Hydrochory into flood-control basins constructed in agricultural landscapes

Abstract

As the decrease of wetlands is a global issue, there are high expectations for flood-control basins (FCB) as substitute habitats for wetland plant species. The establishment of wetland vegetation in FCB requires seed dispersal from surrounding environments. We compared the hydrochory of aquatic plant propagules between natural wetlands and FCB and factors affecting it. We found that the propagules entering the FCB include those of many disturbance-dependent plants, while perennial plants that grow in lentic environments dominate natural wetlands. The land use in the upstream sites may affect the difference in species composition between the two environments.