Date of Award
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Volin, John C.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of nutrient supply and artificial defoliation on the growth rate of water hyacinth. The plants were subjected to two levels of nutrient (high and low) and three levels (0%, 10% and 80%) of defoliation treatment. The effect of the nutrient and repeated defoliation treatments was detem1ined after six weeks. Ten percent defoliation did not show any significant difference from control plants in biomass allocation or relative growth rate (RGR) in either nutrient concentration, while 80% defoliation caused a significant decrease in the final RGR under high and low nutrient treatments. High nutrient treatment resulted in higher RGR and allocation to asexual reproduction, resulting in higher biomass accumulation compared to the low nutrient treatment, which had higher root growth and allocation to sexual reproduction. My data provide evidence that water hyacinth can fully compensate to low levels of defoliation.
Extent
34 p.
Recommended Citation
Soti, Pushpa G., "Does Water Hyacinth (Eichornia Crassipes) Compensate to Defoliation? Implications for Effective Biocontrol" (2008). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2000 - 2009. 1446.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_5/1446
Identifier
FA00000834
Comments
Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|Includes bibliography.