Nuisance growth of Juncus bulbosus: The roles of genetics and environmental drivers tested in a large-scale survey

Therese F. Moe*, Anne K. Brysting, Tom Andersen, Susanne C. Schneider, Øyvind Kaste, Dag O. Hessen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Invasive species can transform aquatic ecosystems, and the nuisance growth of the freshwater macrophyte Juncus bulbosus has become a problem in many lakes and rivers in northern Europe. It affects biodiversity strongly and conflicts with human uses, not least compromising the generation of hydroelectricity. The causes of the proliferation of these massive stands of J. bulbosus are not finally resolved, however. In this study, a wide range of catchment, lake and sediment parameters (n=34) were assessed for 139 lakes in Southern Norway, with the aim of explaining the presence or absence of J. bulbosus and to assess potential drivers behind its prolific growth. Juncus bulbosus was more often present in lakes with lower pH and phosphate concentrations, and a higher element ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to total phosphorus (DIN:TotP). Despite the many parameters measured across substantial environmental gradients, none explained nuisance growth. Genetic screening (amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting) of plants from a subset of lakes and additional river sites also showed no genetic differences between the various growth forms. A macrophyte trophic index, however, suggested that the most problematic growth occurred in the most oligotrophic lakes. The lack of consistent patterns may reflect either factors not assessed in our survey, or that the current extension of stands represents a gradual cumulative response over time, not characterised effectively in our snapshot survey. Nevertheless, we can now exclude some putative causes of nuisance growth, including in particular genetics and N-deposition.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)114-127
Number of pages14
JournalFreshwater Biology
Volume58
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2013

Keywords

  • Amplified fragment length polymorphism
  • Bulbous rush
  • Catchment
  • Macrophyte
  • Nutrient

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Nuisance growth of Juncus bulbosus: The roles of genetics and environmental drivers tested in a large-scale survey'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this