Carbon Fixation and Oxygen Release Capacity of Typical Riparian Plants in Wuhan City and Its Influencing Factors

Abstract

In order to explore the carbon fixation and oxygen release capabilities of riparian plants in Wuhan, the photosynthetic rate (Pn) and morphological indicators of 13 typical riparian plants in the middle section of the Xunsi River in Wuhan were measured by portable photosynthesis apparatus. The daily carbon fixation and oxygen release of each plant at different scales were calculated, and the carbon fixation and oxygen release capacity and its influencing factors were analyzed. The results show that: (1) according to the biological characteristics, the daily carbon fixation and oxygen release capacity per unit leaf area was higher in herbaceous than in trees; the daily carbon fixation and oxygen release capacity per plant, per projected area, and per land area were higher in trees than in herbaceous. (2) The plant with the strongest ability of daily carbon fixation and oxygen release per unit leaf area was Ruellia brittoniana, and the weakest was Triadica sebifera; the plant with the strongest ability of daily carbon fixation and oxygen release of a single plant was Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and the weakest was Lolium perenne; the plant with the strongest ability of daily carbon fixation and oxygen release per land area was Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and the weakest was Alternanthera sessilis. (3) The carbon fixation and oxygen release ability of 13 plant species was analyzed by cluster analysis based on per unit leaf area, per plant, and per land area; ten species of herbaceous plant could be divided into three grades and three species of trees into two grades. This study provides a theoretical reference for the selection and application of riparian zone vegetation in Wuhan, and provides a scientific basis for the evaluation of riparian zone ecological benefits.