Aquatic Plant Presentation

Presentation
on
Aquatic Plant
Submitted by
• Reshadul Islam; Roll: MUH2002022M
• Fariha Islam; Roll: BFH2002024F
• Md Tanvirul Ehsan; Roll: MUH2002026M
Submitted to
Jahanara Akhter Lipi
(Lecturer)
Department of FIMS
NSTU
CONTENTS
• What are aquatic plants?
• Types of aquatic plants
• Characteristics of An
Aquatic Plant
• Morphological
Classification
• Roles of aquatic plants
• Threats to aquatic plants
• Conclusions
Definitions
• An aquatic plant is a plant that has adapted to
live in the water. This can be either freshwater,
such as in rivers and lakes, saltwater as in the
sea, or brackish water, as in the estuary of a
river.
• Just like aquatic animals that have unique
characteristics. They are also referred to as
hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them
from algae and other microphytes.
• A macrophyte is a plant that grows in or near
water and is either emergent, submergent, or
floating.
• In lakes and rivers macrophytes provide cover for fish,
substrate for aquatic invertebrates, produce oxygen, and
act as food for some fish and wildlife.
• Aquatic plants require special adaptations for living
submerged in water, or at the water's surface. The most
common adaptation is the is the presence of lightweight
internal packing cells, aerenchyma. Aquatic plants can
only grow in with water. They are therefore a common
component of wetlands. One of the largest aquatic plants
in the world is the Amazon water lily; one of the smallest
is the minute duckweed. Examples: eelgrass,
widgeongrass, Eurasian watermilfoil, coontail and musk
grass.
Places where aquatic plants grow
The Ramsar definition of “wetlands”
(Convention Article 1) is related to “where
plants will grow”, especially in the depth of
water described:
“areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether
natural or artificial, permanent or temporary,
with water that is static or flowing, fresh,
brackish or salt, including areas of marine
water, the depth of which at low tide does not
exceed six metres”.
This is based upon the depth to which sunlight can
(on average) reach to assist the growth of plants
Types of Aquatic plants
Based on growth form, macrophytes can be
characterised as:
 Emergent
 Submerged
• Rooted: rooted to the substrate
• Unrooted: Free-floating in the water column
• Attached: Attached to substrate but not by roots
 Floating-leaved
 Free-floating
Characteristics of An Aquatic Plant
 Stomata is always open: Aquatic plants keep

their stomata always open for they do not need to
retain water.
 Surface are flat: Since they need to float, leaves
on the surface of plants are flat.
 Presence of air sacs: The presence of air sacs
enables them to float.
 Smaller roots: Their roots are smaller so water
can spread freely and directly into the leaves.
 A number of stomata: On each side of their
leaves are a number of stomata.
Biological classification of the larger
aquatic plants:
A. Plants roots in the bottom:Terrestrial plants

capable of living at least temporarily as
submerged water plants without any marked
adaptation of leaves to aquatic life eg: Achillea
ptarmica, Nepeta hederacea,Naja
B. Plants which are not rooted to the bottom but

live unattached in the water Eg:Utricularia,
Ceratophyllum.
Morphological Classification
The many possible classifications of aquatic plants are
based on morphology. One example has six groups as
follows
 Amphiphytes: plants that are adapted to live either
submerged or on land
 Elodeids: stem plants that complete their entire lifecycle
submerged, or with only their flowers above the waterline
 Isoetids: rosette plants that complete their entire lifecycle
submerged
 Helophytes: plants rooted in the bottom, but with leaves
above the waterline
 Nymphaeids: plants rooted in the bottom, but with
leaves floating on the water surface
 Neuston: vascular plants that float freely in the water
Role of aquatic plants
Aquatic plants relationship to freshwater
ecosystem functions:
• Food and nesting sites for aquatic animals

• Water quality maintenance and pollution
retention
• Sediment retention
• Control – increasing light availability and
reducing turbidity
• Persistence of stream flows throughout a year
• Slowing of shallow sheet flows and streams
to facilitate groundwater recharge
• Oxygenation of water for other organisms
Economic benefits of aquatic plants
include:-
 Food products from various aquatic plants such as taro,
water yams, water chestnuts, water cress, (paddy and wild
rice) + medicinals and food additives from algae
 Stock feed (grazing and stall-fed)
 Green mulch and fertilizer for crops
 Plants for aquarium trade and “water gardens”
 Building materials and mats from reeds and other type
Threats to aquatic plants
The main threats to aquatic plants are:
• Human destruction and alteration of aquatic habitats

– both freshwater and marine
• Over-harvesting of aquatic plants
• Pollution (land-based, agricultural, urban, industrial and
water-based pollution from shipping)
• Global change affecting temperatures and water
availability parameters as well as floods and storms
• Plant diseases (seemingly rare)
• Aquatic plant herbivores – invasive insects,
crustaceans, molluscs, fishes and waterbirds
• Invasive plants
Threats by aquatic plants
The main threats include:
• Competition for light, air, space and nutrients,
• Production of toxic substances and
allelopathy
• Possible hybridisation with native
species
• Fouling of water and altering water flows – both
natural and artificial (such as drainage and
irrigation canals, water supplies to plant
production systems)
Conclusions
Aquatic plants include those living in inland (freshwaters as well as

marine waters – and there are many valuable types of aquatic
plants with human uses, and with roles in providing ecosystem
services and importance to biodiversity.
Many aquatic habitats, and the aquatic plants that live in them,
however, are under constant threat from pollution and from
drainage for urban and industrial development across the globe.
Aquatic plants can help remove pollutants and purify our water
supplies. They are also a vital part of a fully functional aquatic
ecosystem for fish and other wildlife.
THANK YOU

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 Stomata is always open: Aquatic plants keep

A. Plants roots in the bottom:Terrestrial plants

B. Plants which are not rooted to the bottom but

• Food and nesting sites for aquatic animals

• Human destruction and alteration of aquatic habitats

Aquatic plants include those living in inland (freshwaters as well as

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