Plant Cover sampling
Plant cover could potentially have a significant influence on ecosystem processes in these mesocosms. These plants provide shade and act as a carbon source through leaf litter, as well as providing shelter and food for aquatic organisms. Reductions in light can reduce photosynthetic rates, while the addition of a carbon source can increase decomposition rates, and so on. Plant cover can include by submerged and emergent macrophytes (e.g. rushes) and algal mats that float on the surface of the water.
Materials
-
Benthoscope
Procedures
Percentage plant cover has two components:​
-
Percentage of pond’s surface area covered
-
Percentage of pond’s benthos covered -- using the benthoscope (see illustration)
​
These two components are split into four groups whose cover needs to be estimated and recorded separately: (see gallery)
-
Emergent algal mats
-
Emergent macrophytes
-
Submerged algal mats
-
Submerged macrophytes
​
Algal mats are large depositions of organisms like blue-green cyanobacteria. Macrophytes are aquatic plants large enough to be seen by the eye.
​
​
ILlustrations
This image shows how you can estimate percentage cover of plants. Image taken from Freshwater Habitats Trust
Hover your cursor over the pictures to see which type of plant cover has been highlighted.
