Response of submerged macrophytes and periphyton biofilm to water flow in eutrophic environment: Plant structural, physicochemical and microbial properties

Abstract The integrated effects of water flow on submerged macrophytes (Vallisneria natans) and leaf biofilms were comprehensively investigated in eutrophic microcosm. Changes in aquatic environmental factors were analyzed and water flow was found to elevate eutrophic water quality, especially in terms of TP removal. The removal efficiency of TP reached 78.95% in flowing water, which was more than 10-fold higher than in static water. Water flow altered the morphological and physiological characteristics of plants, decreasing the cell wall thickness and rate of photosynthesis, while promoting the accumulation of soluble sugar and protein in leaves. The starch content also increased with water flow, and significantly larger starch granules were observed in chloroplast. Furthermore, oxidative damage was evidenced by the consistently higher content of malondialdehyde in flowing water. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and Catalase (CAT) were induced in plants exposed to water flow, as an antioxidant stress response. The results of 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the structure of the biofilm microbial community changed in response to water flow. These results expand our understanding of the effects of water flow on submerged macrophytes and periphyton biofilms in eutrophic environments.