Dynamic Properties of Recruitment, Expansion and Mortality of Macrophyte Patches in Streams

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Abstract
Streams are physically perturbed habitats with high demands on the dispersal and recruitment to maintain plant populations. Yet, little is known about these important demographic processes for stream plants. Therefore, we studied the monospecific vegetation of Callitriche cophocarpa in a small Danish lowland stream to determine: 1) the importance of drifting shoots and seeds for recruitment of plants, and 2) the influence of water flow, light availability and patch size on recruitment, growth and mortality processes. We found that the majority (about 90%) of new colonising patches of plant stands derived from drifting shoots being caught around protruding stones, while few developed from seeds. Many new patches were lost in the flowing water before roots became well established. Flow exposure of the patches resulted in the main growth taking place in the downstream direction. Combined areal cover of Callitriche patches on the stream bottom reached an upper limit of about 70%, probably because areal expansion above this threshold was constrained by strong shear forces and coarse substrata developing in the flow channels between the patches. We discuss why efficient shoot dispersal and vegetative growth documented here for Callitriche is an optimal plant strategy in flow‐perturbed streams in contrast to the production of numerous small seeds but limited vegetative spread among ruderal plants in perturbed habitats on land.