IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i2p275-d198976.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Root and Shoot Biomass Growth of Constructed Floating Wetlands Plants in Saline Environments

Author

Listed:
  • Oriana Sanicola

    (Stormwater Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD 4558, Australia)

  • Terry Lucke

    (Stormwater Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD 4558, Australia)

  • Michael Stewart

    (Stormwater Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD 4558, Australia)

  • Katharina Tondera

    (IMT Atlantique, Process Engineering for Environment and Food, Université Bretagne Loire, F-44307 Nantes, France)

  • Christopher Walker

    (Stormwater Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD 4558, Australia
    Covey Associates Pty Ltd., Maroochydore, QLD 4558, Australia)

Abstract

Constructed Floating Wetlands (CFWs) are increasingly being used globally in freshwater environments such as urban lakes and ponds to remove pollutants from urban stormwater runoff. However, to date there has been limited research into the use and performance of these systems in saline environments. This study compared the root and shoot biomass growth and nutrient uptake of five different plant species, Chrysopogon zizanioides , Baumea juncea , Isolepis nodosa , Phragmites australis and Sarcocornia quinqueflora , in three different saltwater treatments over a 12-week period. The aim of the study was to identify which of the plant species may be most suitable for use in CFWs in saline environments. Plant nutrient uptake testing revealed that Phragmites australis had the greatest percentage increase (1473–2477%) of Nitrogen mass in the shoots in all treatments. Sarcocornia quinqueflora also had impressive Nitrogen mass increase in saltwater showing an increase of 966% (0.208 ± 0.134 g). This suggests that the use of Phragmites australis and Sarcocornia quinqueflora plants in CFWs installed in saline water bodies, with regular harvesting of the shoot mass, may significantly reduce Nitrogen concentrations in the water. Isolepis nodosa had the greatest percentage increase (112% or 0.018 ± 0.020 g) of Phosphorous mass in the shoots in the saltwater treatment. Baumea juncea had the greatest percentage increase (315% or 0.026 ± 0.012 g) of Phosphorous mass in the roots in the saltwater treatment. This suggests that the use of Isolepis nodosa and Baumea juncea plants in CFWs installed in saline water bodies may significantly reduce Phosphorous concentrations in the water if there was a way to harvest both the shoots above and the roots below the CFWs. The study is continuing, and it is anticipated that more information will be available on CFW plants installed in saline environments in the near future.

Suggested Citation

  • Oriana Sanicola & Terry Lucke & Michael Stewart & Katharina Tondera & Christopher Walker, 2019. "Root and Shoot Biomass Growth of Constructed Floating Wetlands Plants in Saline Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-11, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:2:p:275-:d:198976
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/2/275/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/2/275/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher Walker & Katharina Tondera & Terry Lucke, 2017. "Stormwater Treatment Evaluation of a Constructed Floating Wetland after Two Years Operation in an Urban Catchment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-10, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Djesser Zechner Sergio & Alexandra Rodrigues Finotti, 2023. "Field-Scale Constructed Floating Wetland Applied for Revitalization of a Subtropical Urban Stream in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Zhaozhe Chen & Ozeas S. Costa, 2023. "Nutrient Sequestration by Two Aquatic Macrophytes on Artificial Floating Islands in a Constructed Wetland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Alexandros I. Stefanakis, 2019. "The Role of Constructed Wetlands as Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Water Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Angela Gorgoglione & Vincenzo Torretta, 2018. "Sustainable Management and Successful Application of Constructed Wetlands: A Critical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Adeel Younas & Love Kumar & Matthew J. Deitch & Sundus Saeed Qureshi & Jawad Shafiq & Sohail Ali Naqvi & Avinash Kumar & Arjmand Qayyum Amjad & Sabzoi Nizamuddin, 2022. "Treatment of Industrial Wastewater in a Floating Treatment Wetland: A Case Study of Sialkot Tannery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-20, October.
    6. Yan Wang & Xueping Gao & Bowen Sun & Yuan Liu, 2022. "Developing a 3D Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Model for Floating Treatment Wetlands to Study the Flow Structure and Nutrient Removal Performance of Different Configurations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-12, June.
    7. Ina Falfán & Maite Lascurain-Rangel & Gloria Sánchez-Galván & Eugenia J. Olguín & Arturo Hernández-Huerta & Melissa Covarrubias-Báez, 2023. "Visitors’ Perception Regarding Floating Treatment Wetlands in an Urban Green Space: Functionality and Emotional Values," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:2:p:275-:d:198976. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.