TÖRÖK, PÉTERNjoroge, Beatrice2024-06-052024-06-052024-04-30https://hdl.handle.net/2437/370961Freshwater ecosystem conservation is a desirable objective for the world especially with the current rise in human induced pressures like rapid globalization and climate change which have resulted in the rise of both invasive alien species numbers and their impacts as well on the ecosystem. The freshwater habitats as compared to marine and terrestrial areas have been recorded to be more susceptible to biological invasion due to factors like its landscape position, geographical isolation, interconnectivity and how its more prone to disturbances from human activities. Invasion from nonnative aquatic plants in such a valuable ecosystem is a significant threat as it could result in native plant species decline or even loss. This research seeks to understand the mechanisms, mainly focusing on shading and allelopathy, that facilitate the competitiveness of Pistia stratiotes, an invasive plant and how this affects Ceratophyllum demersum, a native plant in Europe. This was done by studying the results of a mesocosm experiment which was conducted placing both freshwater plants in four varying treatments. The Ceratophyllum demersum recorded a slight decline in its relative growth rate and total biomass due to shading from the Pistia stratiotes, on the other hand there was increase on the same parameters due to the allelopathic effects of Pistia stratiotes on the algae present in the water column. In studying this interaction, the research shows that floating macrophytes can affect submerged macrophytes both positively and negatively, also it underscores the importance of nutrient conditions in freshwater habitats, suggesting that controlling nutrient enrichment can mitigate Pistia stratiotes invasion in freshwater habitats.44enInvasive alien species, invasive traits, Pistia stratiotes and Ceratophyllum demersumEnvironmental ScienceHozzáférhető a 2022 decemberi felsőoktatási törvénymódosítás értelmében.