Plant Species Richness Increased Belowground Plant Biomass and Substrate Nitrogen Removal in a Constructed Wetland |
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| Authors: | Hai Wang Zheng‐Xin Chen Xiao‐Yu Zhang Si‐Xi Zhu Ying Ge Scott‐X. Chang Chong‐Bang Zhang Cheng‐Cai Huang Jie Chang |
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| Affiliation: | 1. College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China;2. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;3. College of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Linhai, P. R. China;4. College of Life Sciences, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, P. R. China |
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| Abstract: | The effects of plant species richness on both above‐ and belowground plant biomass, plant nitrogen (N) pool size, and substrate N concentrations were studied in a full‐scale subsurface vertical‐flow constructed wetland (CW). Results showed that (i) plant species richness increased belowground plant biomass and its N pool size but had no effect on aboveground plant biomass and its N pool size; (ii) plant species richness increased substrate N removal, especially ammonium N removal; and (iii) plant species richness had no effect on plant N use efficiency, suggesting that the N pool size increased with increasing plant species richness. More N accumulation could be removed through harvesting plant biomass. We concluded that the N removal performance of the CW improved by plant species richness through increasing belowground biomass and relevant N pool size. |
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| Keywords: | Ammonium Nitrate Nitrogen pool Plant biomass Plant diversity |
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