Modeling Growth, Carbon Allocation and Nutrient
Budgets of Phragmites australis in Lake Burullus, Egypt
Ebrahem M. Eid & Kamal H. Shaltout &
Yassin M. Al-Sodany & Karline Soetaert & Kai Jensen
Received: 14 November 2008 / Accepted: 2 November 2009 / Published online: 25 February 2010
# Society of Wetland Scientists 2010
Abstract Phragmites australis is the major component of
reed stands covering some 8200 ha along the shores of Lake
Burullus (Egypt). We applied a published temperate zone
reed model to assess growth and cycling of C and nutrients
among the various organs of P. australis in this sub-tropical
lake. We aim to quantify the role of reed stands for the C
balance and nutrients cycling in the south Mediterranean
wetland. Above-ground biomass was 3.5 times higher than
the below-ground biomass. Root biomass represented 13%
of the total below-ground, while leaves and panicles
represented 16 and 3% of the above-ground biomass,
respectively. Remobilization from rhizomes (15%) and
reallocation from leaves (1%) were of little importance as
assimilated sources. Nutrients accumulation by total aboveground
biomass ranged between 2.7 to 46.8 gm−2yr−1 for P
and K, respectively. We calculated a C sequestration rate of 38.4 g C m−2yr−1 for the dead rhizomes in
the sediments.
This value stresses the importance of P. australis stands for
C sequestration in Lake Burullus. Further, as much as 254 t
P and 5527 t N could potentially be removed annually from
Lake Burullus by harvesting P. australis at maximum total
above-ground biomass.