Effects of eutrophication and temperature on submersed rooted plants

Aquatic macrophytes have during the last decades faced a massive decline of coverage and repeated die‐off events have been detected for freshwater (Sand‐Jensen et al., 2000) and marine plants (Waycott et al., 2009). Increased nutrient loading has been suggested to play a central role, because high nutrient levels facilitate the formation of pelagic alga blooms which lead to poor light conditions (Nielsen et al., 2002). However, the lack of re‐colonization after reduced nutrient loading for Zostera marina and other seagrasses indicates that other factors influence the pattern. Sedimentation and degradation of dying alga blooms accelerate the microbial activity and thereby intensify oxygen consumption in sediment and water column. This oxygen consumption may accelerate further by increasing temperature caused by warmer climate. This thesis examines how low sediment and water column oxygen levels in combination with high temperature affect internal oxygen concentrations, growth and survival of aquatic macrophytes. Measurements of internal oxygen levels were made on several north temperate and tropical marine seagrass species exposed to a range of water column oxygen concentrations. The combined effects of eutrophication and temperatures were clarified for the temporal seagrass Zostera marina. Furthermore, the direct effect of sediment enrichment with labile organic matter was examined for four freshwater species with different growth strategies (isoetids: Lobelia dortmanna and Littorella uniflora, and elodeids: Potamogeton perfoliatus and Potamogeton crispus). There was a strong interaction between water column oxygen and temperature on internal oxygen concentrations in Z. marina, implying that Z. marina is rather resistant to unfavourable oxygen conditions in winter but becomes increasingly vulnerable in summer, especially at high temperatures. Results also showed that growth of Z. marina plants at higher temperatures will be reduced at gradually l