Abstract
The performance and characteristics of nutrient removal in wetlands influenced by plant type. We tested a floating plant, Eichhornia crassipes, and a submerged plant, Ceratophyllum demersum, under the same environmental conditions to understand the differences in nutrient uptake by these different plant forms. The total nitrogen and phosphorus in the water decreased in the following order: Water Only < Water + Soil < Floating Plants ${\approx}$ Submerged Plants and Water Only < Water+Soil < Floating Plants < Submerged Plants. Nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations increased in both plants; however, the phosphorous concentration was greater in C. demersum than E. crassipes. The submerged plant exhibited higher phosphorus uptake per unit biomass than the floating plant, but nitrogen uptake did not differ significantly. These results suggest that the presence of soil influences nitrogen and phosphorus removal from water, and that wetland plants play an important role in the assimilation and precipitation of phosphorus. Understanding the differences in contaminant removal performance and characteristics of various plant forms can help in the selection of diverse plants for constructed wetlands to improve water quality and provide ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat and landscape enhancement.