Experimental measurement of sedimentation on leaves related to leaf traits of different plant species

Worldwide, stream water is increasingly loaded with sediments and nutrients, due to processes such as accelarated soil erosion and overfertilization caused by agricultural intensification. This leads to problems related to eutrophication and sitling up, which is even stronger if rivers are dammed and straitened. Floodplains can play an important role in mitigating these problems, by removing sediment from rivers through water filtration and retention of sediments and nutrients. Our study contributes to our understanding how plant biodiversity controls the important ecosystem services of nutrient retention in floodplains.