Abstract:
Water movement has a major influence on plant growth in aquatic ecosystems. Although the
plants growing in shallow lakes and wetlands are not experiencing mean flow, they also experience water
movement as flow turbulence. The objective of the current study was to observe the variations of
morphology and biomass partitioning in Egeria densa and Chara fibrosa when exposed to three different
turbulence levels. Chara fibrosa has been observed to have shorter internodal lengths, less number of
internodes when exposed to increased turbulence, while reducing the lateral branching. Egeria densa has
been observed to reduce biomass gain and lateral branching while increasing the shoot:root ratio.
Morphological variations of C. fibrosa and E. densa are more or less similar while their responses to flow
turbulence directed towards their survival in respective condition.
