Effects of burial depth and water depth on seedling emergence and early growth of Scirpus planiculmis Fr. Schmidt

Seed burial and water regime are both crucial factors influencing seedling emergence and plant growth in wetlands and thus exert important effects on revegetation in degraded wetlands. We conducted a pot experiment to determine the effects of burial depth and water depth on the seedling emergence and growth of Scirpus planiculmis Fr. Schmidt. Seeds of S. planiculmis were buried at 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 cm depths in plastic pots with non-sterilized sediment under exposed (−5 cm), waterlogged (0 cm) and submerged (5 and 10 cm water depths relative to sediment surface) water regimes. The results showed that the percentage of seedling emergence at a burial depth of 0 cm was enhanced under 10 cm and 5 cm water depths (78.89% and 81.37%, respectively) in comparison to the results under −5 cm and 0 cm water depths (0 and 2.22%, respectively). Seedlings did not grow through the water to the surface and no tuber formed when covered by 10 cm of water. The total biomass per seedling was generally higher at 0.5 cm or 1 cm burial depths than that at other burial depths. The tuber number per seedling was highest at a 0.5 cm burial depth, while the value was lowest at a 0 cm burial depth. Our results provide valuable guidance for the establishment of S. planiculmis from seeds in wetland revegetation programs.