Helophyte zonation : impact of water depth and wave exposure

Helophyte stands are an important component of the riparian ecosystem. Iversen (1936) defines a life form of "helophytes" as plants with aerial stems and leaves as well as hibernating plant parts below the water surface and/or in water-saturated soil. In the present study, the term was used in a stricter sense, limiting it to clonal, monocotyledonous reedbelt plants forming stands that dominate marsh vegetation near the shoreline of lakes and waterways. Helophyte stands can be found as extensive marsh areas or small waterside fringes. In many ways, they link aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.