The effects of cadmium pulse dosing on physiological traits and growth of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spinulosa and phytoplankton biomass: a mesocosm study

Abstract

Pulse inputs of heavy metals are expected to increase with a higher frequency of extreme climate events (heavy rain), leading to stronger erosion of contaminated and fertilized farmland soils to freshwaters, with potentially adverse effects on lake ecosystems. We conducted a 5-month mesocosm study to elucidate the responses of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spinulosa and phytoplankton to four different doses of cadmium (Cd): 0 (control), 0.05, 0.5, and 5 g m⁻² (CK, I, II, and III, respectively) under mesotrophic conditions. We found that total phosphorus concentrations were larger in the three Cd pulse treatments, whereas total nitrogen concentrations did not differ among the four treatments. The contents of chlorophyll a and soluble sugar in macrophyte leaves decreased in III, and total biomass, ramet number, plant height, and total stolon length of macrophytes were lower in both II and III. In contrast, abundances of the three main phytoplankton taxa—Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta—did not differ among treatments. Total phytoplankton biomass was, however, marginally lower in CK than in the Cd treatments. We conclude that exposure to strong Cd pulses led to significantly reduced growth of macrophytes, while no obvious effect appeared for phytoplankton.

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