Plant community ecology of a major subtropical riverine floodplain

Milne, Judith May (2004) Plant community ecology of a major subtropical riverine floodplain. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This project described the vegetation of a stretch of the Parana River and investigated which natural or human-imposed factors might be controlling its characteristics, its capacity for biodiversity support and its potential to provide an economic resource. This information is of value in the planning of management strategies aiming to conserve biodiversity and develop sustainable ways in which the floodplain resources can be utilised.

Central to this study were the surveys of vegetation and environmental characteristics of aquatic, terrestrial and transitional habitats of the Parana floodplain near Porto Rico. These produced extensive data sets which helped to reveal the types of vegetation-environment relationships structuring the floodplain plant communities. To complement this investigative approach, three aspects of the functioning of floodplain vegetation were chosen for closer study. These were the impacts of livestock grazing on wetland and island vegetation, competitive interactions between pairs of free-floating aquatic plant species and the role of aquatic macrophytes in contributing carbon to aquatic food webs.

Three major community types were identified in the aquatic habitats of the floodplain, one which included Eichhornia azurea in mixture with several free-floating and emergent species, a second in which E. azurea was strongly dominant and a third comprised purely of submerged species. Two strongly contrasting broad vegetation communities were identified at bank and shore environments. Polygonum and Ludwigia species were important in one group and Poaceae, creepers, woody plants and ferns in the other group. Sub-groups of these communities could also be suggested, but these are less distinct. Most of the floodplain sites supported a Poaceae-creeper community type with the remaining sites supporting a community indicated by Polygonum species. The Poaceae group was comprised of a number of sub-communities in which the importance of Poaceae relative to other species varied.

The aquatic vegetation communities differed structurally with contrasting community biomass, canopy height, canopy cover, species richness and stem density. They were associated with waterbodies with different water depth and pH and different sediment nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Water flow rate category and underwent light availability also differed between the sites that tended to support the different vegetation types. The two major bank and shore vegetation communities differed in canopy cover, in the soil nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium levels with which they were associated and in the steepness of the bank on which they tended to grow. Floodplain vegetation communities contrasted in species richness and differed in the soil nitrogen and calcium levels and river systems with which they were associated.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GB Physical geography
• Colleges/Schools: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
• Supervisor's Name: Murphy, Dr. Kevin and Thomaz, Prof. Sidinei
• Date of Award: 2004
• Depositing User: Angi Shields
• Unique ID: glathesis:2004-4057
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 01 Mar 2013 11:07
• Last Modified: 01 Mar 2013 11:07
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/4057