing the APHA method, the physico-chemical parameters of the water were evaluated, while a comprehensive identification process was undertaken to categorize the macrophytes. These aquatic plants, spanning dicots, monocots, and pteridophytes, were classified into various habitats including Emergent Aquatic Macrophytes (EAM), Free Floating Aquatic Macrophytes (FFA), Marshy Aquatic Macrophytes (MAM), and Submerged Aquatic Macrophytes (SAM), observed across both summer and winter seasons. The findings unveiled a total of 82 species, with dicots, monocots, and pteridophytes comprising 38, 40, and 4 species respectively. Oxbow lake, Dhir Beel exhibited diverse habitat forms, with EAM and FFA each occupying 25 % of the habitat, while MAM and SAM collectively represented 24 %. Diversity analysis showcased substantial macrophyte diversity underscoring the imperative for strategic conservation efforts within this ecologically precious oxbow lake.
Keywords: Oxbow lake, behavioural, macrophytes, water quality, importance value index, diversity.
... Following Szoszkiewicz et al. (2016), in each of these 6 locations, we selected a 100 m long survey reach and identified all macrophytes from there. The plants were identified using published literature (Duthie et al., 1903(Duthie et al., -1929Naskar, 1990Naskar, , 1993aCook, 1996;Kehimkar, 2000;Naidu, 2012). We classified plants into four life forms namely creeping emergent, erect emergent, floating and submersed. ...
The biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems especially macrophytes are threatened by various anthropogenic factors. We performed this study to investigate the beta diversity pattern of macrophyte communities in the Ganga River to find out their relationship with the physio-chemical properties of the habitat and to identify their life forms with conservation priorities and ensuring priority areas for conservation and restoration. We found that the species replacement (Repl) contributes more to beta diversity than similarity (S) and richness difference (RichDiff) component indicating continuous macrophyte turnover along the Ganga river. We found that the local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD) has a significant positive relationship with organic carbon and nitrate. We identified seven sites in the middle and lower reach of the Ganga River whose LCBD values lie within the top 75% indicating that these sites have unique species composition. The species with the highest species contribution to beta diversity (SCBD) values were mostly emergent macrophytes, which have a greater influence on the beta diversity in the studied region. Thus, when developing models and action plans for Ganga River management, which includes both biodiversity conservation and restoration, the middle and lower sections of the river, as well as emergent macrophytes, should be considered.
... Samples were carefully wrapped in white paper and enveloped in brown paper to prevent desiccation during transport. Upon arrival at the laboratory of the Zoology Department, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya, they were identified with the assistance of a botanist using a catalogue (Agbogidi et al., 2000) and classified from family to species level (Adoni, 1985;Cook, 1996). Vegetation sampling was conducted within each quadrat to assess density, frequency, and the Importance Value Index (Mishra, 1969). ...
... All species are determined by Marit Mjelde, based on morphological keys in standard floras for the region, primarily Cook (1996), in addition to updated or more specialized taxonomic work, e.g. La-Ongsri (2008), Margua Raya et al. (2010), Sivarajan & Joseph (1993), Triest (1988). ...
The aim of the present study was to give important and improved knowledge about aquatic biodiversity in the Moeyingyi Reservoir in Myanmar. The survey took place in November 2015 and included physical measurements, water chemistry, phytoplankton, and aquatic macrophytes. Moeyingyi is a very shallow and turbid lake, with low conductivity and varying nutrient conditions. Around 110 phytoplankton taxa were determined from Moeyingyi reservoir, however, most of the taxa were sporadically distributed. An important indicator group in the phytoplankton was the euglenoids. Other frequent species belonged to diatoms, desmids and other green algae. The phytoplankton biomass was low, likely caused by light imitation because of the high turbidity. In total, 18 species of aquatic macrophytes were recorded, dominated by species with floating leaves and free-floating species. Most of the species in these groups can survive in water with bad light conditions. The most abundant species in Moeyingy was the lotus Nelumbo nucifera, which make huge stands in some parts of the lake, probably only in areas with permanent water. Most of the species are native and common in Asia, only one invasive aquatic macrophyte, the water hyacinth Eichornia crassipes, appeared in Moeyingyi. Very few field surveys about aquatic macrophytes in lakes in Myanmar are published. The aquatic biodiversity and species abundance in lakes in tropic areas seem to vary throughout the year. To get a more complete overview of the aquatic biodiversity in Moeyingyi, we suggest visiting the lake again, preferably in the dry season. 4 keywords, Norwegian 4 keywords, English
... In Mejia Thermal Power Plant, the generated fly ash is stored in the ponds, where vegetation grows naturally or are planted artificially to restore the ecology of the area. Phragmites karka grows in a range of habitats, from swamps to shallow water at the margins of lakes, ponds, in and along streams and ditches and in irrigation canals (Cook, 1996). Also, the species show bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the plant tissues, up taking 35-56% of heavy metals like Cu, Zn, Fe etc, from the substratum (Muhammad Masud et al., 2007). ...
Pollution from fly ash is one of the principle environmental and public health problems in recent times. Concentrations of toxic metals of Zn, Cu, Pb were determined in the grassy vegetation around Mejia Thermal Power Station, West Bengal, India during November, 2015. Simultaneously the biologically available heavy metals in the fly ash were also estimated to evaluate the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in the selected grass species. The study reveals that BAF is more in Typha elephantia as compared to Phargmites karka. The present study is a probable road map for natural bioremediation of fly ash using producer community of the area.
... The abundances of the species were scored according to a semi-quantitative scale, where 1 = rare, 2 = scattered, 3 = common, 4 = locally dominant and 5 = dominant. Where possible, all taxa were identified to species level, using floras for the region (mainly Cook, 1996), in addition to updated or more specialised taxonomic work (e.g., La-Ongsri, 2008;Triest, 1988;Wiegleb, 1990;Wiegleb and Kaplan, 1998). Charophytes were identified based on Wood and Imahori (1965) and later verified by genetic analysis . ...
Inlay Lake is the second largest natural lake in Myanmar. Located in Shan State, in the eastern part of the country, it is a known biodiversity hotspot. The lake is negatively affected by an increasing local human population and rapid growth in both agriculture and tourism. In recent decades, several studies have listed faunistic and floristic groups in Inlay Lake, but there is still a general lack of knowledge about the aquatic macrophyte and phytoplankton community composition and abundance, and their interactions. To fill this knowledge gap, field surveys of biological and physical and chemical parameters were carried out in the period 2014–2017. They show that Inlay Lake is a shallow, clear water and calcareous lake, with nutrient concentrations indicating mesotrophic-eutrophic conditions. However, close to the shore, nutrient concentrations are generally higher, reflecting pollution from inflowing rivers, shoreline villages and floating gardens. Both the richness and abundance of aquatic macrophytes in Inlay Lake were high, with several species forming extensive stands in most of the lake over the whole survey period. Total phytoplankton and cyanobacterial biomass were low, but cyanobacteria included toxin-producing strains of Microcystis, suggesting that cyanobacterial and total phytoplankton biomass need to be kept low to avoid potentially harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Submerged macrophyte abundance and phytoplankton biomass were inversely correlated in the heavily vegetated northern lake area. Our survey suggests a great importance of the submerged macrophytes to the general water quality and the clear water state in Inlay Lake. Maintaining high macrophyte abundances should therefore be a goal in management strategies, both for Inlay Lake and other lakes in Myanmar. It is highly desirable to include macrophytes and phytoplankton in the lake monitoring in Myanmar.
... In Mejia Thermal Power Plant, the generated fly ash is stored in the ponds, where vegetation grows naturally or are planted artificially to restore the ecology of the area. Phragmites karka grows in a range of habitats, from swamps to shallow water at the margins of lakes, ponds, in and along streams and ditches and in irrigation canals (Cook, 1996). Also, the species show bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the plant tissues, up taking 35-56% of heavy metals like Cu, Zn, Fe etc, from the substratum (Muhammad Masud et al., 2007). ...
Pollution from fly ash is one of the principle environmental and public health problems in recent times. Concentrations of toxic metals of Zn, Cu, Pb were determined in the grassy vegetation around Mejia Thermal Power Station, West Bengal, India during November, 2015. Simultaneously the biologically available heavy metals in the fly ash were also estimated to evaluate the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in the selected grass species. The study reveals that BAF is more in Typha elephantia as compared to Phargmites karka. The present study is a probable road map for natural bioremediation of fly ash using producer community of the area.
... Their selection represents omnipresent abundance at each sampling location besides being high biomass yielding, eutrophication tolerant and hyperaccumulators. The preferred producer species are recognized while referring to standard taxonomic scheme of Cook (1996), Ghosh (2005) and Arshid et al. (2011). A brief account is provided herewith species wise indicating taxonomic and morphological aspects. ...
This book addresses the grave concerns stemming out due to conventional treatment techniques. The main focus of this book revolves round the central kernel of novel technology (bioremediation and biotechnology) which has emerged as an independent warrior to clean up and restore the disturbed environs. Furthermore, this book is a coherent assortment of diverse chapters relevant to the role of biotechnology and bioremediation for restoration of the ecosystems degraded by pesticide and heavy metal pollution. The inaugural chapters deal with the quantification of problem and its magnitude due to pesticides and heavy metals, followed by innovative modern biotechnological and bioremediation treatment technologies and sustainable techniques to remediate the persistent pollutants. It is a detailed comprehensive account for the treatment technologies from unsustainable to sustainable. Academicians, researchers and students shall find it as a complete wrap up regarding biotechnological intervention for sustainable treatment of pollution and shall suffice for the diverse needs of teaching and research.
... Their selection represents omnipresent abundance at each sampling location besides being high biomass yielding, eutrophication tolerant and hyperaccumulators. The preferred producer species are recognized while referring to standard taxonomic scheme of Cook (1996), Ghosh (2005) and Arshid et al. (2011). A brief account is provided herewith species wise indicating taxonomic and morphological aspects. ...
The introduction of chemical substances in agriculture through fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, phytohormones is closely linked to both the increase of agricultural production and the problems of the environment. These attacks against the intensification of agriculture by means mainly refer to the following: chemical pesticides lead to the depletion of the natural fertility of the soil and, ultimately, to an imbalance in the natural composition of the soil; chemical pesticides, especially those with N and P, lead to the release of nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment with adverse consequences on surface water eutrophication and biological balance; chemical pesticides produce changes in the quality of the crops, respectively of the elements, by accumulations of nitrates, carbohydrates, lipids, change of the C/N, N/P, Ca/Mg ratio; the residual effect of some chemicals in the food, together with other factors, contributes to the promotion of modern diseases; intensive agriculture, modifying biocenoses create an ecological imbalance.
... Their selection represents omnipresent abundance at each sampling location besides being high biomass yielding, eutrophication tolerant and U. N. Bhat and A. B. Khan 204 hyperaccumulators. The preferred producer species are recognized while referring to standard taxonomic scheme of (Cook 1996;Ghosh 2005;Arshid et al. 2011). Aquatic plant samples are obtained manually on growth-phase basis during the stretch of the annual macrophytic progress from emergence to decay divided into 3 durations: (i) March to May as sprouting (sp.), June to October as peak growth (pg.) and November to February as senescence (sn.) phases. ...
Urban water bodies are indicators of anthropogenic intrusion surfacing mutability in intrinsic homeostasis. Ecological assessment of various bio-physicochemical variables at periodic intervals is vital for eventual implementation of management and conservation practices in lakes. An inter-annual monitoring of surface-waters, surface-sediments and dominant macrophytes for standard variables at 50 sampling sites in 5 zones (10 each) of Anchar and Dal lakes is carried out to assess their spatio-temporal heterogeneity under human pressures. Temperature, pH, conductivity and ionic composition of the epilimnion show p < 0.01 and R² > 0.5. The trophic range for total-P exceeds critical eutrophic index (≤ 0.05 mgL⁻¹) but nitrate-N persists beneath it (≤ 0.5 mgL⁻¹) normally. Conductivity maintains superior solute richness though autotrophic assimilation and biocalcification episodes subsidize it towards summer. The anionic predominance of HCO3-(BIC) and Cl⁻ exist alongside cationic progression of Ca > Mg > Na > K. Lime-catchment adds to Ca ascendancy and hard-waters. Agricultural runoff links with K while Cl to faunal organic pollution. Superior nitrate concentration is accumulative of human actions (agriculture, farming, sewage, factories, etc.), spring fed lake-basin, preferential NH⁴⁺ autotrophic assimilation, geogenic N-pockets and forest surface runoff. Significant Coefficient of Determination (R²) for pH versus temperature, conductivity versus pH and temperature substantiate biological uptake and calcite co-precipitation. An equation with average worldwide stream abundance (mgL⁻¹) of recorded Ca (> 15), Mg (> 4), K (> 2.3) and Na (> 6.3) besides observed average epilimnion trace element concentration (μgL⁻¹) for As (> 2), Cd (> 1), Cr (> 1), Co (> 0.2), Cu (> 10), Fe (> 700), Pb (> 3), Mn (> 7), Ni (> 1), Se (> 0.2), Sn (> 0.1) and Zn (> 20) acclaim their anthropogenic origins. However, all priority pollutants (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Se) continued below USEPA chronic levels. Fe and Zn exceed maximum permissible limits for irrigation. The flushing-out of harmful nutrient- and contaminant-levels due to semi-drainage hydrology recuperated the aqueous volume. Sediment assessment identifies Ca-Si domination with temporal gradients in pH, bicarbonate, conductivity, Organic Carbon (OC), Organic Matter (OM), Total Nitrogen (TN) and C/N. Almost no outliers in box-plots across the select sites suggest their tranquil nature. Element composition revealed the order of Si ˃ Ca ˃ Mg ˃ K ˃ Na ˃ P ˃ S ˃ Cl. Micro and trace element quantification denote the descending series of Fe ˃ Al ˃ Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Co > As > Sn > Pb > Cd while Hg and Se remained Below Detection Level (BDL). Sediment pH stayed on the basic side but slender acidic nature is noticed during late summer. Significant correlation for conductivity with OC and OM (p < 0.01) establish the latter a source for nutrient ions. Total-N is complementary to OC and OM of sediments too. Active/Passive-bioaccumulation or anoxic release from sediments tends to slight gradual decline in nutrient concentration till culmination of macrophytic growth phases. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) and Contamination Factor (CF) expound the contaminants to be largely anthropogenic. Integrated Pollution Index (IPI) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) catalog the lakes to have moderate metal contamination. Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQG’s) point to pollution status and associated ecological risks involved. Cr, Ni and Zn exceed SQG’s but Cd and Pb don’t transcend them. As is below Effects Range Low (ERL) and Cu lags in Probable Effect Concentration (PEC). The typical C/N < 10 infers autochthonous sediment OM with low decomposition rates. Upgraded [N]:[P] ratios parallel chronic nitrogen influx. Higher temperature and lower [N]:[P] ratio during summer develop internal loading of P. But higher Al, Ca and Fe proportions in sediments inactivate P mobilization. Curbing of external N and P loads is effective in remediation but the internal supplement compensates the loss. OM or Fe/Mn- oxide decomposition and reductive dissolution respectively separate bound trace-metals near hypolimnion-sediment overlap. Lower [Ca]:[Al] sponsor exsitu human Potentially Toxic Element (PTE) transport. Nonetheless, OM enriched sediments and calcite co-precipitation together curtails PTE mobility. Macrophytes optimize ambient water quality and sediment medium. The peak biomass (gm⁻²) values on dry weight basis are 880.2, 678.4, 182.4 and 45 for Myriophyllum aquaticum, Nelumbo nucifera, Ceratophyllum demersum and Salvinia natans respectively. Dry Weight, Productivity, Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and Specific Growth Rate institute affiliated variations but species Turn-Over is highest in case of S. natans and lowest for C. demersum. The species differ in tissue nutrient and trace element concentrations but correlate with ambient water-sediment medium. The peak nutrient uptake and bioconcentration coincide with peak biomass in summer and autumn. Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) indicates hyperaccumulation for most of the metals in case of C. demersum and S. natans. Removal Potential for different elements is divergent but the pattern is related which suggests unselective absorption. Turn-over Rates for elements closer to the reference value of 1 is significant. Bioavailability of nutrients and toxins becomes fractional conjointly by flushing hydrology, biological scavenging and biocalcification. An insitu self-reclaimed nutrient balance and eco-restoration is conceivable in the region of anthro-urban intensification by limiting human perturbations, practicing periodic dredging, sediment trapping, scaled-cum-selective deweeding and construction of vegetation buffer strips.
... Their selection represents omnipresent abundance at each sampling location besides being high biomass yielding, eutrophication tolerant and hyperaccumulators. The preferred producer species are recognized while referring to standard taxonomic scheme of [27], [28] and [29]. Over again, the macrophytic biomass was analysed for total chlorophyll content, biomass, productivity, specific growth rate, mineral composition (Ca, Cl, K, Mg, N, Na, P, S, Si) and the trace elements during their sprouting (sp.)-(March to May), peak growth (pg.)-(June to October) and senescence (sn.)-(November to February) phases. ...
https://dx.doi.org/10.22606/esd.2019.21001
... Phragmites karka shows bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the plant tissues and up takes 35-56% of heavy metals like Cu, Zn, Fe, Hg, Ni etc, from the polluted water bodies (Muhammad Masud et al., 2007). It is found to grow mostly in swamps or shallow water bodies, along streams and irrigation canals (Cook, 1996). Typha elephantina is a rampant colonizer species found to grow in wetland habitats where there is a fair supply of water. ...
Fly ash is a major hazard related to Thermal Power Stations and Mejia Thermal Power Station (MTPS) is no exception to this rule. We conducted a study on the biologically available heavy metal levels (Zn, Cu and Pb) and their bioaccumulation in the shoot of the three grassy species namely Typha elephantina, Saccharum spontaneum and Phragmites karka thriving on the dumped fly ash belt, during 2015 and 2016. There was significant variation in the Bioaccumulation Coefficient (BAC) between the three species with greater value in Saccharum spontaneum followed by Typha elephantina and Phragmites karka irrespective of the years and the heavy metals.
... Macrophytes collected were then brought to the laboratory to be identified and separated by species. The identification of the specimens was carried out using standard literature and keys (such as Correll and Correll, 1972;Kaul and Zutshi, 1975;Kak, 1990;Cook, 1996). The plants were identified as belonging to families and species by consulting the herbarium of Department of Botany, Kashmir University, Srinagar. ...
... Phragmites karka shows bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the plant tissues and up takes 35-56% of heavy metals like Cu, Zn, Fe, Hg, Ni etc, from the polluted water bodies [14]. It is found to grow mostly in swamps or shallow water bodies, along streams and irrigation canals [15]. Typha elephantina is a rampant colonizer species found to grow in wetland habitats where there is a fair supply of water. ...
Fly ash is a major hazard related to Thermal Power Stations and Mejia Thermal Power Station (MTPS) is no exception to this rule. We conducted a study on the biologically available heavy metal levels and their accumulation in the grassy species of Typha elephantina and Phragmites karka thriving on the dumped fly ash belt, during May 2016. There was significant variation in the Bioaccumulation Coefficient (BAC) between the two species with greater value in Typha elephantina compared to Phragmites karka irrespective of the heavy metals.
... Wetland plants were surveyed during different seasons of 2012-2014 at Rampur Ghol and taxonomic information were recorded during the fi eld trips. Plant specimens were collected and taxonomically identifi ed with the help of standard literature (Subramanyam, 1979;Cook, 1996). Voucher specimens have been deposited in the Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan University, Swayambhu, Kathmandu, Nepal. ...
p>This paper is based on the study of wetland plant resources of Rampur Ghol conducted from 2012 to 2014. This paper documents 117 plant species belonging to 39 families and 92 genera in the area. Dicot species (60 spp.) dominated over the monocots (53 spp.) and pteridophytes (4 spp.). The dominant family was the Poaceae (21 spp.) followed by Cyperaceae (14 spp.), Asteraceae (10 spp.), Scrophulariaceae (8 spp.), Polygonaceae (5 spp.)and Acanthaceae (4 spp.). By life form, emergent species were highest (86%) compared to submerged (6%), rooted floating leaved plants (6%) and free floating plants (2%). These plants had use value of medicine, food (for human, domestic animals, and fish), fuel energy, artifacts, etc. Realizing its contribution along with useful plants, Rampur Ghol area should be conserved for learning and recreation purposes.
J. Nat. Hist. Mus. Vol. 28, 2014: 142-159</p
... Bacterio-plankton population was analysed by first filtering the samples with 2.5 mm sieve and then were analysed by the FSC (forward scatter) plots. Macrophytes were collected from the sampling locations and were identified following standard keys for freshwater plants in India by CDK Cook, 1996. ...
Wetlands play a major role in the recharge of groundwater resources, maintenance of water quality
(remediation), moderate microclimatewhile supporting local livelihood through provision offish, fodder,
etc. The present study aims to investigate algal-bacterial consortium as a function of residence time with
the water quality dynamics in two major wetlands in Bangalore city, India. Over thirty-two genera of
algae were recorded with more than 40 species in the lakes and two dominant bacterial assemblages.
The higher Ammonium-N content favoured the growth of these members. Significant correlation was
observed between the nutrient concentrations and the community structure at the inflows and the
outflows. The algal community showed negative correlation tofilterable COD and high nutrients levels
while bacterial abundance was observed under high loadings. The green algae Chlorophyceae (Chlorella
blooms), which are indicators of nutrient enrichment were observed predominantly, that needs an
immediate attention. Higher overall treatment efficiency was observed in terms of CNP removal during
the Pre-monsoon season attributed to absence of macrophytes cover and rapid growth of algal assem-blage's due to higher temperature regimes with adequate solar insolation
... Alligatorweed has many attributes of a successful invasive weed such as rapid growth and vegetative propagation (Tao et al. 2009, Wang et al. 2009) as well as broad ecological amplitude (Geng et al. 2007), and is regarded as one of the worst weeds of the world (Chatterjee and Dewanji 2012).This amphibious clonal plant has invaded many ecosystems worldwide (Julien et al. 1995), including riparian zones (Pan et al. 2006) and agricultural lands (Spencer and Coulson 1976). Although the first reports of its presence in India were by Maheshwari (1964Maheshwari ( , 1965 with the plant commonly inhabiting lakes and ponds in the wetter parts of eastern India (Cook 1996), recent review of Indian literature shows that Alligatorweed has spread across climatologically diverse regions of India (Chatterjee and Dewanji 2010). Once established, A. philoxeroides is extremely hard to control and eradication is very expensive (Sainty et al. 1998, Jia et al. 2009). ...
Tropical freshwater ecosystems;an indispensible means of sustenance, food and livelihood for millions of poor people of the developing world;are prone to massive biodiversity declines due to huge pressures of over-exploitation and invasive species.Without mitigation of the problem of biological invasion of the tropics, half the world's population will be soon facing serious food shortages.In an attempt to bridge the gap between successful management of an invasive plant, and a sustainable source of supplementary food for the marginalized population, this pilot study investigated the potential utilizationof the widely prevalent invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligatorweed) as a leafy vegetable. Questionnaire-based field-surveys revealed a much higher section of rural populace utilized Alligatorweed as food/fodder as compared to the urban/semi-urban populace. ED-XRF analysis of young ‘edible’ shoots of Alligatorweed revealed it to have good concentration of essential elements likepotassium, calcium, iron, zinc and manganese. However, significant positive correlations of manganese (p<0.01) between Alligatorweed and its soil-substratum indicated its metal hyper-accumulative potential. Hence, Alligatorweed should be used for human-consumption only when it is harvested from non-polluted eco-regions. This study explores a positive utility of the invasive Alligatorweed and in turn indicates its possible managerial approach. In a country where a large populace is malnourished, consumption of Alligatorweed as supplementary-vegetable can not only help in controlling its invasion into our pristine aquatic/wetland ecosystems, but also help in generation of cheap and sustainable source of supplementary food for the marginalized section of our country.
... In Mejia Thermal Power Plant, the generated fly ash is stored in the ponds, where vegetation grows naturally or are planted artificially to restore the ecology of the area. Phragmites karka grows in a range of habitats, from swamps to shallow water at the margins of lakes, ponds, in and along streams and ditches and in irrigation canals (Cook, 1996). Also, the species show bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the plant tissues, up taking 35-56% of heavy metals like Cu, Zn, Fe etc, from the substratum (Muhammad Masud et al., 2007). ...
Pollution from fly ash is one of the principle environmental and public health problems in recent times. Concentrations of toxic metals of Zn, Cu, Pb were determined in the grassy vegetation around Mejia Thermal Power Station, West Bengal, India during November, 2015. Simultaneously the biologically available heavy metals in the fly ash were also estimated to evaluate the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in the selected grass species. The study reveals that BAF is more in Typha elephantia as compared to Phargmites karka. The present study is a probable road map for natural bioremediation of fly ash using producer community of the area.
The contemporary era showcases a growing emphasis on alternative medicine, specifically the utilization of ethnomedicine, which has gained significant attraction in recent times. This review explores the curative properties and ethnomedicinal utilization of the "Toothache plant" belonging to the Asteraceae family, the most common weed in crop fields. "Toothache plant" has added noteworthy attention in dentistry due to its unique properties. The toothache plant is well-known for providing numbing and analgesic effects by simply chewing the flowers due to the presence of active compounds such as Spilanthol. The analgesic property makes the plant a potential candidate for natural pain relievers, particularly in dentistry. Besides its dental application, this plant is used as an antidote for snake bites. This review summarises the ethnomedicinal values and clinical applications of the toothache plant, with a particular focus on oral health care, and the findings presented herein are anticipated to help in future research.
Great progress in cytotaxonomic research during the last decades indicated an importance of relationships between morphological features, geographical distribution of plants, and chromosome counts. This study is aimed to fill the gaps in our knowledge on Bolboschoenus chromosome numbers related to morphological differentiation of plants and their distribution worldwide. We counted gametophytic chromosome numbers in meiotic phase of plants, collected from localities worldwide during the period 1980–2013, and cultivated in an experimental garden in Průhonice. The chromosome numbers of seven species (Bolboschoenus affinis, B. caldwellii, B.grandispicus, B. medianus, B. novae-angliae, B. robustus and B. schmidii) were counted for the first time. All the studied Bolboschoenus taxa were divided into groups according to chromosome numbers, which were found to correspond to morphotypes formerly described. We have improved the taxonomic classification of some species. The relationship between chromosome counts and morphotypes appeared to be identical within some continents, and may indicate parallel evolution within the genus.
Urban and industrial wastewater discharges remain a major source of pollution worldwide. Urban runoff, storm water overflows, and untreated sewage discharges are increasingly important sources of pollution. Systems of wastewater purification by aquatic plants function as biological assimilators by eliminating both biodegradable and non-biodegradable compounds as well as nutrients and metals. Developed technologies promote the pollutants elimination by taking advantage of root systems’ adaptability to high pollutant loads and substrate conditions of anoxia or hypoxia, resulting in symbiotic connection between microorganisms and roots. The study aims to highlight the potentialities of filters planted with three species of macrophytes (Phragmites australis, Typha latifolia, and Cyperus papyrus), assessing their abilities to remove contaminants from wastewater; also, to calculate bioaccumulation (BAF) and translocation (TF) factors. The obtained results indicate a significant removal ability of nitrites (94%) and phosphorus (98%) from urban wastewater in addition to heavy metals (lead with 97%, zinc with 95%, and copper with 96%) from industrial wastewater. BAF and TF values indicate important heavy metals accumulation and translocation between plants’ organs. The research confirms the interest of planted filters use for the wastewater treatment as well as the phytoremediation had a promising prospect for the environmental decontamination and preservation.
Industrial effluents pose a serious environmental problem, because they contain toxic contaminants mainly heavy metals that are the most dangerous to humans, animals, plants, and the environment in general. Phytoremediation using macrophytes is an adopted technique for the environment decontamination due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The present study aims to highlight the capabilities of macrophytes to remove heavy metals from wastewater of Biskra region (Algeria). The methodology consists of filling out the filters planted with Arundo donax and Phragmites australis with raw industrial wastewater, then recovering decontaminated water after 15 days to assess removal of lead, copper, zinc, and iron. Both plants had shown a good efficiency for the removal of metals loaded in wastewater eliminating about 94 to 98% of initial concentration. In addition, calculated bioaccumulation factor (BAF) had confirmed the accumulation of heavy metals in different parts of experimental plants; recorded values of BAF > 1 allowed the consideration of Arundo donax and Phragmites australis as good hyper-accumulator plants. Obtained results confirm the efficiency of phytoremediation technology using macrophytes for the wastewater treatment in particular and the environment decontamination in general.
Turning opportunity to advantage is mandatory in this competitive land
for survival. Climate changes and the rapid depletion of natural resources
forms of energy, like coal and petrochemicals, have sparked human
civilization; this problem needs feasible and effective sustainable energy
sources. Energy is a vital need of any living organism to accomplish diverse
physiological and physical processes. Consequently, coal and gas sources
have been exploited to greater verge. Now a day’s emphasis is on alternative
energy sources in order to fulfill the need for sustainable energy generation.
Scientific research in pollution reduction and environmental management of
ISSN 2321-1520 129
MFC systems including wastewater treatment, soil remediation, fresh water
and groundwater remediation, treatment of effluent and solid waste and
management of greenhouse gases are in a greater demand. Microbial Fuel
Cell (MFC) technology provides an excellent alternative as bioelectricity
for environmentally friendly power generation. This technology is being
amalgamated with pre-existing developed waste management models for
better performance. Present study describes emerging research in pollutant
removal and environmental remediation of MFC technology and further
have discussed about limitation, major barriers for MFC technology upgradation & Business prospective of technology for encouraging bright
future as scientrepreneur.
Keywords: Desalination-MFC; OMBR;BMFC;Super Capacitive
MFC;
MBR; Biobots; Biohydrogen; Bioremediation; Biosensor
Medicinal plants have been treating various ailments and diseases since ancient times. Aquatic and semiaquatic medicinal plants play an essential role in human welfare to ful ll their daily needs. ey have shown biological, pharmacological, nutraceutical, and commercial applications. is review aims to collect and update all recent information on ethnomedicinal, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and nanoparticle synthesis and their uses in aquatic and semiaquatic medicinal plants. Original research papers, review papers, short communications, and book chapters on aquatic and semiaquatic plants have been retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Keywords, ethnomedicinal studies, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and nanoparticle synthesis from aquatic and semiaquatic medicinal plants are used for the search. Di erent aquatic and semiaquatic medicinal plants belonging to the families Acanthaceae, parts of the plants are used as dietary supplements and green nanoparticle synthesis. ese plants are also known for their commercial value and are used as an ingredient in some pharmaceutical industries.
Emilia javanica (Burm.f.) C.B. Rob. and Inula falconeri Hook. f. of family Asteraceae are reported for the first time from Uttar Pradesh.
Floristic and ethnobotanical exploration of Nawabgunj Bird Sanctuary revealed that the roots of 25 species of plants under 25 genera and 19 families, were utilized by the local people dwelling in nearby villages of this area for ethno medicinal purposes.
Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae) is a submerged freshwater flowering plant within the monotypic genus. Over the geological periods, fossils of this family and genus have shown distinct diversifications between warm and cool fluctuations with more adaptations occurring in warmer periods and suppressions during severely cold paleoclimate changes. Recently, H. verticillata has shown a wide range of adaptive plasticity, allowing successful proliferation into non‐native regions, whilst also undergoing unexplained disappearance from its native localities, and this phenomenon has stimulated this inquiry. Against this somewhat complex background, particular interest for this investigation has been focussed on an understanding of which aspects of climate change have contributed towards global adaptations and distribution patterns of H. verticillata. Whilst it is recognised that some of these changes are natural, other aggravating impacts are due to anthropogenic influences. Identifying the appropriate combinations of these climatic factors (temperature, rainfall, photoperiod), in concert with environmental (water level, CO2, salinity, eutrophication), geographical (altitude, latitude) and other factors (UV‐B) are necessary precursors for instituting appropriate management strategies. In this respect, control measures are needed in non‐native regions and restoration of this plant in native habitats are essential for its ecologically balanced global distribution.
Aims
Foliar pH of terrestrial plants, a trait tightly associated with plant physiology and nutrient utilization, varies with plant functional types (PFT) and environmental changes. However, it is yet unclear about the variation in foliar pH of aquatic plants, and the difference between aquatic and terrestrial plants.
Methods
Foliar pH, leaf carbon, nitrogen content of plants along the lakeshore zones and the environmental conditions (water or soil pH, water status) of the corresponding vegetation of three small plateau lakes were investigated, to determine the variation and potential influence factors of foliar pH at both PFT and community levels.
Important Findings
Foliar pH varied largely among aquatic plants, and across aquatic, helophytic and terrestrial plants. Floating-leaved macrophytes had more acidic foliage (pH = 4.21 ± 0.05) than emergent (5.71 ± 0.07) and submerged macrophytes (5.82 ± 0.06). Foliar pH of aquatic herbs (5.43 ± 0.10) was lower than that of helophytic (6.12 ± 0.07) and terrestrial herbs (5.74 ± 0.05). Terrestrial herbs had significantly higher foliar pH than woody plants. The variation in foliar pH across PFTs may be mainly ascribed to leaf structure, light utilization and nutrient characteristics. Consistent with the pattern on PFT level, aquatic communities had more acidic foliage than terrestrial communities, which was mainly shaped by species composition, water status and environmental pH. This study documented the first-time foliar-pH of aquatic plants, and comparison of foliar-pH among various plant types at a landscape scale. Our results provide bases for further exploration of the underlying mechanism and its ecological significance for wetland ecosystems.
Eleocharis atropurpurea is an annual weed and distributed widely in pantropical and subtropical regions. Yet, there have been no studies on the allelopathy of E. atropurpurea. Therefore, we investigated the allelopathic potential of E. atropurpurea to identify allelopathic substances from it. The aqueous methanolic extracts of E. atropurpurea showed an inhibitory effect on the seedling growth of lettuce, rapeseed, barnyard grass and foxtail fescue. Inhibition was species- and concentration-dependent. Two substances, syringaldehyde and acetosyringone, were isolated by using chromatography and using spectroscopy their structures were determined. Syringaldehyde and acetosyringone inhibited the shoot and root growth of cress and barnyard grass at concentrations greater than 3.0 mM except shoot growth of barnyard grass by acetosyringone. Concentration and seedling growth of cress and barnyard grass displayed a negative correlation. The I50 values of syringaldehyde and acetosyringone for the shoot and root growth of cress were 1.67 and 1.61 mM, and 1.49 and 1.29 mM, respectively, whereas for the shoot and root growth of barnyard grass the values were 4.09 and 2.41 mM, and 4.54 and 1.92 mM, respectively. Therefore, it is suggested that these compounds may contribute to the inhibitory effects of E. atropurpurea.
Macrophytes execute optimization and self-purification tasks; else, the apparent water quality can become inferior. They work as a living link amid the abiotic water-sediment interfaces as depicted by seasonal nutrient rebuilding fluxes. Concentration of nutrients and trace elements vary species wise but well associate with ambient water and sediment media. The highest dry weight biomass values (g m⁻²) measured are 880.2 in Myriophyllum aquaticum, 678.4 in Nelumbo nucifera, 182.4 in Ceratophyllum demersum and 45 in case of Salvinia natans. Biomass parameters like dry weight, productivity, net primary production (NPP) and specific growth rate establish analogous deviations in the experimental species but species turnover in S. natans is maximum and minimum for C. demersum. N and P are closely related to biological productivity of aquatic ecosystems. Higher temperature favours bio-production and raises carbonate driven pH considerably. The declining conductivity at upgraded temperature conditions offer higher bioaccumulation rate of nutrients. The peak nutrient uptake and bioconcentration coincide with peak biomass in summer and autumn. BCF criterion indicates hyperaccumulation for most of the metals in case of C. demersum and S. natans. Although the quantum of removal potential for different elements in the analysed species is divergent, the pattern is related which suggests unselective absorption. The elemental turnover rates closer to the reference value of 1 are significant. Although the emergent macrophyte demonstrated efficient in mineral and metal retention, but submergeds may provide a better biofilters’ selection in terms of spontaneous occurrence and site aesthetics. Based on the outcome of the study, lake eco-restoration is possible by limiting human perturbations, practising periodic dredging and sediment trapping, scaled-cum-selective deweeding and construction of vegetation buffer strips for decelerating cultural eutrophication. Therefore, internal structure, external inputs, compartment cycling and resource exploitation together quantify changes in inland waters.
Eriocaulon is a genus of c. 470 aquatic and wetland species of the monocot plant family Eriocaulaceae. It is widely distributed in Africa, Asia and America, with centres of species richness in the tropics. Most species of Eriocaulon grow in wetlands although some inhabit shallow rivers and streams with an apparent adaptive morphology of elongated submerged stems. In a previous molecular phylogenetic hypothesis, Eriocaulon was recovered as sister of the African endemic genus Mesanthemum. Several regional infrageneric classifications have been proposed for Eriocaulon. This study aims to critically assess the existing infrageneric classifications through phylogenetic reconstruction of infrageneric relationships, based on DNA sequence data of four chloroplast markers and one nuclear marker. There is little congruence between our molecular results and previous morphology-based infrageneric classifications. However, some similarities can be found, including Fyson’s sect. Leucantherae and Zhang’s sect. Apoda. Further phylogenetic studies, particularly focusing on less well sampled regions such as the Neotropics, will help provide a more global overview of the relationships in Eriocaulon and may enable suggesting the first global infrageneric classification.
Ceratophyllum (Ceratophyllaceae) is among the most enigmatic of angiosperm taxa, with its phylogenetic placement changing almost continuously over the last few decades. Ceratophyllum spp. are difficult to identify using vegetative morphology alone, which is commonly all that is available for these highly clonal plants. A molecular phylogenetic approach was used to examine relationships in the genus and provide molecular markers to facilitate the identification of Ceratophyllum spp. This study included all known Ceratophyllum spp. that have been distinguished in the last two taxonomic treatments of the genus. Sequence data for ITS and matK were used to examine phylogenetic relationships among species. The molecular analyses readily distinguish five clades which correspond taxonomically to C. echinatum, C. demersum, C. australe (including C. tanaiticum), C. submersum and C. muricatum (including C. muricatum subsp. muricatum and C. m. subsp. kossinskyi). In these analyses, accessions of the morphologically distinct C. platyacanthum were not clearly differentiated from some accessions of C. demersum, perhaps as a consequence of the probable polyploid origin of this taxon. Overall, the molecular data disagree with some previous studies based on morphology by indicating (1) the presence of more than two species in the genus, (2) that C. echinatum is not the closest relative of C. submersum, (3) that C. muricatum is related more closely to C. submersum than to C. australe and (4) that C. tanaiticum is resolved in a well-supported clade with C. australe, which is distinct from accessions of C. muricatum. Although C. tanaiticum and C. australe fall in the same clade in the current analysis, their high level of genetic divergence, extreme geographical isolation and significantly different morphologies support their recognition as distinct species. We also discuss the chorological and palaeobotanical aspects of the new results.
Phylogeny is vitally important to evaluate evolutionary distinctiveness and conservation priorities of species. Najas ancistrocarpa is one of the rarest and least known East Asian species of the c. 30–40 species of the aquatic plant genus Najas (Hydrocharitaceae). We used a recently discovered collection of this nationally and regionally endangered species in Japan and East Asia to assess whether N. ancistrocarpa is a distinct species or an untypical form of other Najas species and to evaluate its conservation priority in a phylogenetic context. The sample set of our previous study, exploring worldwide phylogeny of the genus was used with N. ancistrocarpa to delimit species boundaries in Najas and obtain conservation priority scores, calculated by multiplying evolutionary distinctiveness and global extinction risks converted from Red List categories. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses of plastid (ptDNA) and nuclear (ITS) DNA datasets, STACEY species delimitation analysis using the multilocus dataset and a measurement of conservation priority with Tuatara. Najas ancistrocarpa was consistently placed in ptDNA and ITS trees. Species delimitation analysis objectively assessed that N. ancistrocarpa is phylogenetically distinct. Phylogenetic conservation prioritization ranked N. ancistrocarpa the second highest priority species of the genus Najas. Overall, in terms of biodiversity conservation, N. ancistrocarpa represents an important Najas species in Japan and probably the world. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London 2017. All Rights Reserved.
Najas (Hydrocharitaceae) is a cosmopolitan genus of 30–40 species of aquatic plants. While an infrageneric subdivision into two subgenera is generally accepted, various sectional classifications proposed in subg. Caulinia have been controversial. Earlier analyses identified tropical Asia, which harbors more than one-third of all species, as the area of origin for the genus, but this inference requires re-evaluation using worldwide taxon sampling. Polyploidy has been widely observed in the genus but its correlation with phylogeny has yet to be explored. Here we applied a molecular phylogenetic approach using balanced taxon sampling (1) to test infrageneric classifications, (2) to re-assess biogeographic origin, and (3) to explore whether and how polyploidy characterizes evolutionary lineages. Our analyses of plastid and nuclear (ITS) DNA datasets produce largely congruent results that recover the two subgenera but find little support for most sectional classifications. To overcome this shortfall, we propose a new sectional classification of subg. Caulinia. The previously inferred tropical Asian origin of the genus is rejected and, instead, North America is discerned as the ancestral area, implicating dispersal of the most recent common ancestor of Najas and its sister genera in Hydrocharitaceae from tropical Asia. Based on chromosome counts confirmed in the present study and those compiled from literature, the role of polyploidization in the evolution of Najas is shown to be relatively limited, in contrast to the extreme infraspecific chromosome variation previously reported.
The potential sources of tritium input to the Yenisei River ecosystem are derived from local operations of nuclear facilities of the Mining and Chemical Combine operated by the state-owned Rosatom corporation and from sources derived from global weapons testing fallout and nuclear power. The background tritium concentrations in zoobenthos, bottom sediments, relevant commercial fish species, and widespread endogenous aquatic plants have been obtained for the first time in this region. Our results demonstrate that the major input term of tritium to this region of the Yenisei is derived from nearby mining operations of Rosatom, with tritium concentrations in aquatic plants marginally exceeding the observed background values obtained from upstream control sample collection sites.
Water quality and ecological diversity of aquatic flora with respect to distribution in active channels and on banks of the rivers Ghaghara and Gandak have been investigated in years 2011–2012. The land use/land cover map of year 2010 showed agricultural land as the dominant class in both river basins. The appraisal of aquatic flora has indicated that the dominant plant species in numbers are as follows: macrophytic algae, aquatic angiosperms, aquatic pteridophytes, sedges, grasses, herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees collected from the banks and active channels of rivers Ghaghara and Gandak. In total, 207 plants species were reported as common in both river environments, and the remaining species have showed variability for both rivers. It was observed that the algal group showed higher species diversity in comparison to other plant groups. High numbers of macrophytic species were observed due to the alkaline pH and good level of dissolved oxygen at different sampling sites of the two rivers. Further, multivariate statistical techniques such as cluster analysis and principal component/factor analysis were applied to fulfil the knowledge gap and to identify the potential sources and types of pollutants.
A checklist is provided here that includes the vascular flora of Gabgachi – Bhatia wetland complex of Maldah district of West Bengal, India. It is the outcome of an extensive survey work carried out during 2003-2013 in all the water bodies of the study site. This work includes a total of 283 angiosperm and 6 pteridophyte species. Among the floristic composition of this wetland complex, most dominating families are Poaceae (36) and Cyperaceae (42). The community study also analyzed to explain the species diversity and richness in study area. The wetland is presently facing various phases of anthropological pressure that gradually reduces its area.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.