We studied the removal of chlorophyll-a and eutrophic alga Ankistrodesmus acicularis by mixed and monoculture constructed wetlands of four common wetland macrophytes, Echinodorus berteroi, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, Vallisneria natans and Hydrilla verticillata. We also tested the effects of the macrophyte culture solution on the growth of three common eutrophic algae: Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Scnedesmus obliquus and Anabaena flosaquae.
The wetlands had significant effect on the removal of chlorophyll-a and A. acicularis. ANOVA results indicated a significant difference existed among different wetlands (P < 0.01). There was generally no significant difference between the mixed and the monoculture wetlands, while the mixed wetlands generally showed significant difference between them.
Results also indicated that there were significant differences in the effect on the growth of three algae among the culture solutions of different wetlands (p < 0.01). Almost all mixed culture solutions had a significant difference from their monocultures. Similarly, the monoculture treatments generally showed significant differences from their corresponding mixed treatments. However, combinations of different macrophytes generally cannot increase the effect intensity. The results indicated that combinations of macrophytes can produce different effects on alga growth from their monocultures and from their combinations with other macrophytes. Different algae showed different levels of susceptibility to the plant culture solution, and a same culture solution had different effects on different algae, including inhibiting, promoting, or neutral effects.
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