Abstract
Growth experiments with macrophytes revealed anomalies in the growth and development of Najas intermedia. Further analyses showed that these anomalies were caused by differences between the male and female plants. To examine the gender-related differences, the results of two field experiments and a phenological monitoring programme were analysed. The field experiments were conducted in four different lakes in Southern Germany. Over the course of 2 years, eight different sediments were used to research the interaction between the gender and the growth of N. intermedia plants. The phenological monitoring programme, on the other hand, was focused on the development of three different populations of N. intermedia in three Southern German lakes. The results of the experiments revealed significant differences in the gender-related development: Depending on the environmental conditions, male plants grew between 20 and 40% faster than female plants. Additionally, the male plants developed flowers earlier in the vegetation period and died before the female plants. As a result, male and female plants coexisted in the same lake only for a short period of time. This might be a strategy to reduce the competitive pressure between the genders and to gain an advantage over rival species.
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Acknowledgments
This study is part of the Bavarian Research Cooperation FORKAST: Impact of climate on aquatic ecosystems and climatic adaption strategies, funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts and by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Public Health. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all of the reviewers and individuals who helped to improve this paper. A special thanks to all scientific divers, students and colleagues of the Limnologische Station Iffeldorf.
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Hoffmann, M., Raeder, U. & Melzer, A. Influence of the gender on growth and phenology of the dioecious macrophyte Najas marina ssp. intermedia . Hydrobiologia 727, 167–176 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1795-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1795-z