Editing Aquatic plant (section)

=== Functions of macrophytes in aquatic systems ===
Macrophytes perform many ecosystem functions in aquatic ecosystems and provide services to human society. One of the important functions performed by macrophyte is uptake of dissolved nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus.<ref name="Water Science and Technology-1997" /> Macrophytes are widely used in constructed wetlands around the world to remove excess N and P from polluted water.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Vymazal |first1=Jan |year=2013 |title=Emergent plants used in free water surface constructed wetlands: A review |journal=Ecological Engineering |volume=61 |pages=582–592 |bibcode=2013EcEng..61..582V |doi=10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.06.023}}</ref> Besides direct nutrient uptake, macrophytes indirectly influence [[nutrient cycling]]; especially N cycling through influencing the denitrifying bacterial functional groups that are inhabiting on roots and shoots of macrophytes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hallin |first1=Sara |last2=Hellman |first2=Maria |last3=Choudhury |first3=Maidul I. |last4=Ecke |first4=Frauke |year=2015 |title=Relative importance of plant uptake and plant associated denitrification for removal of nitrogen from mine drainage in sub-arctic wetlands |journal=Water Research |volume=85 |pages=377–383 |bibcode=2015WatRe..85..377H |doi=10.1016/j.watres.2015.08.060 |pmid=26360231}}</ref> Macrophytes promote the sedimentation of suspended solids by reducing the current velocities,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhu |first1=Mengyuan |last2=Zhu |first2=Guangwei |last3=Nurminen |first3=Leena |last4=Wu |first4=Tingfeng |last5=Deng |first5=Jianming |last6=Zhang |first6=Yunlin |last7=Qin |first7=Boqiang |last8=Ventelä |first8=Anne-Mari |year=2015 |title=The Influence of Macrophytes on Sediment Resuspension and the Effect of Associated Nutrients in a Shallow and Large Lake (Lake Taihu, China) |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=10 |issue=6 |pages=e0127915 |bibcode=2015PLoSO..1027915Z |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0127915 |pmc=4452177 |pmid=26030094 |doi-access=free}}</ref> impede erosion by stabilising soil surfaces.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Horppila |first1=Jukka |last2=Kaitaranta |first2=Joni |last3=Joensuu |first3=Laura |last4=Nurminen |first4=Leena |year=2013 |title=Influence of emergent macrophyte (Phragmites australis) density on water turbulence and erosion of organic-rich sediment |journal=Journal of Hydrodynamics |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=288–293 |bibcode=2013JHyDy..25..288H |doi=10.1016/S1001-6058(13)60365-0 |s2cid=120990795}}</ref> Macrophytes also provide spatial heterogeneity in otherwise unstructured water column. Habitat complexity provided by macrophytes tends to increase diversity and density of both fish and invertebrates.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Thomaz |first1=Sidinei M. |last2=Dibble |first2=Eric D. |last3=Evangelista |first3=Luiz R. |last4=Higuti |first4=Janet |last5=Bini |first5=Luis M. |year=2007 |title=Influence of aquatic macrophyte habitat complexity on invertebrate abundance and richness in tropical lagoons |journal=Freshwater Biology |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=358–367 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2427.2007.01898.x}}</ref>

The additional site-specific macrophytes' value provides wildlife habitat and makes treatment systems of wastewater aesthetically satisfactory.<ref name="Brix-1994">{{Cite journal |last=Brix |first=Hans |date=1994-02-01 |title=Functions of Macrophytes in Constructed Wetlands |url=https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1994.0160 |journal=Water Science and Technology |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=71–78 |bibcode=1994WSTec..29...71B |doi=10.2166/wst.1994.0160 |issn=0273-1223}}</ref>[[File:World aquaculture production of food fish and aquatic plants, 1990-2016.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|World aquaculture production of food fish and aquatic plants, 1990–2016]]