Papyrus hunting in Israel - Lake Agamon phytoremediation experiment

Before starting the search for Papyrus, we visited an interesting field experiment near Lake Agamon - an area of the valley that was re-flooded after the problems of the drainage begun in 1956 had later become apparent. The experiment is comparing the effectiveness of some of the local, emergent aquatics at lowering the levels of nitrates and phosphates in the waters of the marshes, and has been running for 2 years. 

Nitrate release by peat which decomposed after the extensive drainage of 1956 became a serious problem, and led to poisonous algal blooms in Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), from leachates carried there by the River Jordan.  The drainage also failed to produce the highly fertile soils expected of it, because the soil nutrients  were unbalanced, high levels of nitrates affectied the growth of some crops - notably reducing their flowering at the expense of leafy growth.

Papyrus was one of the first plants used in this trial and hopes for it were high. However, it has now been dropped, having proved both slow to regrow following cutting, and too sensitive to the height of the cut, above or below the waterline.  Typha domingensis Pers. and Cyperus dives  Delile (=C. alopecuroides var. dives), were both seen being assayed in the on-going phytoremediation experiment.

^{Here the Typha stems can be seen in the process of being cut for biomass assay, and the flower spikes …}

^{…and the Cyperus has already been fully cut.}

Later we found natural C. dives growing abundantly in sandy soils around Lake Agamon and along river banks feeding into Lake Kinneret.  We also found young plants of C. articulatus L., with its tangible septa inside the stem, growing in an area that once was covered by Lake Kinneret.

^{Cyperus articulatus L. another very large sedge, it can reach 2m.  Papyrus on the otherhand can be 5m tall when conditions are suitable.}