MCPLANT: A Simulation Model of Dissolved Oxygen Production by Aquatic Macrophytes

Abstract

A one-dimensional water column model is constructed to simulate dissolved oxygen dynamics in a shallow lake populated with submersed macrophyte vegetation. The MCPLANT (Modeled C++ Plant Layers Approximating Natural Theory) model constitutes a macrophyte growth model concomitant with a kinetic description of processes involved in producing and consuming dissolved oxygen. Photosynthetic production of dissolved oxygen by macrophytes is considered as a principal source in the water column; respiration and decay are principal sinks of dissolved oxygen. Environmental data and lake trophic status are principal inputs to the model.