Nutrient Remediation Efficiency of the Sedge Plant (Cyperus alopecuroides Rottb.) to Restore Eutrophic Freshwater Ecosystems

Abstract

The current study investigated the nutrients removal efficiency of the sedge macrophyte Cyperus alopecuroides to treat water eutrophication, besides evaluating the recycling possibility of the harvested material. Samples of sediment, water, and plant tissues were taken seasonally from six polluted and three unpolluted locations for this investigation. The growth properties of C. alopecuroides showed remarkable seasonal differences in plant density and biomass, with the maximum values (7.1 individual/m2 and 889.6 g/m2, respectively) obtained during summer and the minimum (4.1 individual/m2 and 547.2 g/m2, respectively) in winter. In polluted locations, the above-ground tissues had an efficiency to remove more contents of N and P (11.9 and 3.8 g/m2, respectively) than in unpolluted ones (7.1 and 3.4 g/m2, respectively). The high-nutrient standing stock of C. alopecuroides supports its potential use for nutrient removal from eutrophic wetlands. The tissues of C. alopecuroides had the maximum nutrients removal efficiency to remediate great amounts of Na, K, and N in summer, and Ca, P, and Mg in spring. Above-and below-ground parts of C. alopecuroides from unpolluted locations can be considered as a rough forage for beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, and sheep. The present study indicated the potential of C. alopecuroides in restoring eutrophic freshwater ecosystems, and, thus, it can be used in similar habitats worldwide.